NABE is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Lynn Reaser, a longtime NABE member, past NABE president, past chair of The NABE Foundation, and friend to many in the NABE community.
Dr. Reaser was a talented economist and renowned in the San Diego area, the State of California, and nationally. A native of Los Angeles, Lynn earned her bachelor's degree and doctorate in economics from University of California Los Angeles. Her esteemed career included positions as chief economist at First Interstate Bank in Los Angeles and Barnett Bank in Jacksonville -- which later became Bank of America. In 2009, she began her teaching career at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, retiring from her role as a professor in the business school graduate program two years ago but remaining an adjunct. She also served as chief economist of the university's Fermanian Economic & Business Institute, and her research during that tenure was invaluable to the business community and government officials.
Lynn's mark on the National Association for Business Economics is an indelible one. She served NABE as a Board director, as NABE president from 2009-2010, and as The NABE Foundation chair from 2014-2018, where she was one of the driving forces of the Certified Business Economist (CBE) program. She co-led delegations of NABE economists to China and Europe in an effort to enhance connectivity between US business economists and their counterparts. And everyone in attendance at the 2010 Policy Conference can surely remember Lynn delivering remarks in French, thanking the French ambassador for hosting a conference reception at the residence.
Dr. Reaser's talent as an economist and forecaster was undeniable, and she received both the NABE Fellow Award (2010) and the NABE Outlook Award (2012).
Finally, Lynn continually "paid it forward" for young economists. An avid supporter of The NABE Foundation, Lynn could often be found during NABE conference networking breaks walking around with a stack of donation cards in her hands, asking members to contribute to The Foundation's initiatives for young professionals. She also always brought PLNU students with her to NABE conferences, making sure they were afforded opportunities to meet prominent economic leaders, such as then-Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen at the 2017 NABE Annual Meeting in Cleveland (pictured below).
Lynn's legacy lives on not only in her innumerable accomplishments, but most importantly, in the lives she touched - those of her family, friends, co-workers, students, and all those here at NABE.
If you'd like to donate to the PLNU endowed scholarship in her honor, you can find more information here.
NABE is renaming the NABE Outlook Award in Dr. Reaser's honor, and The NABE Foundation has initiated a fundraising campaign to endow the cash prize. The award is presented annually to the NABE Outlook Survey panelist with the most accurate forecast for the previous four quarters; Dr. Reaser was the recipient of the award in 2012. The Lynn Reaser NABE Outlook Award will be presented to this year's recipient at the 66th NABE Annual Meeting. To contribute to the endowment for the cash prize, please do so at NABE.com/Donate. Please be sure to check the "Dedicate this gift" box and type "Lynn Reaser" into the Name field.