Southport Magazine

A speaker series featuring a Chicago-based economist, a best-selling author, a local historian, and a European-trained wine expert will kick off in January 2022, with all money raised used to fund college scholarships for deserving Brunswick County students. Coordinated by the Kiwanis Club of Southport-Oak Island, the speaker series will be held at the St. James Community Center. Events are scheduled for January, March, May, and November, with each session beginning at 7 p.m. Q&A sessions will follow the talks. 

“This a unique opportunity to learn from a diverse group of experts while helping disadvantaged area teens pursue college or vocational degrees,” said George Bayless, president of the Southport-Oak Island Kiwanis Club. “Our club is trying to build an endowment fund to support one of the largest scholarship programs in Brunswick County, and the speaker series is a key component of that effort.”

Four tickets, enough for one attendee at each event, are $100. Individual session tickets are $50 each. Individuals who purchase the set of four tickets can use them all at one event or spread them out over any or all of the four as they wish.

“The Speaker Series tickets are a way of thanking supporters for their donation to our Forever Fund for Scholarships,” said event co-chair Jeremy Jones. “Supporters may utilize their series tickets … four per $100 donation … in various ways. We would love them to attend all four nights, but we understand that schedules and their own interests might make that difficult so we offer flexibility to mix and match.”

“Southport Oak Island Kiwanis Club volunteers spend over 10,000 hours annually in our various programs, but nothing is more life-changing than helping children get support so that they can go on to college. The donations for the speaker series program will assist in Kiwanis efforts to meet the 2022 scholarship goals,” Jones said. “We hope that businesses will participate as well as individuals and look at the speaker series as a fun way to reward employees and their clients.  We already have seen firms lining up and doing just that.”

The first speaker scheduled for Jan. 25 is Andrew Opdyke, CFA, who will provide attendees with a look at the economic landscape for 2022. 

“The Elrod, Jones, & Lawrence Financial Group of Stifel is very proud to be able to get a commitment from Senior Economist Andrew Opdyke, CFA of First Trust, to participate as the first speaker in the series in January,” said Jones. “This will be a timely presentation as Andrew will cut through the noise to focus on what drives economies forward. From the Fed to China, tax policy to the national debt, he breaks down where the U.S. stands today and where the data suggest we are headed.”

Opdyke is a Senior Economist and a member of the First Trust Economics Team that Bloomberg has ranked as one of the top forecasters of the U.S. economy over the past several years. At First Trust, he is responsible for analyzing economic indicators, writing economic commentaries and producing articles on the First Trust Economics Blog. Opdyke regularly presents economic commentary to financial professionals, CFA Societies, and Financial Planning Association (FPA) chapters across the United States. He also provides research and analysis to Chief Economist Brian Wesbury, Chief Market Strategist Bob Carey, and First Trust CEO Jim Bowen. Cogent’s 2017 Survey of Advisors rated First Trust’s thought leadership material as number one for most read and most shared by financial professionals with colleagues or clients.

The remaining scheduled speakers for next year are:

• March 22: Flora J. Solomon, a 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Finalist known for her works of historical fiction. She will share inspirational tales of her journey as an author with hopes of stirring the audience’s creative juices. 
• May 10: Liz Fuller, PhD,a highly respected local historian, and vice-president of the Southport Historical Society. Skilled at connecting people with history by highlighting the lives of everyday individuals from the past, she will discuss noteworthy events that shaped Southport and its surroundings. 
• Nov. 1: Doug Zucker, an MBA graduate of the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Bordeaux-Ecole de Management in France and former director of operations at Stew Leonard’s Wines. Just in time for the holidays, Doug will help those in attendance identify the perfect wine pairings for every occasion. 

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Bruce Kupper at (314) 330-4436 or kupperbruce@gmail.com. The cost to attend all four sessions is $100. Tickets to individual sessions can be purchased for $50 per event.