Benjamin Houck Email & Phone Number

Washington D.C. Metro Area

I serve a dual-role as a Commodity Analyst in the Commodities and Services portion of the Consumer Price Index, with a focus on Bedroom Furniture and Major Appliances, and an Analyst in the Housing section. To improve the CPI, I have also focused my research on affordable housing and age-bias adjustments in housing. I am also a member of several cross-sectional teams that, for example, focus on revising checklists used to collect data for the Consumer Price Index or create strategies for utilizing alternative data sources.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

As an Economist with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, I analyzed, reported and consulted on housing market conditions in Mid-Atlantic metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.

Greater Philadelphia Area

In addition to attending conferences and round table discussions, I organized ULI Philadelphia's Mentorship Program from 2012 through 2014.

Through the Partnership's Small Grants Program, I assisted the creation of career maps for health care occupations in Lenoir County, NC, and presented research to a small group of health care professionals at a workforce development luncheon.

I am lead researcher for a project entitled Skill Formation and Labor Market Incorporation of Latino Immigrants in the United States. I arrange and conduct interviews, in Spanish, of Latino construction workers and submit written summaries to Dr. Lowe, an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning. To date, I have completed over 24 hours of interviews through self-coordinated meetings and observed on-site and 4-hour safety trainings.

In my last role with WESCO, I aided in inventory management for three manufacturer-specific distribution centers, amounting to $ 2.6 million and spanning 4000 stock units. I set reorder points and economic order quantities to maximize our ability to provide needed product to contractors, utility workers, and manufacturing plants. I also negotiated pricing at the time of purchase and expedited made-to-order components throughout the manufacturing process.

Working in the manufactured structures division, I assisted a small team in managing a $1.8 million inventory representing more than 80 suppliers. While initially entailing order entry and account management, my role expanded to include stock receipts, inter-branch order approval, and special order inventory management. I spent a significant amount of time outside of work to complete online courses from Pass and Seymour, Eaton Electrical, Coleman Cable, and Fastec Industrial. I also graduated the Bronze Level of the NAED Electrical Products Educational Course, an instructional standard in the electrical distribution industry.

As a volunteer, my goal was to create a convincing summary of the economic impact of the Coalition's Business Start-Up Classes. I helped to create the interview script used in conducting phone interviews and prescribed the best method for the Coalition to present the program's value in marketing materials and grant proposals. After project completion, LAC received an unexpected $5000 dollar grant from a local governmental department.

Through efficient management, I finished in the top three in total production among seventy house painting franchise owners nationwide. I controlled recruiting, hiring and training of over forty employees; marketing and promotion; cost estimation, contract solicitation and price negotiation; site management, scheduling, and client relations; materials procurement; payment collection and accounting, all in garnering over $40,000 in revenue. I also assisted in manager recruitment and training for the following season without compensation.

Mcrp, City And Regional Planning With Specialty In Economic Development

Activities and Societies: Triathlon Club, Engineers without BordersApplied experiences include community redevelopment consulting.

Bsba, Economics, Spanish, International Business, 3.33 Gpa

Activities and Societies: Emerging Leaders Student Development, Intervarsity, Study Abroad in Chetumal, Mexico