vailsymposium

Richard L. Wobbekind is Associate Dean for Business and Government Relations, Associate Professor of Business Economics and Finance and Faculty Director of the Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He joined the faculty in the fall of 1985. He assumed his initial position as associate dean in July of 2000.

As Faculty Director of the Business Research Division (BRD),  his responsibilities include developing an annual consensus forecast of the Colorado economy which he has done since 1988. The Business Research Division also produces a quarterly Business Leaders Confidence Index for Colorado and a quarterly new business formation and economic indicators report in conjunction with the Colorado Secretary of State. The Business Research Division also conducts revenue forecasts for the Regional Transportation  District (RTD) and several other governmental entities. As part of the BRD research team, Wobbekind conducts various strategic analyses and economic impact assessments of the Colorado economy.

He participates annually in the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank Regional Economic Roundtable and is a contributor to the Western Blue Chip forecast newsletter and the National Association of Business Economists Economic Outlook and Policy Surveys. Wobbekind is a member of the Governor’s Revenue Estimating Advisory Committee and the Boulder Economic Council. He is a frequent contributor to local and national broadcast and print media.

For his efforts in community development and outreach, Wobbekind was awarded the University of Colorado Community Outreach Award in 1997.  In 2002, he was named a Member of Distinction by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, he received the Robert L. Stearns award for lifetime excellence in research, teaching and service to the University of Colorado. In 2008, he was awarded the Thayne Robsen award from the Association for University Business and Economics Research for career achievement in regional economic analysis. In 2010, he was named Key Contributor by the Boulder Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, he was named a Fellow by the National Association for Business Economics.

Wobbekind teaches MBA and executive students in macroeconomics and public policy. He has received four awards for teaching excellence. Wobbekind is a member and active participant in numerous professional organizations at the local, state and national levels. He is past President of the National Association for Business Economics.  Other organizations include the Economic Developers Council of Colorado, Association of University Business and Economics Research (past president), Denver Association of Business Economics (past president), Western Regional Science Association (board member) and the American Economics Association.

Wobbekind has lived in Colorado for 45 years and has spent much of his time studying the development of the Colorado and regional economies.  Rich and his wife Carol have raised three children. Dr. Wobbekind received a BA in Economics from Bucknell University and an MA and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder.