Kathryn Eberhart, Senior Consultant

Education

B.A. cum laude. Economics and Geography/Land Studies, Central Washington University, 1977
M.A. Agricultural Economics, Washington State University, 1980

Experience

Ms. Eberhart has over 25 years of professional experience as an economist, research analyst, and data consultant. Her experience includes analyzing market potential, economic impact analysis, and pro forma financial analyses. Ms. Eberhart is very familiar with Alaska data sources and is well-versed in use of common economic tools such as IRR, NPV and benefit-cost analysis. She uses modeling tools and techniques appropriate for each project.

As Senior Consultant with Granite Peak Associates, Inc., Ms. Eberhart provided data research and statistical analysis for First Alaskans Institute: Our Choices, Our Future: Analysis of the Status of Alaska Natives Report 2004; and researched how organizations funding economic development projects in rural Alaska measure project performance. Ms. Eberhart also developed an online database driven management tool for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Remote Maintenance Worker program; and designed a user interface for tracking and invoicing duct sealed manufactured homes for Delta-T, Inc.

Previous Experience

As a Research Associate with the University of Alaska's Institute of Social and Economic Research (1995-2004, 1988-1990), Ms. Eberhart worked on a broad range of data and economic modeling projects and on Alaska Native Education issues and resources.

Resource and Data Analysis:

• Helped develop an integrated PUMS database (U.S. Census Public-Use Microdata Samples) for Alaska for the years 1960-2000.
• Worked with census datasets to compare socioeconomic status of Alaska Natives to the total population.
• Worked with Alaska fiscal and economic data sources to develop content for the Alaska Citizen's Guide to the Budget web site.
• Analyzed Alaska fish ticket data; regression analyses of Alaska halibut and sablefish industries; worked on modeling Alaska's North Pacific halibut and sablefish fleet using the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS).
• Economic and demographic systems analysis for Gulf of Alaska and Cook Inlet oil lease sales; analyses using the Rural Alaska Model (RAM).

Education projects:

• Developed original conceptual design for www.Alaskool.org web site, part of the Alaska Native Curriculum and Teacher Development project. Developed user interface for the Iñupiaq Dictionary, Iñupiaq Phrasebook, and Tlingit Dictionary; worked with a team to create freely available, cross-platform and Internet compatible Native Alaska language fonts for Iñupiaq, Tlingit, and Unangam Tunuu.
• Programmed Curriculum Planner, an issues- and standards-based program for teachers to use in developing curriculum. Helped plan and teach UAA Summer Institute: Technology Seminar (June 1999).
• Designed the structure for the Alaska Traditional Knowledge and Native Foods database that incorporates data from various sources into one unifying user interface (online at the Alaska Native Sciences Commission web site: http://www.nativeknowledge.org/).

As a self-employed, consulting economist (dba Resource Economics and Planning, 1986-1988), Ms. Eberhart's projects included preparing the economic and market analysis and pro forma financial analysis for a downhill ski facility at Government Peak in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Ms. Eberhart was Project Economist (1986) for the Alaska Power Authority's investigation of power alternatives for Metlakatla, Alaska. Ms. Eberhart used net present value (NPV) to compare the diesel base case with the hydropower and transmission line alternatives, under various load growth and fuel price scenarios, and a pro forma financial analysis to estimate the cost of electricity to customers.

As Development Specialist with the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Agriculture (1982-1985), Ms. Eberhart did various economic and market analyses, including evaluating the feasibility of an agricultural area at Fish Creek in the Susitna Valley. This project included identifying scenarios, data collection, a farm level financial analysis, project level economic analysis, benefit-cost analysis, and fiscal impact projections.

As an Economist/Planner with CH2M Hill (1979-1981), Ms. Eberhart's work included the economic and market analysis portion of a feasibility study for a small boat harbor at Kasilof, Alaska as well as socioeconomic analyses of proposed hydroelectric projects for six Alaska coastal villages. She also worked on the Alaska Transportation Analysis, an extensive cataloging of Alaska's transportation system, including the Alaska Railroad, trucking, airlines and airports, pipelines, and water carriers and ports.

Other experience includes creating a searchable recipe database, calorie search program, recipe quantity converter, and program for organizing daybook/calendar information for FruitFromWashington.com as well as managing FruitFromWashington.com's e-commerce web site from 1999 through 2003.