Economic forecaster to help clients pave the future unknowns.
BATON ROUGE, La – David Leiva, a former award-winning journalist, military officer, and economist, has joined Castro Real Estate Services as the company’s Economic Forecaster.
“It is an honor to welcome someone of David’s caliber who not only understands the metrics of the local economy but has a world view to help us negotiate the world events and their impact locally,” said Miguel Castro Jr., proprietor of Baton Rouge-based Castro Real Estate Services (CRES). “What happens in Budapest affects us here in Baton Rouge. We need that type of insight.”
Prior to joining CRES, David was an economic recovery advisor for the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and an economic development consultant. David is also a former award-winning business journalist at The Annapolis Capital of Maryland and started his career with The Associated Press.
“I look forward to working with Miguel and the CRES team. This opportunity merges my main interests: research, writing, econometrics, politics, and data to paint a picture as a prognosticator. Decisions should be driven by data, and forecasts should have a wholistic approach,” Leiva said.
A New Orleans native, David holds degrees, certificates, and fellowships from Loyola University in New Orleans, Tulane University, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the U.S. Naval War College. He is currently a doctoral student studying international economics in the International Development Program at USM. Last year, he was awarded a two-year scholarship by the National Guard Association of Mississippi to complete his studies.
David continues to serve in the armed forces and holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is currently the Director of Personnel and Community Activities at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, the second largest Army National Guard installation in the United States, where more than 50,000 service members of all branches train annually along with select members of Other Government Agencies.
David has been credited with major economic development projects, including the Port of Gulfport designation as the nation’s 17th Strategic Seaport by the U.S. Department of Defense. When utilized, the designation is valued at $150 million annually.
https://www.usm.edu/news/2013/release/southern-miss-soldier-students-organize-strategic-port-symposium-gulfport.php
https://shipmspa.com/port-of-gulfport-receives-strategic-seaport-designation/
https://www.wlox.com/2020/08/13/big-ship-part-big-mission-port-gulfport-strategic-seaport/
In 2015, he presented at the Army Operations Research Symposium on a workforce deployment management model he co-developed at U.S. Army Central Command. He was the only member of the National Guard to present at the annual event that brings the Army’s top mathematicians and statisticians together at Fort Detrick, MD.
https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/State-Partnership-Program/Article/632661/researchers-reserve-component-soldiers-in-theater-should-fill-in-theater-vacanc/
David also serves an adjunct assistant professor of economics at the University of Maryland Global Campus and teaches disaster leadership at the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy.
He resides in Daytona Beach, FL, where he enjoys sailing, skydiving, and NASCAR.