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Patrick Burden President and Principal Economist 
Since founding the company as sole proprietor in 1982, Patrick Burden has built Northern Economics into
Alaska’s leading economic consulting firm. He has conducted more than 250 varied projects for private and public
sector clients—projects ranging from small tasks for local entities to large, multidisciplinary projects of
international significance. Pat’s major areas of expertise are resource and transportation economics, and
infrastructure and economic development. He is also adept at managing complex projects involving intensive
collaboration with subconsultants, and client personnel.Projects that help to shape Alaska’s economic future and influence the quality of life for its residents stimulate Pat’s continuing interest and excitement in economic consulting. Pat’s 18-year Alaska career has spanned boom times and recessions. He has seen periods of expanded funding for energy programs, environmental studies, transportation, and other fields come and go over the years, and participated in those studies when they were ongoing. Alaska is similar in many respects to developing countries around the world. Leveraging these similarities, Pat has been involved in projects to assist developing economies with infrastructure development. International development projects have taken him to areas of the Former Soviet Union and to Africa. Pat's involvement in international development projects, and particularly a 1995 project in Kazakhstan for the U.S. Agency for International Development led to the decision to move beyond sole proprietorship—he could not continue to work internationally and still serve his clients in Alaska unless the company expanded. Since 1995, Northern Economics has grown to six persons to serve clients in Alaska and countries around the world. Philosophically egalitarian, and committed to achieving the best possible products for his clients within the parameters of budgets, Pat practices principle-centered management to elicit optimum performance from his staff of colleagues. Pat gravitated to applied economics because he believes that it can make important differences in people’s lives. He is particularly enthusiastic about using the spatial dimensions of charts and graphs to help people understand concepts in economics and business. “Using spatial orientation can enable you to understand and describe phenomena that are often difficult to comprehend if they are expressed as pure mathematics," he explains. Pat has not yet realized all of his dreams. He says that he had hoped his overseas projects would lead to dreamlike jobs in Tahiti, Samoa, Fiji, or other South Pacific Islands—particularly during the Alaska winters. To date, much of the company’s international experience has been conducted during winters in Russia and Kazakstan. Pat is still looking for ideal projects nearer the Equator. Pat, his wife Merilee, and their two sons, Merrick and Geoff, moved to Anchorage in January 1981. The temperature was -35°F. Grandparents and other relatives were told the move would only be for a few years—18 years later, Anchorage is still home for the family of four. Pat’s answers to life's more important questions: Claim to fame: No claims, I'm still waiting to be selected as a Power Ball winner. Pat notes that Northern Economics sponsors a coed volleyball team that was undefeated in league play this season. If you know any good volleyball players who are looking for work, send them our way. (P.S. They should be graduate economists.) Great escape: Annual summer escapes to our fishing boat Why Alaska: “We’ll only be in Alaska for a couple of years, Mom.” Idea of fun: Flying through the air with power lift kites that I control Memorabilia: Fuji stick (a wooden staff that is branded at each station along the climb to the top of Mount Fuji in Japan) Brain candy: Is there such a thing? Does it improve your learning/thinking capacity? If so buy me a gross! Favorite fish story: On a salmon fishing trip out of Ilwaco, Washington, at the mouth of the Columbia River, I caught the first fish, the last fish, the biggest fish (28 pounds), and the most fish (four) —all while sleeping most of the day on a bunk in the cabin with the fishing pole sticking out of a porthole.  Click here for Patrick's full resume.
[Patrick Burden] [Marcus Hartley] [Leah Cuyno] [Mike Fisher] [Cal Kerr] [Kent Kovacs] [Diane Steele] [Terri McCoy] [Jonathan King] [Bill Schenken] [Don Schug] [Trina Wellman] Staff Resumes: [Patrick Burden] [Marcus Hartley] [Leah Cuyno] [Mike Fisher] [Cal Kerr] [Kent Kovacs] [Diane Steele] [Terri McCoy] [Jonathan King] [Bill Schenken] [Don Schug] [Trina Wellman] Topics | Contact Us | What's New? | Our Clients © 2008 Northern Economics - All Rights Reserved | |