John Deskins
Assistant Dean, Outreach & Engagement; Director, Bureau of
Business & Economic Research; and Associate Professor, WVU
A CHILD OF THE ‘80S , John Deskins remembers listening to
Quiet Riot and imagining what it would be like to be a rock
star. Though not quite how he envisioned, his dream of becoming
an icon has come true. As the director of the Bureau of Business
and Economic Research (BBER), assistant dean for outreach and
engagement and associate professor of economics at West Virginia
University (WVU), he is the go-to expert on all things economics
in West Virginia. Widely respected as a reliable source, he is
regularly quoted in newspapers, interviewed on radio and TV
shows and has contributed to national media segments.
Growing up in southwestern Virginia, Deskins was unaware
of the opportunities that awaited him with an economics degree.
He was a freshman at Emory & Henry College when he stumbled
upon the first of two basic economics classes that opened his
eyes to the potential the field holds.
“My two economics professors were absolutely outstanding
teachers, and they showed me how useful, practical, widely appli-
cable and valuable economics is for understanding the world
and helping solve the problems we face,” he says.
After graduating in 2000, Deskins entered the Ph.D. program
at the University of Tennessee, where he became a graduate
teaching associate and then a graduate research assistant. In
2005, he joined Creighton University as an assistant professor
of economics, and in 2013, he came to WVU to serve as an
economics professor and the director of the BBER. Since then,
he has also been named assistant dean.
Being an expert in economics allows Deskins to have a major
impact on a state whose economy continuously struggles. He
gives about 40 presentations a year with the intention of pro-
viding useful information to policymakers and community
leaders who are working on improving the Mountain State.
In addition, he organizes the Economic Outlook Conference
series, where he presents helpful information on the state’s
economy and where it is headed.
Committed to helping WVU achieve its mission of creating
a culture that advances education, health care and prosperity for
all, Deskins serves as chair of the College Awards of Distinction’s
review committee and as a member of the John Chambers College
of Business and Economics Senior Management Group and the
West Virginia Forward working group. As president-elect of
the Association of University Business & Economic Research,
also known as AUBER, he is responsible for planning the orga-
nization’s fall conference, and as president, he will be charged
with establishing the long-term vision of the organization. He
also oversees the Encova Center for Innovation & Entrepre-
neurship, which promotes small business in West Virginia.
Deskins also commits time to working with government
officials for the betterment of the state. He has testified before
the U.S. Congress and the West Virginia Legislature, as well
as the Public Service Commission of West Virginia. He also
serves as an informal consultant to the West Virginia Develop-
ment Office, where he assists with helping its staff understand
underlying economic data and issues related to their efforts to
attract businesses to the Mountain State.
“West Virginia has given me—and continues to give me—
enormous happiness, and I owe it to the state to do what I can
to help promote a higher quality of life here,” he says. “Our
elected leaders cannot be experts in every field. It’s a great
responsibility being entrusted to provide that information to
them as they make decisions, and I love doing it.”
Deskins has fully embraced the Mountain State as his home,
and the passion he has for seeing West Virginia prosper inspires
him every day.
“I love this place,” he says. “It’s sad to see our state not do as
well as it should because of all our problems. This wonderful
place shouldn’t be this way. These challenges are hard to over-
come, but they’re not insurmountable. It is a huge privilege
and an honor to be in a position to help improve the lives of
West Virginians.”
JENNIFER JETT PREZKOP
Deskins explores the
Terrace Club inside the
Charleston Coliseum
& Convention Center.
TRACY A. TOLER PHOTOGRAPHY
W W W. W V E X E C U T I V E . C O M
FALL 2019
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