Hope College’s Department of Economics & Business will welcome the West Michigan business community to a free dinner featuring economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Haworth Hotel in downtown Holland. The event begins at 5:30 p.m., and advance registration is required.
Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, will deliver a keynote presentation titled “America at 250: Trade, Prosperity and
the Future of American Leadership.” The event is part of the department’s ongoing
recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States.
The department is presenting Holtz-Eakin in collaboration with Hope College’s student-run chapter of the Alexander Hamilton Society. The society will host him on campus earlier in the day before he joins the department’s biannual dinner that evening, bringing together employers, alumni, students and faculty.
Holtz-Eakin previously served as senior staff economist on President George H.W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers and later as director of the Congressional Budget Office. His work has focused on fiscal policy and free markets, including policy issues surrounding the 2000–2001 recession and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. As president of the American Action Forum, he leads the independent, nonpartisan organization, which informs domestic policy through data analysis, education and communication on issues including health care, trade, labor and innovation.
Holtz-Eakin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from Denison University and a doctorate in economics from Princeton University. He has held faculty appointments at Columbia University and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. In 2007, he served as chief economic policy adviser to U.S. Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign. In 2009, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appointed him to the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
“In our country’s 250th year, it is especially meaningful to think about how an economic perspective is critical to a global society,” said Stacy Jackson, chair of Hope College’s Department of Economics & Business. “We’re excited to offer an opportunity for the West Michigan business community, along with our students, to hear reflections from a leading American economist with the depth of experience that Douglas provides.”
Since 2011, the Department of Economics & Business has hosted more than 15 dinners, bringing together hundreds of students and business professionals. The events offer opportunities for students and employers to connect and feature speakers whose work reflects leadership, faith and community impact. Previous speakers have included Dave Van Andel, chairman and CEO of the Van Andel Institute; J.C. Huizenga, founder and chairman of the Huizenga Group; Mark Stevens, former vice president of Worldwide Sales Finance at Apple; and Kirk Cousins, a West Michigan native and NFL quarterback.
The Nov. 9 event will also include a brief reflection and update on the Hope College Means Business campaign. The campaign includes fundraising for a new 74,000-square-foot facility under construction in downtown Holland and for Hope’s 95-year-old Economics & Business program, which has more than 500 majors and minors.
Members of the business community can learn more about the program and campaign at hope.edu/meansbusiness. Details about the Nov. 9 dinner and registration are available online.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.