Ph.D. Urban & Regional Economics  ·  Oklahoma State University, 2013

Independent economic consulting for developers, communities, and decision-makers.

Tightening budgets. Increasing competing uses. Whether you're a corporation, municipality, legislator, or nonprofit — you don't need analytics. You need economic consulting that explains causation and informs decisions.

10+
Years of applied regional consulting
5
Peer-reviewed publications
3
Analysis tiers — matched to your question and budget
About

The economist behind the work

Professionally, I am a Ph.D. urban and regional economist based in the Stevens Point area. Having left academia for the role of stay-at-home dad to two boys, I began cultivating gourmet mushrooms as a hobbyist — and never really stopped. I continue to be a stay-at-home dad while also running a mushroom farm out of our basement, and I serve as Founder, Developer, and Chief Economist at The Central Wisconsin Economy and Regional Economist at Numbers and Nature.

I am published in scholarly journals including Papers in Regional Science, Journal of Regional Analysis and Policy, and the Journal of Sports Economics. As a former assistant professor I have lectured at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma State University, University of Missouri, and Southeastern Louisiana University. Most recently I held a dual appointment as Assistant Professor of Urban and Regional Economics at UW–Stevens Point and Director and Chief Economist of the Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau.

Staying true to my roots, I enjoy cooking good food — jambalaya, gumbo, and boiled crawfish.

Also offering household economic consulting for self-employed & benefits cliff households →

Credentials
Ph.D., Urban and Regional Economics — Oklahoma State University, 2013
M.A., Economics — University of Missouri
Former Assistant Professor & Director, Central Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau — UW–Stevens Point
5 peer-reviewed publications in regional science, policy, and sports economics
Founder, The Central Wisconsin Economy — nonprofit regional data platform
Owner, Segura & Sons — gourmet mushroom farm, Stevens Point
What I do

Services

Every engagement is designed around your research question. The right methodology is chosen after scoping — not before.

Economic impact analysis

Built on the right methodology for your question and budget — from BEA multiplier analysis of organizational spending to full primary survey design. For events and tourism projects, this means custom patron and participant surveys capturing geographic origin and spending by category across a defined multi-county footprint.

Primary survey design Multi-county scope Events & festivals Organizations Development projects
Feasibility studies & pro forma review

Independent, third-party review of developer-submitted feasibility studies and pro formas — for municipalities, lenders, and community development organizations who need an honest read before committing public dollars or guarantees. Also available for original market feasibility analysis.

Third-party review Pro forma scrutiny Market demand Lender advisory
Tax increment financing (TIF) analysis

Academic-grade review of TIF district projections, revenue assumptions, and associated development plans. Advise municipalities, business councils, and community organizations on TIF viability and risk before commitments are made.

District review Revenue projections Municipal advisory Risk assessment
Place-based & community economic analysis

Research-grade analysis of post-industrial, rural, or transitioning regional economies — labor market shifts, demographic change, and economic distress or opportunity. Designed for funders, policymakers, and community organizations. Narrative-driven and data-grounded.

Post-industrial communities Rural economics Funder reports Policy briefs
Expert witness & litigation support

Economic analysis and present value calculations for legal proceedings, applying court-adopted methodologies for lost earnings and economic damages.

Lost earnings Present value Expert testimony
Investment

Pricing & timeline

Every engagement follows the same structure: scope → survey → draft → present. One round of revisions and one stakeholder presentation with Q&A are included in every project.

Rate is $1,000/day with a half-day minimum. Not sure which tier fits your situation? Describe your project in the contact form — I'll recommend the right approach before any commitment is made.
Tier 1  ·  Foundational
Organizational spending impact
Uses secondary data and Bureau of Economic Analysis multipliers to estimate the regional economic impact of an organization's spending. No survey fielding required.
Best for: nonprofits, chambers, institutions quantifying their own regional footprint
~1 week
Lower range  ·  BEA multipliers
Tier 2  ·  Standard  ·  Most common
Survey-based impact with BEA multipliers
Custom patron and participant surveys combined with BEA multipliers to estimate total regional impact. More defensible and specific than secondary-data-only approaches. The Iola Car Show study used this methodology.
Best for: events, festivals, tourism-adjacent projects  ·  example: Iola Car Show 50th Anniversary (~$8,000)
~2 weeks
Mid range  ·  Primary survey + BEA
Tier 3  ·  Comprehensive
Eclectic model design with IMPLAN
Full input-output modeling using IMPLAN with a custom model design fit to the specific regional economy and research question. The most analytically rigorous option. IMPLAN licensing is an additional cost quoted at scoping.
Best for: large development projects, legislative or policy contexts, academic-grade deliverables
3–8 weeks
Higher range  ·  IMPLAN modeling
Typical day-by-day breakdown

