Now Accepting Submissions for the 2026 PNREC
May 19th – 21st at The Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon
Click the button below to submit your abstract or register for the 2026 Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference.
It will take you to a website called Fourwaves, which is our conference hosting software.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE, MAY 19-21, 2026
The Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon
PNREC 2026 will be held in scenic Portland, Oregon on May 19-21, 2026 at the Benson Hotel. Bring your bike and ride (or walk) on the Esplanade along the Willamette River. Register using this Fourwaves registration form.
We invite you to submit your abstract or presentation proposals. It’s easy, just go directly to this Fourwaves submission form and follow the instructions. We are happy to assign a discussant for your presentation if that would be helpful.
Topics that have a clear connection to the economies of the Pacific Northwest are prioritized. Beyond that, we are open to a wide breadth of themes. Hot topics this year include tariffs, immigration, and AI (more accurately, LLMs, but we quibble). We always welcome presentations centered on key industries and issues such as agriculture, Canada-US relations, climate, demographics, economic development, energy, the environment, health care, housing, income and wealth inequality, labor, modeling, taxes, tech, trade, transportation, water, wood products… not quite A to Z, but pretty close.
Please keep your abstracts to under 400 words and provide contact information for every proposed presenter. We do not currently have any plans for virtual presentations. Please send your abstract submissions to by February 28, 2026.
Conference Chairs
Scott Bailey, Retired
Washington Employment Security Department
Dr. Tom Potiowsky, PNREC Vice President
Portland State University
Featured Keynote Speakers:
Dr. Christopher Sands , Director of the Center for Canadian Studies
Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies
Chris is the Director of the Center for Canadian Studies at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. He also co-chairs the SAIS Academy for North America, an executive education initiative with Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan. His current research focuses on the Second Century of U.S.–Canadian Relations, an initiative examining the evolution of the bilateral relationship since 1927 and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities for 2027 and beyond. He is Lead Editor of a new Encyclopedia of U.S.–Canadian Relations (Sage CQ Press, forthcoming 2027) and co-editor of Canada and the United States: Differences That Count (5th ed., University of Toronto Press, 2023) and Canada and the United States: Sovereignty or Shared Institutions (Palgrave Macmillan, 2021). Beyond SAIS, Dr. Sands leads the Canada Seminar at the U.S. Department of State’s National Foreign Affairs Training Center and the “How Washington Works” seminar for the Canada School of Public Service. Dr. Sands received the Order of Merit of the International Council for Canadian Studies (2025), the Alan Bluechel Leadership Award from the Pacific North West Economic Region (2025), and the Sidney Picker Award of the Canada–United States Law Institute (2018). He holds a BA from Macalester College and an MA and PhD from Johns Hopkins University. Although frequently mistaken for a Canadian, he is a native of Detroit, Michigan.
John Ricco, Associate Director of Policy Analysis
Yale Budget Lab
John is the Associate Director of Policy Analysis at the Yale Budget Lab. An expert in both public policy and data science, he develops microsimulation models used to evaluate the fiscal and distributional effects of federal policy proposals. His analyses are regularly featured in national discussions and cited by researchers, journalists, and lawmakers. John holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Pennsylvania and previously worked at the Penn Wharton Budget Model and the International Monetary Fund.
Dr. Patrick Newport, Executive Director of US Economics
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Dr. Newport is executive director of US Economics at S&P Global Market Intelligence.Patrick tracks the investment and construction sectors for the US Macroeconomic Service and serves on client consulting projects. He manages long-term forecasts for and co-manages the macroeconomic model. He joined the company in 1998. Patrick is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest. Previously, he worked as a research economist for the Washington State Department of Revenue, where he later served as a senior economist for the Office of the Forecast Council of Washington State. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Economics from Louisiana State University, US. Patrick attained his doctorate in Philosophy from Harvard University, US. He speaks English and Spanish.
About Our Organization
The Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference is a non-profit organization established to promote research and education on the economy of the Northwest states and western Canada.
The PNREC Board of Directors is comprised of economists and regional analysts from the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta (with occasional participation from Alaska and northern California). They represent a cross section of professionals from academia, business, government, and consulting organizations in both countries.
Our Sponsors
We would like to express our appreciation for the sponsors who are providing financial support for PNREC in 2025.
Past Conference Events
Recent Posts On
It's time! Head to and register for the 2026 conference, which will be held in Portland, OR on May 19-21. Keynote speakers include John Ricco from @The_Budget_Lab at Yale . The Lab's recent work includes the impacts of AI, and tariffs.
The @OED_Research team is hiring for three economist positions. Apply by September 15th!
Our nationally recognized Workforce and Economic Research team has three openings for Workforce Analyst (Economist 1) positions, with the potential for a hybrid/remote work location.
Get more details and apply at https://oregon.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/SOR_External_Career_Site/job/Corvallis--OED--WorkSource/Workforce-Analyst--Economist-1---3-positions_REQ-186451
Thanks to everyone for a great PNREC in Bellingham. Conference presentations are now available online. On to Portland in 2026!
The University of Montana looking for an experienced applied economist for the role of Director of Economic Research/Associate Director of BBER. The recruitment is open through June 8. https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/ummissoula/jobs/4934014/director-of-economic-research-bureau-of-business-and-economic-research-bber