AASHTO Journal - CoreLogic Economist to Speak at AASHTO Annual Meeting

Selma Hepp (seen above) – executive of research and insights and deputy chief economist for housing market data provider CoreLogic – will be the keynote speaker at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in San Diego, October 26-29.

[To register for AASHTO’s Annual Meeting, click here.]

Hepp – responsible for analyzing, interpreting and forecasting economic trends in the real estate, mortgage, and insurance markets – will discuss how ongoing shifts in where people live and work in the United States affects transportation project planning and current infrastructure management practices.

Prior to joining CoreLogic in 2020, Hepp served as chief economist and vice president of business intelligence for brokerage firm Pacific Union International, Inc. She also authored Pacific Union’s “Economic Straight Talk” columns, a series of reports that analyze current economic trends to clarify real estate investing, and has been widely quoted in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, as well as many industry trade publications.

She also previously served as chief economist for Trulia, senior economist for the California Association of Realtors, and economist for the National Association of Realtors.

Hepp – who has a master’s degree in economics from the State University of New York-Buffalo and a doctorate from the University of Maryland – also frequently appears on local and national radio and television programs.

AASHTO’s 2021 Annual Meeting also features programming on a variety of topics, including safety strategies to reduce roadway fatalities, post-pandemic planning for state departments of transportation and the broader industry, advancing equity by reconnecting communities, and leveraging right of way opportunities, among others.

In addition to those sessions, the AASHTO Board of Directors will meet to discuss the association’s priorities for 2022.

New COVID-19 protocols are also in place for AASHTO’s 2021 Annual Meeting. AASHTO said all attendees and staff must provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to arrival in San Diego.

All meeting attendees will also be required to wear a mask or an approved quality face covering for the duration of the meeting, regardless of vaccination status, though masks can be removed temporarily when eating or drinking and conference speakers may remove their masks when making presentations, AASHTO noted.

The organization added it would also provide a “safety packet” for meeting attendees that includes disposable filtered masks, travel size hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes.