Arkansas Economic Development Institute at UA Little Rock to be part of Arkansas Economic Forecast Luncheon

The Arkansas Economic Development Institute at UA Little Rock will join the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis for the 2025 Arkansas Economic Forecast Luncheon on Nov. 6. 

The event will take place at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., in Little Rock, with lunch served at 11 a.m. The program will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event will provide insight into the current state of the economy through discussions on economic trends, issues, and developments. Speakers include B. Ravikumar, Kathleen Navin, and Michael Pakko. 

Ravikumar has served as the senior vice president and deputy director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis since May 2011. He will discuss national and global economic conditions. 

Navin is a senior economist and an active member of the National Association for Business Economics. She will address regional economic conditions. 

Pakko, chief economist and state economic forecaster at the Arkansas Economic Development Institute at UA Little Rock, will speak about  Arkansas’ economic outlook. 

“I’m very pleased to be partnering with the Little Rock Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis again this year,” Pakko said. “This will be the 17th annual forecast event that I’ve participated in, and it’s shaping up to be one of the best yet. With the addition of a speaker addressing the international economic situation, this conference promises to be of particular relevance for today’s issues.” 

Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, will moderate a panel discussion and Q&A session after the presentation. Attendees may submit questions in advance during the registration process. 

Registration for this luncheon is due by Nov. 3. This is a free event.