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The 11th annual Southern Economic Development Roundtable (SEDR) took place at the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Fla., January 15-17, 2024. Many of the finest minds in economic development in the South were invited. SEDR members participated in two days of discussion, laughter and camaraderie that this year included three economists, as well as educators, workforce training directors, commercial real estate contractors and site consultants.
This section on what occurred and what was discussed
at SEDR in late January is designed to brief you on the
subject matter as it relates to the South’s economy and economic development trends in the region. In no particular order, the following is a long-form report, including some commentary, on SEDR@ThePearl2024’s speaker presentations.
SEDR speakers are like a “super group” ofdoctorate-level economic minds, an all-star team chosen from a “traveling baseball squad,” if you will. You get the picture.
Dr. Walter Kemmsies is the managing partner of The Kemmsies Group, where he executes initiatives for clients with interests in or properties proximate to sea, river and inland rail ports throughout North America. His expertise extends to the infrastructure, where he assists both public agencies and investors in underwriting, financing and evaluating new investment vehicles and opportunities.
Dr. Kemmsies is widely viewed as one of the foremost experts on ports, rail and infrastructure in the U.S.
Achievements
Walter currently advises several major U.S. Port Authorities and is routinely asked to work on complex issues with various investment banks, private equity firms and public regulatory agencies. He provides substantial support to the freight movement industry via presentations at major international industry conferences and advising the U.S. Department of Commerce on supply chain competitiveness. Walter recently testified to the U.S. Senate Transportation and Commerce Subcommittee on issues affecting the freight industry. He has also published research in scholarly journals and provided expert testimony to the U.S. Senate Transportation and Commerce Subcommittee. Walter previously led JLL’s Ports Airports and Global Infrastructure practice. Before that he was the Chief Economist for Moffatt & Nichol, a leading global maritime infrastructure advisement firm. Preceding his experience working with Moffatt & Nichol, Walter was the Head of European Strategy at JP Morgan in London and, earlier, Head of Global Industry Strategy at UBS in Zurich and London.
Education and Affiliations
Walter is an advisor to the U.S. Department of Commerce Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. He was a member of the Department of Transportation’s National Task Force on Transportation Infrastructure Valuation from 2012 to 2018. He holds a Doctorate degree in Economics from Texas A&M University, a Master of Arts in Economics from Florida Atlantic University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Florida Atlantic University
