Meet James Maples, Ph.D., Vista's Lead Economist

Vista Site Selection is pleased to introduce James Maples, Ph.D, our new lead economist. James will focus on creating economic impact studies, using a variety of economic modeling software, including IMPLAN. He will also support economic development and site selection projects with tax projections. He is based in Virginia.

James is an accomplished economics analyst and one whose embrace of technology makes him a perfect fit at Vista. He is one of fewer than 40 individuals who are certified as economists in the use of IMPLAN, the leading economic impact modeling software used by government agencies, corporations, non-profits and other major organizations. He is also proficient in Stata, R and SPSS for statistical analysis.

James has more than a decade of experience working as an economist and quantitative researcher. He has completed nearly 100 economic impact studies for clients across industries including manufacturing, retail, housing, office, non-profits, active transportation, recreation, policy and others.

Measuring the economic impact of a project is a major component when identifying potential sites and gives Vista key insights for negotiating financial incentives. James and his proven track record at creating these economic impact studies further Vista’s capabilities.

“We’re excited to have James join our team,” said Matt Samler, Vista Site Selection’s senior managing director. “James’ skillset is unique and his embrace of technology in creating exceptional economic impact studies and tax revenue projections makes him a perfect fit for Vista Site Selection.”

Prior to joining Vista, James spent a decade as a professor at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Eastern Kentucky University, including serving as director at the latter institution’s Division for Regional Economic Assessment and Modeling. He also spent two years with Earth Resources Technology, serving as the economic impact expert for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“I’m a big believer that economic impact studies are a driver of change,” James says. “I’m happy to join a team like Vista that shares this vision and embraces technology to break new ground when pursuing site selection.”

Reach out today and find how James, or the rest of Vista’s site selection team can help you find the ideal site for your big project.