FROM THE EDITOR.

• Author: Anderson, Tasha

Earlier this year I ventured away from my desk to attend two different but equally fantastic events. In February it was economist Neal Fried's presentation to the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Alaska, in which he talked about his economic forecast for 2022. For those who haven't had the pleasure of hearing Fried speak, make sure you seize the next opportunity you have. He has a great sense of humor, a charismatic way of speaking, and a vast repository of knowledge about Alaska's economy. His style of speaking was particularly well suited for the SMPS luncheon, which was a relatively small in-person affair with a streaming component. It allowed Fried to answer questions throughout the presentation, engaging with the audience while still covering the material he planned.

About two weeks later, I was back at the Dena'ina center, attending the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation's Economic Forecast Luncheon. This year marked its return to an in-person event after the onset of the pandemic and featured keynote speaker Richard W. Smith, FedEx president of the Americas and EVP of Global Support. I was among hundreds learning about Anchorage's potential year, engaging along with the people who will actually build that future.

It was refreshing to connect with a small group and sit as one in a crowd. Both forecasts were optimistic about the economy of Alaska in 2022, predicting job growth in almost all sectors. That optimism was reinforced at both events by the fact that we were all gathered there together: we weren't just being told that there is light on the horizon--we felt it, surrounded physically by our...