Robert M. Almeida Jr. of MFS Investment Management will be the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Tri-Cities Regional Economic Outlook. The event, organized by the Tri-Cities Development Council, will be from 7:30 to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at TRAC in Pasco.

Almeida is an investment officer and institutional portfolio manager at MFS Investment Management. He is a member of the company’s U.S. Equity Growth team and participates in the research process and strategy discussions, assesses portfolio risk, customizes portfolios to client objects and guidelines and manages daily cash flows.

He also serves as a portfolio manager on an alternative strategy run by a committee of MFS portfolio managers.

Almeida graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Master’s degree in finance from the Sawyer School of Management at Suffolk University.

MFS is an American-based global investment manager formerly known as Massachusetts Financial Services. It is owned by Sun Life Financial of Canada and has subsidiary headquarters in Boston, Mass., with offices worldwide. Founded in 1924, it is one of the oldest asset management companies in the world.

The 17th Annual Regional Economic Outlook begins at 7:30 a.m. with registration, a continental breakfast and networking. The event will include updates on: agribusiness; hospitality and tourism; real estate; regional economy; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; U.S. DOE, Hanford; healthcare; and from the retail sector.

The cost of the event is $60 for TRIDEC members and $75 for nonmembers. A special rate of $475 is available for groups of eight.

For those who would like to attend the luncheon only, the cost is $35 for TRIDEC members and $45 for nonmembers.

For more information or to register for the Regional Economic Outlook visit www.tridec.org or call 509-735-1000 .