Thank you, Michael and Welcome, Naomi!
by Scott Wallace
Michael Brierton, senior research assistant, has accomplished much during his three-year academic career at UWSP. Michael and fellow accounting major Brooke Peterson recently took first place at the Wisconsin RMA Commercial Lending Case Competition for the second year in a row. Michael presented his research, A Comparative Study of Credit Unions and Banks in Wisconsin (see our Student Scholar Showcase), at the 21st annual Research in Rotunda at the Wisconsin State Capitol. Michael led his team in winning the 2025 Case in Point competition in February. Michael has enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and will be begin Basic Training in Cape May, New Jersey shortly after graduation. Congratulations, Michael!
Naomi Maufort will be taking over the senior research assistant position in the fall. Naomi joined the CBEI team this spring and is a Mathematics Major with an Actuarial Emphasis. She is also a Corporate Risk Intelligence Intern at Associated Bank. Welcome, Naomi!
In The 2025 Spring Economic Scorecard – The Year of the Tariff, Chief Analyst Kevin Bahr provides a detailed overview of tariffs and their potential impact on the U.S. macroeconomy.
Our Economic Indicators section of the report has a variety of timely national, state, and local statistics covering labor markets, housing, prices, construction and more.
In this issue’s special report, Developing an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Central Wisconsin, Assistant Dean Kevin Neuman, Outreach Specialist Carie Winn and Associate Lecturer Tim McKeough outline the role the Sentry School of Business and Economics plays in contributing to and expanding the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Central Wisconsin.
This issue’s Insight Spotlight column, Founders Network: Fostering Connections and Fueling Growth by Professor Elizabeth Martin and marketing major Evelyn LeVeque describe the contributions of the Founders Network in supporting entrepreneurship in the region.
In our Student Scholar Showcase article, A Comparative Study of Credit Unions and Banks in Wisconsin, Michael Brierton evaluates the financial performance of both types of financial institutions in Wisconsin over the last 30 years.
CBEI Central Wisconsin Spring 2025 Report