051 FEDERAL RESERVE CEO TO KEYNOTE MTSU CONFERENCE SEPT. 29

Mark Pirtle will receive the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award

Sept. 6, 2005
CONTACT: Tom Tozer, 615-898-5131
Dr. Jim Burton, 615-898-2764

MURFREESBORO—William Poole, president and chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Economic Outlook Conference at Middle Tennessee State University, which will be held Friday, Sept. 29, in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room.
Registration at the door will begin at 8:15 a.m. The conference will adjourn at 1:15 p.m.
Event sponsors are the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, Weatherford Chair of Finance, and the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC).
The conference, which is free of charge, is targeted especially to bankers, business owners and managers, community officials and leaders, business and economics faculty and students, and others interested in the future growth of the mid-state region.
Poole, who will speak at 9:00 a.m. on “Data Dependence,” assumed his current position in 1998. He directs the activities of the bank’s head office in St. Louis as well as its three branches in Little Rock, Ark., Louisville, Ky., and Memphis. He represents the bank on the Federal Open Market Committee and chairs the Conference of Presidents’ Information Technology Oversight Committee.
Prior to his position with the Federal Reserve Bank, Poole was the Herbert H. Goldberger Professor of Economics at Brown University, having arrived there in 1974. He twice served as the economics department chair. Before that, he served on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University from 1963 to 1969 and was inducted into its Society of Scholars in 2005.
At 10:30, Dr. David Penn, BERC director, will provide a mid-state/regional economic update.
At 11:15, Dr. Jim Burton, dean of the Jones College, will present Mark Pirtle, local businessman, real estate developer and friend of MTSU, with the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award. The honor recognizes a business leader who exemplifies the ideals of free enterprise through any combination of entrepreneurship, governmental involvement, participation in civic and charitable affairs, and education. Among his many accomplishments, Pirtle was named Businessperson of the Year in 1996 and is past president of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and the MTSU Foundation. He is active in the Blue Raider Athletic Association and is a longtime board member of the Boys and Girls Club.
Joining the rostrum for the luncheon address will be perennial favorite Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Regent's Professor of Economics Emeritus at Georgia State University and nationally known economic forecaster. Ratajczak served as director of the Economic Forecasting Center at
Georgia State University for 27 years. In 1994, he received the Blue Chip award for forecasting
accuracy during the four previous years. He appears regularly on CNBC and writes a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“The Economic Outlook Conference has become an MTSU tradition because it delivers what it promises—substance, expertise, and an opportunity for business and industry professionals to share common concerns," Burton commented.
Those interested in attending should register by Sept. 22 to guarantee lunch by calling 615-898-2764.
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NOTE TO MEDIA: Media are welcomed to attend and stay for lunch. Please call Tom Tozer at 615-898-5131. Mr. Poole is on a tight schedule, but he has indicated that he will have a few minutes during the break at 10:15 immediately following his presentation to take your questions. This will likely take place in the lobby of the James Union Building.

A photo of Poole is available upon request by calling the number above. Thank you.