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March 19, 2014 – The Annual Executive Roundtable hosted by the Managerial Economics Program at Allegheny College will bring together experts to speak on “The State of Work: The Future of Good Jobs in Western Pennsylvania.” The roundtable, which is free and open to the public, will run from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 31, in the college’s Ford Chapel.

In the midst of a national “wageless recovery,” the 2014 Executive Roundtable will feature distinguished representatives from business, labor and public policy to examine the best ways to develop good jobs in Western Pennsylvania.

The roundtable will be moderated by Assistant Professor of Economics Russ Ormiston, who also serves as co-director of the Managerial Economics Program at Allegheny College.

Panelists will include Bill Adams, senior counsel, labor and employment, PPG Industries, Pittsburgh; Steve Herzenberg, economist, executive director of the Keystone Research Center, Harrisburg; Silas Russell, government affairs and legislative director at SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh; and Joy Sherry, director of human resources, Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, Meadville. Adams, Russell and Sherry are graduates of Allegheny College.

The roundtable will focus on a number of key questions: With recent gains by local manufacturers, what can be done to return the region to its status as a manufacturing powerhouse? With state legislators debating the potential implementation of a state right-to-work law, what is the role of labor unions in creating and protecting “good” jobs? As local firms grapple with skill shortages in critical positions, what can be done to train and develop the area’s workforce to meet the needs of employers? How will national regulatory—and local hospital and insurance—changes affect employment in the region’s health care industry and the economy generally? What is the potential wage and employment impact of the natural gas reserves in the Marcellus Shale?

The Executive Roundtable is supported by the Earl W. Adams Jr. Endowment, established by Allegheny College trustee William H. Brown Jr., Allegheny class of 1980, in honor of Professor Earl William Adams Jr. – teacher, mentor and friend.

For more information on the roundtable, contact Professor Don Goldstein, professor and chair in the Department of Economics at Allegheny College, at dgoldste@allegheny.edu.

About Allegheny College’s Program in Managerial Economics
The Managerial Economics track within the Economics major provides students with a broad foundation in economics and an especially strong grounding for careers in the managerial fields. The program builds on traditional Allegheny strengths like communication and critical thinking skills by familiarizing students with disciplines like finance, accounting and strategic planning. Management positions in corporate, governmental and nonprofit organizations are common paths for graduates.