AU Ron Blue Center, Chamber Offer First Annual Economic Forecast/Outlook

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Anderson University’s Ron Blue Center, in conjunction with the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Anderson hosted a new economic forecast program Wednesday aimed at helping both students and community members better understand money and the markets.

The forecast grew out of an idea by Rick Smythe, director of the Ron Blue Center at Anderson University, who envisioned bringing economists and investment professionals together on campus to share their outlook for the year. Smythe has worked in investments for three decades and said the goal is to take what experts are seeing in the economy and “translate it down to how regular folks can do these things.”

Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Brandie Greer called the event “a great opportunity for the chamber to show the community how we can be supportive.” The program features a panel of economists and financial experts from across South Carolina who will speak and take questions about where the economy has been, where it is going and current trends.

Smythe said the economic forecast aligns with the broader mission of the Ron Blue Center, which was founded at Anderson University in 2019. The center’s primary purpose is to help students learn the basics of saving, budgeting, investing and retirement planning while also developing a posture of generosity.

He tells students that generosity involves more than just money, noting that some quote biblical teaching on tithing while others say they do not have funds to give. “We help them learn they have time and talent and they can start serving right now,” Smythe said, adding that the center wants graduates to avoid credit card debt, start saving from day one and “steward their monies effectively and efficiently.”

To build the forecast program, Smythe approached the chamber and the long-established Rotary Club of Anderson, groups he described as having strong local membership and deep community roots. He said partnering with those organizations allows the university to open its campus to a broader audience and connect professional-level economic insight with local residents and business leaders.

Greer said the chamber is “very excited” to participate and said the forecast as an informative program for members and the wider community.

“It’s just going to be a really good, informative program for us to learn just where the economy’s been and where it’s going and trending,” said Greer.