Economic Outlook Breakfast 2026

Description

Please join the Greater Cape Ann Chamber on Thursday, March 19 from 7:30 - 9 AM  at the Magnolia Library & Community Center for our 2026 Economic Outlook Breakfast. 

From Data to Decisions: Practical Insights for Local Businesses

This year's Economic Outlook Breakfast will offer a practical conversation about the economic forces shaping Greater Cape Ann. Featuring perspectives from statewide retail leadership, local economic development, academic analysis, and a Cape Ann business owner, the discussion will move beyond national headlines to focus on what’s happening locally—and what it means for businesses on the ground. Panelists will explore where caution is still warranted, where opportunity is emerging, and which local indicators matter most as businesses plan for the year ahead. Designed to be informative, accessible, and actionable, the breakfast offers attendees clear insights to help navigate uncertainty and make smarter decisions in a changing economic landscape.

Featured Panelists

Kristen Cooper Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Economics at Gordon College and Academic Chair of the Gordon College School of Business
Jon B. Hurst - President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts
Kate Newhall-Smith - Principal Planner, City of Salem Planning and Community Development
Michael Smith - Chief Financial Officer, Serenitee Restaurant Group

Facilitator: Erika Brown, Editor and Publisher, The Manchester Cricket

Panelists Bios

Kristen Cooper (Panelist):
Kristen Cooper is an economist who applies her background in behavioral economics and applied microeconomics to the emerging field of wellbeing science. She is a principal of The Well-Being Index Initiative, a research group which is developing and improving the tools of survey-based well-being measurement. Cooper is currently Associate Professor of Economics at Gordon College and Academic Chair of the Gordon School of Business. She has also studied the economics of wellbeing as a Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar at the Universidad de La Laguna in Tenerife, Spain. Cooper earned her B.A. in Economics and Spanish from Gordon College and her Ph.D. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University.

Jon Hurst (Panelist):
Jon Hurst has served as President of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) since 1990.  As CEO of the 4,000-member statewide trade association, Hurst manages the member services, education and public affairs of the organization.  RAM was organized in 1918 as the Voice of Retailing in Massachusetts, and today represents stores and restaurants of all types and sizes. 

Hurst also serves as Chairman of the Board of the MA Retail Merchants Workers Compensation Group, Inc., a non-profit group organized by RAM in 1991.  He also heads the Retailers Association of Massachusetts Health Insurance Cooperative, the first non-profit small business health insurance cooperative authorized in 2012 by the state.  
 
Hurst has served on various state advisory boards, including current roles with the Economic Development Planning Council, the Statewide Healthcare Quality Advisory Committee, the Health Policy Commission Advisory Council, and the Workforce Competitive Trust Fund Advisory Committee.  Hurst has served on numerous non-profit boards, including the Beverly YMCA, Beverly Main Streets, the National Retail Federation, and also served as Chairman of the National Association of State Retail Association Executives.    
 
Prior to serving at RAM, Hurst worked in public affairs roles for the Hershey Foods Corporation and the Ohio Council of Retail Merchants, as well as at the Ohio House of Representatives.  Hurst graduated from the Ohio State University in 1981.
 
Hurst and his wife Jan have three grown sons and reside in Beverly, Massachusetts.

Kate Newhall-Smith (Panelist):
Kate Newhall-Smith serves as the Principal Planner in the Department of Planning and Community Development for the City of Salem, Massachusetts. In this role, she supports economic development projects, programs, and initiatives, including Salem’s Small Business Loan Program, Storefront Improvement Grant Program, managing Salem’s Economic Coordination Task Force and Business Recruitment Team, and facilitating downtown development and permitting on behalf of the Salem Redevelopment Authority. 

Kate began her career as a Planner for the City of Peabody, followed by planning positions for the cities of Beverly and Newburyport. Since joining Salem in 2019, she has played a key role in advancing Salem’s economic development goals. She has worked on downtown-focused studies, creation of design standards for downtown development and signage, played a key role in Salem’s COVID response and small business support throughout the pandemic, and managed large-scale development projects that bring mixed-income housing and uses to the community.

Her work emphasizes strong partnerships and collaborative approaches which  support Salem’s business community to ensure that Salem continues to be an authentic and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.
Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Conservation from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s degree in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.