Board of Governors
Freddie has been in DC since September 2017 covering the US economy and fiscal policy at the British Embassy. Freddie is on secondment from HM Treasury, where he most recently worked on the G20 and G7. He studied politics at the University of Exeter.
Board of Governors
Christopher Hooton, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Scientist at Facebook where he works on digital economy and public policy issues. Dr. Hooton also serves as a Senior Scholar (non-resident) at the George Washington University Institute of Public Policy.
Dr. Hooton is an authority on the digital economy, economic development, and public policy and publishes across a variety of media. His work has been featured in leading news publications such as New York Times, Financial Times, and TechCrunch. Prior to joining Facebook, he was the founding Chief Economist & Head of Research at Internet Association, a global trade body for the internet sector. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, as well as other leading international organizations, and as a Lecturer on policy evaluation and evaluation research at the Social Science Research Methods Centre of the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Hooton earned his Ph.D. without revision from the University of Cambridge (St John’s College) where he also served as the Captain of the university boxing team. He received his MSc with distinction from the London School of Economics, and his BA summa cum laude from University of Miami.
Dr. Hooton is also a published and award winning fiction author.
Board Member
As Chief Economist at realtor.com® Danielle is responsible for developing and translating real estate trend data into consumer and industry insights. She also leads realtor.com®’s team of the industry’s top analysts and economists with the goal of providing deeper and broader housing insights to people throughout the home journey, as well as industry professionals and thought leaders. Before joining realtor.com® in July 2017, Danielle spent nearly a decade as an economist and policy researcher at the National Association of REALTORS®. As managing director of housing research, Danielle oversaw the production of closely followed housing market data, including NAR’s monthly pending and existing home sales indices and quarterly home price reports. Danielle previously served as manager of tax policy research, leading research projects on topics including how federal, state and local policies impact the real estate market.Prior to joining NAR as an economist in 2008, Danielle spent three years at the American Enterprise Institute, where she produced research and managed its executive office’s communications. Her work during that time included research contributions to Dr. Allan Meltzer’s A History of the Federal Reserve, Volume II (University of Chicago Press, 2010). Danielle earned her degrees from Florida State University and calls the Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC home. Her previous work with the National Economists Club includes serving on year as the Vice President of Rapporteurs and participating in the Kakehashi Project.
Board of Governors
A former investment professional and hedge fund manager, Robert Sherretta started his career on Wall Street more than thirty years ago as an analyst working for the FINANCIAL ANALYSTS FEDERATION, and has worked for several decades as a Registered Investment Advisor and an International Research Director for several of the world’s largest banking and investment institutions. These included CITIBANK/CITIGROUP, MORGAN STANLEY and the French banking group, SOCIETE GENERALE SECURITIES CORPORATION, which he served as Vice President of International Research on the institutional trading desk.
In New York, Mr. Sherretta created, published, and edited such reports as “Global Investing” (1987), “International Equity Bulletin” (1989). In Paris and working in Europe, he founded and published “Euromarket Intelligence” (1991) and “Europe’s Top 1000 Companies”. In Washington, D.C., Mr. Sherretta served as Vice President for the WEFA GROUP (Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates) which regularly forecasts economic development, currencies, commodities and global industrial sectors for over one hundred (100) nation economies.
In 1997, Mr. Sherretta launched an Independent Investment Research Advisory and Hedge Fund company. In 2000, he Co-Founded INTERNATIONAL BOARD GOVERNANCE & INVESTMENT ADVISORS, which counseled Corporate Boards on Best Practices and Board Member selection. His partner was the Founder and President Emeritus of the NADC (National Association of Corporate Directors). In 2007 INTERNATIONAL INVESTOR, LLC closed its hedge fund and investment business and launched the television program, “INTERNATIONAL INVESTOR”, which examines Global Economic Development.
Mr. Sherretta also served as Founding/Interim President of the Chartered Education Planner (ChEP™) Certification Program (2007). Robert is an adjunct teacher for a course on “Media Censorship and Freedom” at the International Center for Language Studies in Washington, D.C. He is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist on international economics. (List available).
