Event Information Liberty, Faith, and Economics Summit

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SCHEDULE

• 12:00 PM: Lunch | Robert W. Plaster Center Collaboratorium
• 12:15 PM: Quaestus Roundtable - CUW Quaestsus Students Interview Expert Panel on Summit Theme | Collaboratorium
• 1:30 PM: "Was Jesus a Socialist?" - Larry Reed | Collaboratorium
• 2:45 PM: "Answering Capitalism's Critics" - Rachel Ferguson & Greg Beabout | Collaboratorium
• 6:00 PM: Scott Walker | Keynote Speaker | Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship (CCES)

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS/PANELISTS

Dr. Greg Beabout:

Gregory R. Beabout is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO. He teaches and does research in ethics, Kierkegaard, personalism, and Catholic social thought. Informed by his engagement with the history of philosophy, some of his work involves applying personalism and the tradition of the virtues to business and the professions. His publications include The Character of the Manager: From Office Executive to Wise Steward; Ethics: The Art of Character; and Freedom and Its Misuses: Kierkegaard on Anxiety and Despair. He is co-editor of The Springer Handbook of Virtue Ethics in Business and Management.

Dr. Rachel Ferguson:

Rachel Ferguson is the Director of the Free Enterprise Center at Concordia University Chicago, Assistant Dean of the College of Business, and Professor of Business Ethics.

She is an affiliate scholar of the Acton Institute and co-author of Black Liberation Through the Marketplace: Hope, Heartbreak, and the Promise of America. Her commentary has been featured at the Christian Post, the Acton Power Blog, Discourse Magazine, Law and Liberty, EconLib, and the Online Library of Liberty.

Rev. Dr. Jason Lane:

Dr. Lane joined the Theology Faculty of Concordia in 2013 after serving as pastor of Celebration Lutheran Church in Jacksonville, FL (2010-2013). He earned his B.A. in Psychology from Framingham State College in Massachusetts (2001) and received his M.Div. and S.T.M. degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN (2007 and 2010). He received his doctorate in Historical Theology at the University of Hamburg, Germany, under Johann Anselm Steiger in 2015. His dissertation, “Luther's Epistle of Straw: The Voice of St. James in Reformation Preaching” is available from De Gruyter Publishing (Berlin, 2018).

Mr. Larry Reed:

Economist and historian Lawrence W. (“Larry”) Reed is President Emeritus of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE.org) in Atlanta, Georgia. Before retiring to the emeritus role in 2019, he served as President of FEE for 11 years. Prior to that, he was founding president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan, for 21 years and an economics professor at Northwood University for 7 years.

He is author of seven books, the most recent of which are Was Jesus a Socialist? and Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character and Conviction. He has also authored more than 2,000 articles and newspaper columns around the world and lectured in all 50 states and most of the 87 countries he has visited. He holds two honorary doctorates (in Public Administration and in Laws) from Central Michigan University and Northwood University. In 2022, the President of Poland announced that he will soon bestow upon Reed the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic Poland, the highest honor that Poland gives to a foreigner. He blogs at www.lawrencewreed.com.

Mr. Bob Simi:

Bob Simi joined the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center as executive director in October 2014 and brought more than 25 years of organizational leadership experience in public, private and not-for-profit organizations. He previously worked as a vice president in the commercial construction industry. A former United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, Bob has also served at every level of government to include federal, state, and municipal levels.

"Bob's ability to build relationships has been an important factor in his career and will help advance MRMC's status as Southeast Wisconsin's only academic medical center," said Cathy Jacobson, Froedtert Health president and CEO.

In his role, Bob leads the efforts to further define the vision and future of the MRMC campus through partnerships with local and regional businesses, government leaders and health organizations.

Dr. Tyler Watts:

Tyler Watts grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the son of a devoted mother and an entrepreneur father. Watts began working in the family construction business at age 10, gaining both useful skills and a deep curiosity about the world of business and entrepreneurship. He went on to study economics at Hillsdale College, where he met his wife, Jeanna, in the college orchestra, where they both played trombone.

After stints in the construction and finance industries, Watts earned a PhD in economics from George Mason University in 2010 and began his career in academia. Watts has taught at public and private universities in Michigan, Indiana, and Texas. The Watts have 4 children and reside in downtown Big Rapids, Michigan. When not teaching, Watts enjoys worship and fellowship at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Big Rapids and working on old cars.

Gov. Scott Walker:

Governor Scott Walker was raised with a heart for public service, patriotism, and hard work. He moved to the small town of Delavan, Wisconsin, when he was in third grade. There, his father was a minister and his mother worked part time as a bookkeeper and secretary. Scott was active in school, sports, church, Scouts, and American Legion’s Badger Boys State and Boys Nation programs.

In June 1993, Scott was elected to the state assembly, where he helped lead the way on welfare reform, public safety, and educational opportunities. In 2002, he was elected to the Milwaukee County executive office. In this position, Scott worked to reform the scandal-ridden county government and faithfully kept his promise to spend taxpayer money as if it were his own.

In 2008, he won re-election with nearly 60 percent of the vote. On November 2, 2010, Scott was elected the 45th Governor of Wisconsin. Inheriting a $3.6 billion budget deficit, $800 million worth of unpaid bills, and an eight percent unemployment rate, he immediately implemented reforms to renew economic revival, fiscal order, and government accountability in Wisconsin.

Scott became the only governor in American history to survive a recall election on June 5, 2012. He was re-elected in 2014 and sworn into a second term on January 5, 2015.

He serves on the boards of Students for Life Action, American Federation for Children, and the Center for State-led National Debt Solutions.

Scott and his wife, Tonette, have two adult sons.