Martin Lavelle is a business economist in the research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Detroit Branch. Lavelle’s job responsibilities include economic research, education and outreach. His research revolves around the Michigan economy and its impact on the District and national economies. Specific topics include the auto industry, consumer spending, business activity and the U.S.-Canada border as well as working on the District’s contribution to the Beige Book. Also, he speaks to economics classes at area colleges and high schools. He has been an advisor and judge in the High School Fed Challenge Competition. In February 2012, Lavelle began a series of evening workshops for teachers and educators entitled “Night at the Fed” in which attendees learned more about economic entities and concepts that can be incorporated into classrooms and seminars. Lavelle serves as a contact for Michigan partners in the District’s Money Smart Week^® initiative, which promotes financial literacy and awareness among consumers. In addition to his Federal Reserve work, Lavelle teaches managerial economics at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and volunteers with Junior Achievement, teaching high school students about entrepreneurship. Lavelle received his B.S. in business and M.A. in economics from Miami University in Oxford, OH.