Albany, NY Luncheon – Tariffs and the Economy

SPEAKERS

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  Billy Leung

  REMI

  Billy Leung is the Vice President of REMI, where he plays a leading role in U.S. and international consulting and support services. He has worked with government agencies and organizations throughout North America and the world, helping them achieve their planning and policy analysis goals. Mr. Leung has assisted clients in addressing the impacts of both policy changes and unpredictable events such as natural disasters. He has evaluated the economic and policy impacts of terrorist attacks and other threats to public safety and public health. His research efforts include: The Economic Impacts of 9/11 on the New York Region. Macroeconomic Impacts of Shutting down the US Borders in Response to a Security or Health Threat. As part of REMI’s global services, Mr. Leung has worked with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Korea Energy Economics Institute. In addition to his international efforts, Mr. Leung has assisted state and regional agencies, including Southern California Association of Governments. He has supported their long-term transportation and environmental planning initiatives. Mr. Leung joined REMI in 2002 and was promoted to vice president in 2009. Over the years, he has contributed to the development of the REMI model and performed economic impact studies. He has analyzed the economic impact of the biodiesel industry in New York State for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and researched the economic impact of widening New Mexico’s US 54 for the New Mexico Department of Transportation. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and received his M.A. in Regional Economics and Social Development at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. His master’s thesis was on the research and development of incorporating transportation and land use with Input/Output economic modeling.

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  Kyle Compton

  REMI

  Kyle Compton is an Economic Associate at REMI, responsible for client support and business development. Since joining REMI in May 2017, Mr. Compton has tested and reported on the company’s dynamic economic modeling software. He also assisted in sales and marketing through data analysis and development of a regular benchmarking system. Prior to starting at REMI, Mr. Compton was a research intern/consultant for Verité, a nonprofit organization that conducts research, advocacy and consulting on global working conditions. He presented original research on panel-regression analysis of the causes of forced labor and researched labor profiles of emerging economies. Building on his work for Verité, he earned the James Kindahl Award in Economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst for his paper, “Determinants of Forced Labor: Evidence from 21 Emerging Economies.” The paper is under review for publishing in the Massachusetts Undergraduate Journal of Economics. Mr. Compton will graduate from UMass Amherst in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.