The host and moderator for the Arkansas Economist is Dr. Michael R. Pakko, Chief Economist and State Economic Forecaster at the Institute for Economic Advancement at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  Pakko received his B.A. from Michigan State University in 1984 and a PhD from the University of Rochester in 1994.

From 1993 until 2009, Dr. Pakko was a research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, where he published research on a variety of topics, including international trade, economic growth, macroeconomics, and public policy.   From 2006 until 2009 Pakko served as the “Little Rock Zone Expert” at the St. Louis Fed–monitoring and reporting on economic conditions in the state of Arkansas.

When taking a break from writing for the Arkansas Economist and organizing the Arkansas Economic Forecast Conference, Pakko delves into home-improvement projects and enjoys camping, fishing and tending to his overgrown yard.

Dr. Carlos G. Silva is a Regional Economist at Arkansas Economic Development Institute (AEDI). Skilled in applied economic research, he is a research professional with a Master of Science in Applied Economics from Utah State University with a specialization in Natural Resource Economics, and a Doctoral degree in Economic Development from New Mexico State University. His research interests are economic development, natural resources, and their interaction.