Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist for the National Retail Federation headquartered in Washington, D.C., will speak to the 35th Annual Wichita Area Economic Outlook Conference hosted by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research. The event will be held from 7:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Century II Convention Hall.

Kleinhenz is a frequent speaker on business and regional economic issues and is regularly called upon by local, national and international media, including the Financial Times, Bloomberg News, CNBC, Fox News, National Public Radio, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Washington Post. In addition to his role with NRF, he is principal and chief economist of Kleinhenz & Associates, a registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in financial consulting and wealth management.

Kleinhenz is president of the National Association for Business Economics, the largest international association of applied economists, strategists, academics and policymakers. He is also a contributing forecaster to The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, which recognized Kleinhenz for forecasting excellence.

Kleinhenz was a recent finalist for the 2014 Weatherhead School of Management Teaching Award. A graduate of John Carroll University, he earned his master’s degree and doctoral degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame.

Registration for the Economic Outlook Conference is now open, and tickets are $115. This price includes breakfast. Check www.cedbr.org often for updates about the conference.