Jake Haulk, Ph.D. President Jake received his Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from Duke University and a B.S. in chemical engineering from N.C. State. Experience includes chemical process engineering, teaching at the university level, senior business economist with the Federal Reserve, head of regional research at Mellon Bank, research consultant, research director and managing director of the Allegheny Institute. Dr. Haulk is the author of many reports on issues affecting Western Pennsylvania's economy as well as analysis of the role and value of the nation's inland waterways system. He can be reached via e-mail at jake@alleghenyinstitute.org. Frank Gamrat, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate Frank received his Ph.D. in economics from Clemson University and a B.S. in economics from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Experience includes teaching at the university level and an operations research analyst for the federal government in Washington, DC. His areas of expertise include economic development, taxation, deregulation, merger analysis, and education. Papers include a study of the performance factors affecting Pennsylvania's school districts, the demand for taxicabs in Pittsburgh, private financing of sports arenas, and the implications of property tax reform and living wages in Allegheny County. He also authored a report on the effects of prevailing wages in Pennsylvania that was published in the Government Union Review and his report on the factors that explain variability in Pennsylvania education has been included in the national ERIC database. He can be reached via email at frank@alleghenyinstitute.org. Eric Montarti Policy Analyst Eric received his M.A. in public policy analysis as well as a B.A. in political science from Duquesne University. Eric's research and publications have focused on local economic development and deregulation. He has authored and co-authored numerous reports and editorials and delivered testimony on local telephone competition, retail electricity choice, government regulation of high-speed internet service, and taxicab competition. Eric is also particularly interested in analyzing the use of tax increment financing as a method of development, and has been published in Economic Development Commentary and Municipal Finance Journal. He can be reached via email at eric@alleghenyinstitute.org.