Kristin Dziczek is Vice President of Industry, Labor & Economics at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR). Dziczek joined CAR in 2005, and has more than 25 years of experience as a researcher and policy analyst. She is globally recognized as an expert on automotive labor, employment, and talent issues, especially on the topic of labor union relations and contracts, and she regularly presents at conferences and industry events throughout North America. Kristin leads the ILE team—a group whose expertise includes economic analysis, forecasting & modeling, policy, and economic development. The ILE team’s research portfolio is focused on developing a better understanding of the connections between the automotive industry, technology, the economy, society, and public policy, and is home to CAR’s Automotive Communities Partnership program. Kristin’s research includes analyzing the competitive cost position of the U.S. automotive industry, and evaluating how different tax, trade, or industrial policies and incentives could impact overall automotive sales, production, and employment. Prior to joining CAR, Kristin served as the associate director of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center, and has worked for the U.S. Congress, International Union UAW, and General Motors Corporation. She has published articles in the Monthly Labor Review, Industrial and Labor Relations Review, the Journal of Technology Transfer, and the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, among others. She earned her B.A. in economics, M.P.P. in public policy, and M.S. in industrial and operations engineering, all from the University of Michigan.

Donald R. Leavens, PhD, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s Vice President and Chief Economist, holds a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. He also received a master’s degree in economics from Virginia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Virginia. At NEMA, he heads an in house consulting operation known as NEMA Business Information Services, which provides econometric modeling, macroeconomic forecasting, market research, economic analysis, and industry data collection services to a wide range of businesses including many of the world’s largest companies. The Wall Street Journal has acknowledged NEMA/BIS as consistently among the most accurate forecasters on its panel of nationally recognized economist forecasters. He is a frequent speaker at industry and company events where he focuses on the economic outlook and business trends. In addition, serves as an observer on the board of the Industry Data Exchange Association, IDEA, which operates an industry data warehouse and EDI services for the electrical industry. Prior to joining NEMA, he served as Director Tax Policy Research for the National Association of Realtors and Director Federal Budget Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and has held academic appointments at George Mason University and Virginia Tech. He has also written articles on public choice and public finance economics that have appeared in academic journals and has contributed articles to several books. In addition, he has served as a member of the Governor of Virginia’s Advisory Board of Economists.