By 1808Delaware
When the world feels unpredictable, a chance to hear directly from people who study economic forces for a living is worth circling on the calendar.
On November 18 at 7:30 PM, Ohio Wesleyan University is bringing together three respected economists for its 2026 Economic Outlook Conference. The discussion is free and open to the public, and it will be held in Benes Room B at the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave. in Delaware.
The evening promises something rare: regional, national, and global economic trends explained in plain language, with time for questions.
Three Economies, Three Lenses
The format is simple. Each expert will speak for about 15 minutes before opening the floor to audience questions.
Regional Perspective: Bill LaFayette, Ph.D.
LaFayette runs Regionomics LLC, a Columbus-based firm that digs into local and regional economic trends. His specialty is small-area economies and what makes them tick. LaFayette has spent years helping communities understand who lives and works there, where growth is happening (or not happening), and what workforce trends are emerging. Before starting Regionomics, he served as vice president of economic analysis for the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.
If you’ve ever wondered why some Ohio cities grow faster than others, he’s the person who can explain it.
National View: Willem Van Zandweghe, Ph.D.
Van Zandweghe is a vice president in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank in Cleveland. He leads the bank’s research analytics team and focuses on inflation dynamics, business cycles, and the effect of monetary policy. His perspective helps make sense of interest rates, employment reports, and why the Federal Reserve makes the choices it does.
He spent more than a decade at the Kansas City Fed before coming to Cleveland, giving him a wide lens on national economic activity across different regions.
International Outlook: Ian Sheldon, Ph.D.
Sheldon holds the Andersons Chair for Agricultural Marketing, Trade and Policy at The Ohio State University. Trade policies, exchange rates, environmental regulation, and carbon tariffs are in his wheelhouse. He studies how global forces shape American exports and how shifts in policy ripple across industries.
Technology, climate, and trade policy collide in his work, offering a look at how global events land in the Midwest.
Moderated by a Familiar Face
The conversation will be guided by Goran Skosples, Ph.D., Robert L. and Mary C. Milligan Associate Professor of Economics at OWU. Skosples encourages students to look beyond headlines and tie economic principles to real-world decisions.
He will keep the pace brisk and the questions grounded.
Why It Matters
Economic headlines are everywhere, but context is harder to find. Interest rates rise or fall, inflation cools or heats up, and trade tensions shift. All of that affects local businesses, purchasing power, job markets, and household budgets.
Hearing from experts who analyze real data and real policy decisions offers clarity, not noise.
And the fact that this event is free and open to the public is the kicker.
Event Details
Ohio Wesleyan University
2026 Economic Outlook Conference
November 18 • 7:30 PM
Benes Room B, Hamilton-Williams Campus Center
40 Rowland Ave., Delaware
About the Hosts
The conference is presented by OWU’s Department of Economics and Business and The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship.
More information is available at owu.edu/economics and owu.edu/Woltemade.
Source: OWU; Photo: Ohio Wesleyan’s annual Economic Outlook Conference explores how the regional, national, and international economies are expected to perform in the coming year. The 2026 conference will be held Nov. 18. Admission is free. (Photo by James DeCamp)