Mr. Sherretta is a longtime member of the NATIONAL ECONOMISTS CLUB and the WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF MONEY MANAGERS. He has served as a Board Member, Vice President and Treasurer for numerous for-profit and non-profit organizations.
Board of Governors
Dr. LaVaughn M. Henry, CBE is on detail as a Sr. Economist on the Council of Economic Advisors in the Executive Office of the President. He specializes in the areas of banking and other macroeconomic issues. He is currently on leave as a Policy Analyst in the Banking and Regulatory Policy Section at the FDIC. In this role he assists in the interpretation, analysis, proposal and drafting of policy guidelines, existing and proposed statutes and regulations, and studies, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, FDIC rules and regulations, the National Bank Act, and other relevant depository institution law.
From 2009 through 2016 Dr. Henry served as Vice President and Senior Regional Officer for the Cincinnati Branch Office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. As the leader of the branch, Dr. Henry was responsible for building and maintaining a strong presence and reputation for the Federal Reserve throughout the central and southern Ohio, and eastern Kentucky region. While serving at the Federal Reserve, he delivered more than 350 speeches and presentations on the status and outlook of the nation’s economy, monetary policy, and the residential real estate market. He also conducted research on various topics related to consumer finance, the housing market, and regional economics. Upon leaving the Federal Reserve he received a formal Resolution of Recognition from the Cincinnati Branch Board of Directors in recognition of his outstanding service in his role. He also received a Proclamation from the Cincinnati Board of Realtors for similar accomplishments in the real estate community. In 2015 he was selected by the Kentucky Economics Association to be the Kentucky Distinguished Economist of the Year.
Dr. Henry has diverse experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining the Fed, he previously served in senior economic advisory roles at Fannie Mae, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, Ford Motor Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Budget Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Very active in the community, Dr. Henry serves as a member of the board of directors of the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, National Underground Railroad and Freedom Center, the board for Harvard University’s Graduate School Alumni Council, the Board of Regents for Kentucky State University, and the Economic Advisory Panel of Xavier University’s Williams School of Business.
His professional memberships include serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Business Economics, where he currently serves on the NABE Foundation Board, former president of the Cincinnati Economics Organization, and as a contributing economist to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. He is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of America, and Sigma Pi Phi (“Boulé.”)
Dr. Henry earned both his doctorate and master’s degrees in economics from Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree from Rockhurst University, located in his hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.
Board of Governors
Dr. Baschnagel is an economist and mathematician with extensive training in economic modeling, data analysis, and econometric methods. Research interests include economics of higher education, pre-K, healthcare, military readiness, socioeconomic status indexes, immigration, travel, and trade. He received a Ph.D. and M.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland and B.A.s in Economics and Mathematics, with honors, from Williams College. While at Williams College, he was a Class of 1957 Scholar and won the Mead Prize in Economics. He was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship in 2005. Dr. Baschnagel’s Economics dissertation was on “The Price Sensitivity of Demand for Higher Education Among Non-Traditional Students.”
Charles is currently employed as a Lead Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton and teaches health economics as a Professorial Lecturer at the Milken Institute School of Public Health within George Washington University. He has been an NEC member for over 5 years and served as the VP for Special Programs for three years. Before his tenure as VP of Special Programs he has selected as an NEC-Kakehashi scholar during the initial year of the program and was selected as the coordinator and chaperone for the second iteration of the program and the organizer for the third.
Ex Officio, Board of Governors
Michael was recently Research Director for the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) and Venture Forward, splitting his time between the two organizations and focusing on producing leading edge research that investigated the role and impact of venture capital on the economy. He also managed the production of the NVCA Yearbook and quarterly PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, the industry’s leading trade publications, and advised the NVCA policy team on key issues. Before working at NVCA and Venture Forward, Michael was Lead Data Analyst and Economist at the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business trade association, where he directed the organization’s cost-benefit analysis program and led research projects focused on finance, tax, health care, labor, and regulatory policy. He has previously worked for the Office of Economic Policy and Analysis at the Department of Labor and for the President’s Council of Economic Advisers in the White House.
