Monthly Luncheon

Dr. M. Ray Perryman
Dr. Ray Perryman is President and CEO of The Perryman Group, an economic research and analysis firm based in Waco, Texas. His firm has served the needs of more than 2,500 clients, including two-thirds of the Global 25, over half of the Fortune 100, the 12 largest technology firms in the world, 10 US Cabinet Departments, the 9 largest firms in the US, the 6 largest energy companies operating in the US, and the 5 largest US banking institutions.

Dr. Perryman holds a BS in Mathematics from Baylor University and a PhD in Economics from Rice University, as well as an honorary doctorate from the International Institute for Advanced Studies. He has held numerous academic positions throughout his career (Herman Brown Professor of Economics and University Professor at Baylor University and Economist-in-Residence Southern Methodist University) and is currently a Senior Research Fellow of the IC2 Institute at the University of Texas and Institute Distinguished Professor of Economic Theory and Method at the International Institute for Advanced Studies. He has authored several books, over 400 academic papers, and more than 2,500 trade articles. He publishes an annual subscription forecasting service and monthly newsletter, writes a weekly syndicated column, and hosts a daily radio commentary with frequent appearances on National Public Radio.

Dr. Perryman was named Outstanding Young Person of the World for Business and Economic Innovation in 1987, was designated Texan of the Year by the Texas Legislative Conference in 2012, received the Baylor University Distinguished Service Medal in 2013, was inducted into the Texas Leadership Hall of Fame in 2014, and received the Cesar E. Chavez Conscience Builders Award in 2016 for his humanitarian efforts. He recently received the 2019 Chairman's Award for Lifetime Achievement in Economic Development from the International Economic Development Council and the 2019 "Go Global" Award from the International Trade Council as the outstanding global economic analyst for his work on trade, energy, the environment and other international issues. He dedicates a significant portion of his time to pro bono work aimed at helping to solve pressing social problems such as hunger, indigent healthcare, poverty, and child maltreatment.
The most quoted man in Texas"
–Texas Monthly
"A world class scholar"
–Business Week
"The unofficial state economist"
–The New York Times
"The state's pre-eminent economist and a barbecue connoisseur"
–The Dallas Morning News