The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at The University of Montana Advisory Board Appoints Three New Members

The Bureau of Business and Economic Research at The University of Montana http://www.bber.umt.edu/ has added three new members to its advisory board.

Paul Tuss serves as executive director of Havre’s Bear Paw Development Corp. http://www.bearpaw.org/ , an economic development district covering more than 17,000 miles, five counties and two Indian Reservations.

Tuss previously worked as executive director of Glacier County’s economic development organization. He also served as past president of the Montana Economic Developers Association and past chair of the Montana State Employers Council. An Anaconda native, he is a UM alum and recent recipient of the University’s Community Service Award.

David Ewer of Helena serves Gov. Brian Schweitzer as budget director. Prior to that appointment he was a researcher, deputy director and senior bond program officer for the Montana Board of Investments.

Before working with the investments board, Ewer was an assistant vice president and investment officer for InterFirst Bank in Dallas. He also served in the Montana House of Representatives for eight years and was a candidate for state auditor in 2000.

Rita Spear of Butte is now president and owner of a small business called Ingenium Data Technics http://www.idata-technics.com . The business specializes in data center services and communications, project management, network design and data management.

Spear has a broad background in computer science, telecommunications, information technology and executive management. She also has experience as a software engineer and as general manager of Tetragenics, a subsidiary of Montana Power Co.

Tuss, Ewer and Spear will serve three-year terms on the advisory board. Other current members are William Huppert of Wyoming, James Koch of Missoula, Patrick Aberle of Helena and Fred Lark of Lewistown.

Board members assist BBER personnel in fulfilling the bureau’s mission to provide information, research and analysis that helps Montanans understand the economic conditions in which they live and work.

Contact: Julie Ehlers, UM Bureau of Business and Economic Research, (406) 243-5113.

http://news.umt.edu/index.asp?sec=1&too=100&eve=8&dat=8/31/2005&npa=871