Qualifications
SARAH MURLEY is a co-founding partner of Applied Economics with eighteen years experience in urban and regional economic analysis, particularly in economic development and public finance. Ms. Murley is an experienced economic modeler, researcher, and analyst. She has performed engagements for a wide range of public sector clients including city and county governments, economic development corporations, and utilities in across the country.
She has conducted economic base analyses, business climate assessments, target industry analyses, supplier identification strategies, occupational assessments and labor market analyses, and community improvement plans for numerous cities, counties, and economic development agencies. In addition to economic development, Ms. Murley has applied her computer-based modeling experience to construct economic and fiscal impact models as well as developing long term financial projection models for municipalities. These economic and fiscal impact models have been applied to a range of problems from proposed annexations and land use alternatives for future development to economic development incentive evaluation.
Sarah Murley earned her Master's degree in economics from Arizona State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Mathematics from Pomona College in Claremont, California. Ms. Murley began her career in economic consulting with Mountain West Research. She went on to work for Coopers & Lybrand and Economic Strategies Group, both in Phoenix, Arizona. Ms. Murley left Economic Strategies Group along with Rick Brammer in 1995 to establish Applied Economics.
RICK BRAMMER is a co-founding partner of Applied Economics specializing in socioeconomic analysis and modeling, and technical software development. He combines his education and experience in computer science and economics to design and develop socioeconomic databases and models, real estate market and inventory databases, economic development research and marketing tools, economic and fiscal impact assessments and other technical custom software applications. He has performed these analyses for both public and private sector clients. His public sector clients have included state and local government agencies, economic development corporations, school districts and regional associations of government. Private sector clients have included utilities, retailers and real estate developers.
He has prepared numerous database simulation models to perform small area estimates and projections. Mr. Brammer has also developed micro-area (quarter-section) enrollment forecasting software for over 25 school districts in Arizona. In addition, he has created databases, analysis tools and marketing collateral materials in support of economic development activities including retail market studies, prospect tracking databases, target industry studies, site location studies, and interactive operating cost comparisons.
Mr. Brammer has a bachelors degree in computer science with a minor in economics from the University of Oregon. He began his career with Mountain West Research, a regional economic and real estate consulting company located in Phoenix in 1986. Mr. Brammer has continued to work as an economic consultant with Coopers & Lybrand, who acquired Mountain West in 1990, and later with Economic Strategies Group. In 1995, Mr. Brammer left Economic Strategies Group to co-found Applied Economics.
DON GRAVES is a Senior Associate with Applied Economics, and has over twenty years experience in real estate research, analysis, and data management. His specialty is the compilation and organization of real estate data, analysis of trends and underlying issues, and detailed projections of future residential growth. He has performed development analyses for 30 school districts in Arizona, including 16 districts in Maricopa County. He has developed database software to manage real estate data and then integrate the data with a GIS mapping system to perform further analysis and to provide a visual display of land use and development trends. Mr. Graves has been active in the areas of economic and real estate research since the mid-1980s and has an extensive familiarity with historical real estate development trends and issues in Maricopa County.
Mr. Graves has an Associate of Arts degree from Spoon River College in Canton, Illinois, and continued his education with Western Illinois University with coursework in sociology, business, and demographics. Don began his career in real estate research at Mountain West Research, where he was the editor of the Phoenix Zoning Digest as well as performing customized data research. He has worked with the partners of Applied Economics for over fifteen years.
MARCIA ELLIOTT is a system administrator and a VBA programmer, with expertise in a wide range of computer languages and database analysis techniques. Her scientific and statistical background serves her well in the analysis of mathematically dense models. Her application programming work has included auditing interfaces, EDI data analysis, billing and inventory management, and contact management. She is adept at switching languages, planning projects, communicating about project size, thinking analytically and reacting to changes in priority. She is valued for her organization and communication skills.
The M.S. and Ph.D. she earned at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln studying biology has provided her with skills well-suited for any type of data analysis, and she has subsequently studied computer science at a university level for more than two years.
CHRISTINA MILLER is a Senior Associate with Applied Economics. Ms. Miller has worked on a variety of economic development-related projects, performing primary and secondary research related to demographic and labor market information, real estate market data, utility rates, tax rates, wage levels and other quantitative business climate information. Her strong background in finance, and natural analytical abilities enable her to understand, organize, scrutinize, and analyze information on a wide range of subjects. Ms. Miller is an experienced professional who is equally able to work with people, and information, to accomplish her goals.
Ms. Millers undergraduate and graduate degrees in finance provide her with an excellent skill set to address many of the subjects included in the scope of work, as well as provide for strong coordination and management. Ms. Miller holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and an M.B.A. in finance from Regis University in Denver.
