Public Issues Series: Competing in the Global Economy

David Ward, President and founder of NorthStar Economics, will present a lecture titled Positioning Central Wisconsin to Compete in the Global Economy in the Sonnentag Room at the UW Center for Civic Engagement at the University of Wisconsin – Marathon County campus, 625 Stewart Avenue, Wausau, Wisconsin, on June 18, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. This event is part of the Public Issues Series and is sponsored by the Center Right Coalition, the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, Centergy, and the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce.

In his presentation, Ward will examine the global economy, the US share of global GDP, the needs and locations of middle class markets, and both national and statewide opportunities in the global economy. He will consider the impact of direct foreign investment in Wisconsin, including the number and scope of jobs created, sectors that have attracted overseas investment, countries and firms that have chosen to invest in the state, and strategies to encourage continued investment.

Ward completed a thirty-one year career with the University of Wisconsin System in 2000, then founded NorthStar Economics, a private economic consulting and research firm dedicated to the development and implementation of New Economy economic development strategies. NorthStar Economics specializes in economic impact studies, strategic economic development, angel investing, workforce development, rural economic development, feasibility studies, and forensic economics. Dr. Ward has worked for a number of private sector firms, including Kimberly Clark, Honeywell, and Land’s End, and has given presentations on Wisconsin and the New Economy to over 90 groups. Dr. Ward has acted as the principal investigator and primary author of several recent NorthStar projects, including A Strategic Economic Development Plan for the Town of Saratoga, Wyoming; A Systematic Evaluation Process for a Science and Technology Strategy in New Hampshire; An Economic Development Adjustment Plan for Door County, Wisconsin; and the 2005 NorthStar Guide to Growth and Venture Capital for Wisconsin companies.

For more information, contact Keene Winters at crcwausau@gmail.com or Connie Nikolai at connie.nikolai@uwc.edu