In recent years, Michael has Chaired or Co-Chaired the Small Business Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), the nation’s premier professional association for business economists. Michael has also served as past president and chair for the National Economists Club (NEC), a non-profit, nonpartisan professional organization founded in 1968 comprised of leading economists based in Washington, DC. He is the recipient of the NABE Abramson Scroll and the NABE Contributed Paper Award, both awarded by NABE for outstanding papers in the field of business economics.
In his spare time, Michael contributes his energy to a variety of volunteer activities which currently include serving on the Board of Trustees of the Treatment and Learning Centers, a private, non-profit organization dedicated to annually serving 2,000 individuals with special needs in the DC/MD/VA area, the Board of Advisors of the Asian American Alumni Association of Princeton, and the NEC’s Board of Governors.
Michael received an M.A. in Applied Economics from the Johns Hopkins University, an M.Sc. in Econometrics and Mathematical Economics from the London School of Economics, and a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.
Chairman, Board of Governors
Cliff Waldman, 2019 National Economists Club President, is the CEO of New World Economics, a consulting firm that offers a range of forecasting and data creation services to manufacturing companies, trade groups and governments. He is also the host of “Cliff Notes on the Global Manufacturing Picture”, a podcast show on Manufacturing Talk Radio. Cliff is an active and in-demand public speaker on topics ranging from the U.S. and global economic outlooks to productivity and automation.
Cliff served as Chief Economist of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) research foundation. His primary responsibility during his 15-year tenure at MAPI was to write and speak on the global economic outlook. Cliff’s career has also included positions with a state government policy research unit as well as with a small business research team in Washington, D.C. He has won three national research awards for his published work on the Chinese economy, productivity, innovation, and demographics.
Cliff served as co-chair of the NABE Manufacturing Roundtable in 2019. In 2018 he was awarded the Certified Business Economist (CBE) designation by NABE.
Of Counsel
Eric Robins has both a legal and economics education, earning a J.D., M.A. in Applied Economics and Advanced Certificate in the Regulation of Law and Economics from the University at Buffalo. He has a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan. He is a Principal at his own firm, Law Offices of Eric Robins, focusing on real estate investments, corporate/securities law, and immigration. Throughout 2015, he taught regulatory economics and law at the Ukrainian State University of Finance and International Trade (USUFIT) in Kyiv, Ukraine. From 2006 through 2014, Eric was an Associate at Williams & Jensen, PLLC in Washington, D.C., where he undertook economic analysis on equity market structure and analyzed legislative proposals and regulations related to trade associations, corporations, hedge funds, banks and related financial reform issues. Eric has been a member of the National Economists Club (NEC) since 2006, serving as Vice President for Membership (2017-2018), Vice President for Programs (2009), then President (2010), and Chairman (2011). He served on the NEC Board of Directors from 2011 through 2014 receiving an award from the NEC for his service. Throughout his membership, Eric has strongly supported the programs and efforts of the club. He has also served in various leadership roles with the NEC’s affiliated group, the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), including as a NABE Policy Conference Program Committee Chair (2013) and as a Co-Chair of the Finance Roundtable (2012). He also worked to expand the NABE’s outreach to younger economists through the “Get Connected” group (2009). He looks forward to receiving your support for Of Counsel with the NEC.
Board of Governors
Joann M. Weiner is an associate professor of economics and Director of the Master’s in Applied Economics at the George Washington University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University and her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. She has taught at GW since September 2006. From 1999 to 2006, Joann lived in Brussels where she taught public economics at the Saint Louis University, worked as a consultant for the European Commission on its study of company tax reform, and was the senior economics correspondent for Tax Notes International. Prior to moving to Brussels, she served as a senior economist in the Office of Tax Policy at the U.S. Treasury Department. She also has written for The Washington Post, Bloomberg Government, AOL’s Politics Daily, and the numerous publications of the non-profit publisher Tax Analysts. She is a former member of the Board of the EC Tax Review. She is a past chairman and board member of Community Tax Aid and former board member of the National Tax Association.