MISSOULA, Mont. (KGVO-AM News) – Following the retirement of Dr. Patrick Barkey, the University of Montana has appointed Dr. Jeffrey Michael as the new director of the Office of Business and Economic Research.
This week, I spoke with Dr. Michael about his background and what drew him to Montana State.
UM’s new Director of Business and Economic Research appointed
“This is a really interesting state economy and an established center with really interesting kinds of jobs,” Dr. Michael began. “For me, I came to Montana, which is a smaller state, where your agency is kind of the center of the economy, which is a resource-based economy, and you also address housing and tourism issues. I have a lot of experience in natural resource management, which is a perfect fit for my professional background. ”
Dr. Michael has years of experience on both coasts from California to Maine.
Dr. Michael has years of experience from California to Maine
“Before coming here, I spent 16 years at the University of the Pacific in California,” he said. “I ran the Center for Business Forecasting there and for the past three years I was the director of the Center for Business and Policy Research. I actually directed the public policy program at the School of Law in Sacramento.”
Dr. Michael has further expanded his experience in other parts of the country.
“My early years there were really focused on the forest products industry and private landowners, environmental regulations and how that affects the forest products industry and private land management,” he said. “Aside from the Southern environment, these are very ‘Montana’ issues, and over the years I’ve worked on all sorts of things related to BBER’s work, including economic development, forecasting, recreation, and infrastructure. Ta. that’s right. ”
Dr. Varkey will remain at BBER for several more months
Dr. Michael said he is used to mountainous states like Montana because of his training and experience in Maine.
“My master’s degree was from the University of Maine, and I lived in Maine for quite some time and did some research work there,” he said. “In fact, one of my first jobs, a research position there, was actually doing an annual survey of elk hunters in the state and tracking tourism metrics in the state, unlike in Montana. But I think it’s probably the closest place in the eastern United States to really understand the recreational economy and private forest land and how they interact and work together.”
Dr. Patrick Berkey will remain on staff for several more months and continue writing and producing the Montana Economic Minute, a popular feature on radio stations across the state.
See: Counties with highest unemployment rates in Montana
Stacker used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to create a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Montana. Counties are ranked by November 2023 unemployment rate.
Gallery credit: Stacker
