FAYETTEVILLE -- Kathy Deck, director of a University of Arkansas research center that frequently reports on economic conditions for the region and state, has accepted a job at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
Deck joined UA's Center for Business and Economic Research in 2001 as a research associate, becoming director in 2007. She led the center as it produced yearly reports, commissioned by a Northwest Arkansas economic development organization, analyzing employment and other statistics to describe a Northwest Arkansas region that's been among the fastest-growing metro economies in the country.
"When you compare Northwest Arkansas in 2001 to 2017, it's a whole different place," said Deck, listing amenities like the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville and the development of the region's trail system.
Deck said the decision to move away from Fayetteville came after the University of Alabama approached her husband, Cary Deck, a UA economics professor, about joining the faculty there.
Cary Deck will hold an endowed chair position at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa beginning in the fall, while Kathy Deck will become the director of community and economic research partnerships in the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Commerce.
Arkansas Business first reported the move.
"When we looked at the joint offer, it really was something fantastic for our family," Deck said. She said her husband was raised in Tuscaloosa, where his parents live, which also factored into the decision.
Mervin Jebaraj, the UA center's assistant director, will take over on an interim basis beginning April 17.
"The center has become the most relied-on resource for critical economic information in the state of Arkansas -- and it will continue to fill that role," Jebaraj said in a statement released by UA. "I look forward to continuing to provide the full range of economic analyses and services that we are known for."
Mike Harvey, interim president and chief executive officer for the Northwest Arkansas Council, which commissioned the yearly reports overseen by Deck, said the council will continue working with UA's Center for Business and Economic Research.
The center dates back to 1943, according to UA, and last year produced reports on the economic impact of proposed alcohol sales in various counties, among other topics.
Harvey said Deck will be missed in Northwest Arkansas, calling her "invaluable" in providing the council with a sounding board and "the straight picture" of economic conditions.
The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro area in 2015 ranked 35th among 382 U.S. metro areas with a 4.4 percent rise in gross domestic product, according to U.S. Department of Commerce data.
Metro on 03/19/2017