2026 CDS Annual Conference

Benjamin P. McKay is an applied economic development and public policy researcher with nearly two decades of experience supporting economic development, public decision-making, and strategic planning across Georgia. He currently serves as Director of the Center for Business Analytics and Economic Research (CBAER) at Georgia Southern University, where he leads high-impact, grant-funded research projects for local governments, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private-sector clients.

Since joining Georgia Southern University in 2007, Mr. McKay has contributed to more than 130 funded research reports, spanning topics such as tourism economics, manufacturing and logistics, higher education and military economic impacts, labor market analysis, incubator feasibility analysis, and public finance.

He is also actively engaged in community and professional service, including serving two terms on the Statesboro Planning Commission, the Georgia Southern Master of Public Administration Program Board, and various university governance bodies. He is a frequent presenter at professional conferences, particularly those hosted by the Association for University Business and Economic Research (AUBER), and has served in multiple leadership roles with the organization, including multiple elections to its Board of Directors.