Eastern Bank senior VP to speak for Marblehead COA

MARBLEHEAD – The United States is in an economic crisis, a new president is on the way and for the first time quotable economic pundits are using the “R” word to describe our circumstances – recession.There’s no better time for people to hear what the next speaker in the Marblehead Council on Aging Men’s Speaker Series has to say about personal survival and our national direction.John W. Bitner, senior vice president and chief economist for Eastern Bank’s Eastern Investment Advisors, will speak at the COA’s noon luncheon meeting at the Marblehead Community Center, 10 Humphrey St., Monday, Nov. 17.Bitner joined Eastern Bank in 1984 as senior vice president and chief economist.He has been interviewed on NBC Nightly News, CNBC, and NECN television, and he can be heard on WBZ radio in Boston and the Wall Street Journal’s nationally syndicated radio program.He is the primary author of the book “Successful Bank Asset/Liability Management,” and he is also the author of numerous published articles and the subject of interviews in trade publications and Boston-area newspapers. His expertise is sought on topics ranging from the asset liability management of banks to the outlook for the U.S and regional economies.Locally Bitner is responsible for developing and implementing fixed income investment policy for Eastern Investment Advisors.Previously, he served as a fixed income manager for Digital Equipment Corporation, and the chief investment officer at Neworld Bank in Boston and the Commonwealth Bank in Pennsylvania.He holds a bachelor of science degree in economics and business administration from Lebanon Valley College and a Master of business administration degree from Boston College, and he was named a Kellogg Fellow for the study of rural economic development at Pennsylvania State University. He has also completed Boston University’s certified financial planner program. He is a member of the Boston Economics Club, represents New England on the American Bankers Association’s Economic Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Economic Advisory Board of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts.