The Memphis branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will hold a regional economic briefing in Starkville on April 14 at The Mill Conference Center, the bank announced Tuesday morning.
The meeting is aimed at “business leaders, academics, community development practitioners and others interested in economic conditions,” the press release says.
Kevin Kliesen, a Fed business economist and research officer, and Charles Gascon, a regional economist and senior research coordinator, will give local business leaders “an overview of economic conditions,” according to the press release.
Gascon will provide a regional overview, and Kliesen will provide a national overview and discuss the probability of a recession, including in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas, said Matuschka Briggs, a spokeswoman for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Briggs declined to be more specific about the Federal Reserve Bank’s message for Starkville because the bank limits its contact with the news media on specific dates surrounding Federal Open Market Committee meetings.
The briefing requires registration but is free to attend and will include a complimentary dinner.
The FRB’s choice of Starkville for the event means the agency sees it as a thriving community in the region, Mayor Lynn Spruill and Greater Starkville Development Partnership CEO Mike Tagert both said.
“I expect to get good information that’s relevant to our economic status for both the city and for our local businesses,” Spruill said.
Tagert said the event had already generated a great deal of interest soon after it was announced Tuesday morning, and strong attendance is expected.
“The more information we as business leaders can have about the regional and national economy, the better decisions we can make locally,” Tagert said.
Briggs declined to comment on whether the spread of COVID-19, commonly known as coronavirus, might postpone the briefing or be a topic of the economic conversation there.
Tess Vrbin was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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