JERRY BOWYER
Chief Economist
Benchmark Financial Network

Jerry’s first professional position was with Arthur Andersen & Company, which was then the largest accounting/consulting firm in the world. Jerry worked at the firm from 1990 to 1993, after which he briefly worked as the vice president of the Beechwood Company, the holding company for the mutual fund giant Federated Investors.

He started in broadcast media as the host of WPIT-FM’s Cross-Town Perspectives program. Jerry has also hosted Cornerstone Television’s syndicated program Focus on the Issues since 1993.

In 1993 Jerry was given the opportunity to form Pittsburgh’s first free market think tank. Drawing upon his business and financial experience and merging it with his interest in political activism, Jerry created the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy. In three years the Institute’s budget went from zero to $1 million, which, according to the director of the Atlas Foundation (which is dedicated to analyzing and tracking free market think tanks around the globe) makes it the fastest-growing free market think tank in the history of such institutions.

The notoriety that came from heading the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy led to frequent appearances as a guest, as well as a guest host, on various radio programs, and ultimately to an offer from Tony Renda (the owner of WPTT Radio), to become the station’s morning and then later afternoon host, where he served until July of 2005. His radio program focused mainly on entrepreneurship and leadership issues. Jerry is now employed by Salem Communications in a number of capacities, chiefly as the afternoon host on WORD FM in Pittsburgh, effective September 1st, 2005.

Jerry has also served as the Chairman of the Board of Impact Total Return Portfolio, a four star-rated mutual fund and also as Chairman of its investment committee.

Jerry founded Newsmakers Productions Inc., and its research and consulting arm, Verity Research & Media. The company produces that state’s premier politics and public policy television talk show, Pennsylvania Newsmakers. Verity, as its name indicates, is dedicated to using sound research techniques in order to ascertain and communicate truth in business and leadership contexts. Verity Forecasting served investors and entrepreneurs through a quarterly economic and financial consulting conference call on a subscription basis. In addition, Jerry is an Economic Advisor to Independence Portfolio Partners.

His latest project is WorldView, a Sunday-morning political talk show on the model of Meet the Press. The show is syndicated on approximately 2 dozen TV stations around the country where he has interviewed the Vice President, the Vice President’s wife, the Treasury Secretary, the HUD Secretary, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Presidential Advisor Karl Rove, as well as former Attorney General Edward Meese and publisher Steve Forbes.

Jerry has spoken often to business and civic groups. In 1997 he gave the commencement speech at his Alma Mater, Robert Morris University where he was the youngest speaker in the history of the school. The school received more requests for transcripts of the speech than at any time in its 120 year history.

Jerry has also taught social ethics at Ottawa Theological Hall, public policy at Saint Vincent’s College, has guest lectured at Carnegie Mellon’s graduate Heinz School of Public Policy.

In addition to his radio and television responsibilities, Jerry writes a weekly financial analysis column for National Review FN for TechCentralStation.com. Jerry has also written extensively in finance and in history for UPI, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Crosswalk.com, and is a Contributing Editor for The New York Sun.

Jerry lives in Boston, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Susan, and seven children. The Bowyers are currently engaged in a family project consisting of translating the books of Genesis, St. John’s Gospel and the early church creeds from Hebrew, Greek and Latin into English.