Thursday Business Sessions
1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
The Recession’s Over! Now What?
Jeff Thredgold, CSP
Economic Futurist
“Entertaining” and “Economist” in the same sentence?? YES!! Jeff takes his audiences on an entertaining, informative and humorous tour of the U.S. economy, financial markets, education, employment, the global economy, retirement, government and the future. Highlights include:
- Why U.S. economic growth has returned
- The outlook for the global economy
- Why inflation will remain under control
- The direction of interest rates
- Why retirement at 65 will give way to “bridging”
- The competitive position of U.S. companies
Jeff Thredgold, CSP is the only economist in the world ever to have received the international designation of Certified Speaking Professional, the highest earned designation in professional speaking. He has served the past 13 years as economic consultant to $55 billion Zions Bancorporation, which has banks in 10 states. His career also includes 23 years with $100 billion banking giant KeyCorp, where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. He is a member of five national forecast panels, including Blue Chip Financial Forecasts and those of USA Today and the Associated Press. Jeff has appeared dozens of times on CNBC-TV as well as numerous appearances on CNN. Jeff has been writing a weekly economic and financial newsletter, now entitled the Tea Leaf, for 35 years. He is the monthly economic columnist for Business Issues, one of Asia’s newest business publications, and is the author of several books including econAmerica, A Parent’s Letter to My Children in School; Economy by Thredgold; and On the One Hand…The Economist’s Joke Book. He served as an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Utah for 16 years. Jeff is a former member of both the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association and the Economic Policy Committee of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Heroic Values of Manufacturing
Dr. Yaron Brook
Executive Director, Ayn Rand Institute
Society tells business leaders to sacrifice, to serve others, to “give back”--treating their pursuit of profit as a moral crime, with chronic guilt its penance. Is it any wonder that productive giants from John D. Rockefeller to Bill Gates have behaved as if profit-making leaves a moral stain that only tireless philanthropy can launder, but never fully remove? Yaron Brook will challenge this view with Ayn Rand’s unique defense of the morality of making money. He will argue that business, and manufacturing in particular, deserves not guilt and condemnation, but our highest moral esteem.
Yaron Brook is a prominent advocate for objectivism, the philosophy of novelist Ayn Rand. He serves as executive director of the Ayn Rand Institute and the Ayn Rand Center of Individual Rights, ARI’s public policy arm, located in Washington, D.C. Published in numerous online print forums ranging from the Wall Street Journal to the Christian Science Monitor to CNBC.com and academic venues, Dr. Brook also is contributing editor of The Objective Standard, contributing author to the anthology Winning the Unwinnable War, and co-author of Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea. Dr. Brook appears regularly in the media on a variety of radio and TV shows, such as Fox Business News (John Stossel), Fox News (Glenn Beck, The O’Reilly Factor, Your World with Neil Cavuto, At Large with Geraldo Rivera), CNN (TalkBack Live) and CNBC (CNBC Reports, Closing Bell, On the Money) with objectivism’s unique perspective on current events. He is a weekly guest on Front Page hosted by PJTV, the first center-right online television network broadcast over the Internet. Dr. Brook’s recent talks encompass the moral foundations of capitalism and individual rights. He defends the rights of business owners to act in a free market unfettered by government regulation.
Saturday General Assembly Session
9:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
No Excuse! An Action Plan for Success!
Jay Rifenbary, Speaker
Rifenbary Training & Development Center
“No Excuse!” validates the importance for all of us that certain principles and skills still matter when it comes to the success of our personal and professional lives. “No Excuse!” is built on a solid foundation of core values, self-responsibility, organizational accountability, integrity and purpose. Principles such as self-control, personal respect, forgiveness, passion and attitude are just a sampling of ideas that will be presented. Having a greater understanding of the importance of consistency in behavior, decisiveness and personal honesty will only enhance an individual’s productivity and efficiency in the workplace. Ultimately this contributes to the overall morale and productivity of the organization. “No Excuse!” will contribute to an individual’s ability to lead, manage, sell and most importantly set a positive and professional example for themselves and others. It will establish for each participant a greater level of personal understanding, leading to a more fulfilling life and productive career.
Jay Rifenbary is president of Rifenbary Training & Development, and author of the International Best-Seller, No Excuse! Incorporating Core Values, Accountability and Balance into Your Life and Career, awarded Book of the Year by the North American Book Dealers Exchange. Jay is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. For the last 18 years, he has provided his expertise in the areas of personal development, leadership and communication training to organizations, associations and schools across North America, Europe and Asia. Jay received his Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, with a concentration in nuclear physics. From being a former qualified airborne/ranger, military commander, sales professional, corporate manager and entrepreneur, Jay brings a unique background of interpersonal skills and business experience to each of his training and speaking engagements. Jack Canfield, best selling author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, said of No Excuse! that Jay has given the world a most generous gift. Anyone who applies the “No Excuse!” philosophy can create the life they want and make a difference.
