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Jack Kyser, Local Economics Expert, Dies At 76 by Ryan ZumMallen | Archive | 12.07.10 |
+ UPDATE 11:10am | Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe has released the following statement on Kyser's passing: “I am shocked to learn of the passing of Jack Kyser, one of the premier economists in Southern California and a close personal friend for over 25 years. Jack was a highly-respected authority on economic information and you could always count on him for an honest, upfront assessment of fiscal and business conditions in this region. Jack will be missed, as an adviser, and most especially as a friend and resident of the 4th District. My thoughts and prayers go to the Kyser family in this difficult time.” 9:28am | Southern California has lost one of its most visible and respected economic advisors, as chief economist of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. Jack Kyser has passed away at the age of 76. Kyser was a significant voice in the media and economic industries for decades, appearing in thousands of newspaper articles and twice in the Long Beach Post. He retired from the LAEDC in June, but had battled health issues for about two years. The cause of death is unclear. "Today I share in the sadness of many as we learned of the passing of Jack Kyser," reads a joint statement from Southern California Association of Governments president Larry McCallon and executive director Hasan Ikhrata. "He was a consummate professional, remarkable scholar and a dear friend." In a 2009 interview with Long Beach Post real estate columnist Don Jergler, Kyser predicted that jobs would not improve even as the local economy did. Jergler wrote that he has rarely known Kyser to be wrong, but that he hoped this would be an exception. It wasn't. "Southern California has lost a true champion in Jack," the statement continues. "His passion, integrity, knowledge and devotion to the study of economics have aided in the development of countlesspublic and private sector contributions. Jack’s unique ability to work across sectors and engage diverse groups of stakeholders will be admired and will surely be a part of his continued legacy." The Los Angeles Times has written a comprehensive biography of Kyser, which you can read here. Disclosure: Shaun Lumachi is under contract with the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.
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6 Comments so far.
Bianca I'm very saddened by this news. I booked Jack for one of our events (probably Chamber related) some years ago. He was so accessible and easy to work with. This is indeed a loss. My best to his family. Ed von Leffern As a Commissioner of Economic Development, Jack was the most knowledgeable person in So Cal that personally knew more businesses and what economic impact there would be from every political, economic and social action. God bless Jack Kaiser for his contribution to our community. He will be sorely missed. Dennis Jack was truly a treasure. His ability to communicate economic principles and data in simple layman's terms and language let his audiences understand. Whenever I saw him speak I could see the audience connecting because he spoke to them. Now as much as ever we need the Jack Kysers to explain basic economics to the community instead we no longer have Jack. Rita Lilly Jack was one of the kindest, most intelligent people I've ever known. His contribution, not only to our knowledge of local economics but to our gross regional happiness as well, will be long remembered. Maura O'Connor The members of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (“LAEDC”) are mourning the passing of our founding economist and our good friend, Jack Kyser. His passing is not only a loss personally, and for the LAEDC, but for the County and the region as a whole. He was a great teacher of practical economics, explaining what made the Los Angeles region's economy tick -- in plain English. He called trends long before others saw them coming, earning his reputation as the “guru of the Southern California economy”. Jack cared deeply about the people of Southern California and their well-being. He was our champion: a strong advocate for doing economically rational things to promote the LA region's businesses and jobs. While at the LAEDC, he helped us understand the drivers of our local economy. As importantly, he also helped us promote the LAEDC’s ultimate goal: to provide a job to everyone in our region who needs one. Jack was kind as well as intelligent: a gentleman in the best sense of the word who treated every person as important. He also had a terrific sense of humor -- and a penchant for chocolate. We miss him. Best regards, Maura O’Connor Chairman, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Partner, Seyfarth Shaw LLP Jennifer I first met Jack years ago when I was a young consultant at Data Resources and later at Wharton Econoemtric Forecasting Associates. I was based in LA and was relieved to meet someone who was so personal and friendly. Jack had the best smile in the industry and he made everyone feel like they were special. He made the dismal science of economics interesting. When I served as Vice President of the local chapter of the National Association of Business Economists, Jack was a willing resource and a constant reminder of how big a role LA played in the regional and national economy. He helped us understand and appreciate our place in the global economic present and future. He made immense contributions to our knowledge of the impact of the obvious and the not so obvious factors influencing our economy and he will be missed.
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Ryan ZumMallen has served as the managing editor of the LBPOST.com since 2007. He graduated from CSULB with a degree in Print Journalism in 2008 and is a member of the 2009 class of Leadership Long Beach. You can find him on various basketball courts around the city.
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