Timeline varies with scope, data availability, and survey fielding time.

Tier Duration Workflow
Tier 1
BEA multipliers
~1 week
Secondary data only. No survey fielding window required.
Scope callData workTables & draftRevisionsPresentation
Tier 2
Survey + BEA
~2 weeks
Survey fielding occupies week one. Analysis, tables, and writing follow in week two.
Scope meetingSurvey consult— survey in field —Data workTablesDraftRevisionsPresentation
Tier 3
IMPLAN modeling
3–8 weeks
Scope-dependent. Typical: 3–4 weeks. Complex multi-sector models may extend to 6–8 weeks. IMPLAN licensing quoted at scoping.
ScopingModel designData assemblyIMPLAN runsAnalysisDraftRevisionsPresentation
Past work

Selected projects

A sample of engagements across sectors, methodologies, and client types.

Event impact  ·  Tier 2 survey + BEA
Iola Car Show 50th Anniversary
Patron and vendor surveys captured geographic origin and itemized spending across five counties. Quantified the event's true regional economic footprint and presented findings to the Iola Car Show Board.
~$8,000  ·  Client: Iola Car Show
Community distress  ·  Place-based research
South Wood County post-pulp economic analysis
Demonstrated that economic distress following the decline of the pulp industry in South Wood County was deeper — and different in character — than comparable post-industrial communities in Central Appalachia.
~$5,000  ·  Client: Incourage Community Foundation, CENTERGY, North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, Heart of Wisconsin IMA, and others
Workforce  ·  12-county regional analysis
Disconnected youth in Greater Central Wisconsin
Analysis of young people neither employed nor enrolled in education across the 12-county region — framed as an investment opportunity for economic development organizations, workforce boards, chambers, and funders.
Client: Portage County Business Council
Clients

Who I work with

Real estate developers
Municipal governments
Community & family foundations
Law firms
Chambers of commerce
Lenders & investors
Workforce development boards
Event organizers
Common Questions

Before you reach out

Answers to the questions that typically come up before a first conversation.

Economic impact analysis quantifies the total economic activity generated by an organization, event, or development project within a defined region — including direct spending, indirect supply chain effects, and induced household spending. You need it when you're making a case to a funder, municipality, or stakeholder group that your project generates value beyond its direct costs.
Tax Increment Financing analysis reviews the projected revenue assumptions, development timelines, and economic viability of a proposed TIF district. Municipalities, lenders, and community organizations benefit from independent third-party TIF review before committing public funds — particularly when a developer has submitted their own projections.
The rate is $1,000/day with a half-day minimum. A Tier 1 BEA multiplier study typically runs 3–5 days. A Tier 2 survey-based study runs 8–14 days depending on survey fielding. A Tier 3 IMPLAN model ranges from 3–8 weeks. I'll give you a day estimate after a scoping conversation — no commitment required to have that conversation.
Yes. Most work is in Central Wisconsin and the broader Midwest, but the methodology travels. Survey-based and IMPLAN work can be conducted for any regional economy. Expert witness and litigation support engagements are not geography-limited.
Yes. Expert witness services include economic analysis and present value calculations for legal proceedings, applying court-adopted methodologies for lost earnings and economic damages. These engagements are scoped and priced individually.
Get in touch

Start a conversation

Describe your project and I'll respond within one business day. If you're not sure which tier or service fits, just tell me what you're trying to figure out — I'll recommend the right approach before any commitment is made.

Stevens Point, WI

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