Jim Rounds is President of Rounds Consulting Group.  The firm specializes in economic development and tax policy analysis; education research; healthcare economics; transportation economics; fiscal planning including revenue forecasting and budget development; strategic planning and marketing; impact and market studies; and litigation support. 

Mr. Rounds regularly provides advice to policymakers at the State Capitol, mayors throughout the state as well as city council members, county board members, and other public and private sector leaders in the community.  He has delivered hundreds of economic presentations throughout Arizona and is quoted weekly on television, radio, and in printed media.

Mr. Rounds specializes in using proper analysis and communication to bridge political gaps. For example, Jim is a Senior Fellow at the Goldwater Institute; a board member of the Maricopa County IDA and Valley Partnership; and advisor to education focused groups including the Helios Education Foundation, Achieve 60 AZ, the Rodel Foundation, the Arizona Board of Regents, and the various state universities, among others. Jim is also the lead economist for multiple rural and urban area healthcare and hospital associations.

Other areas of recent study include advanced workforce analysis; minimum wage impact analysis; State Trust Land finance; public employee pension reform; utility infrastructure investment; and state and local area tourism planning.

Recently, Jim has been supporting the concept of “growing from within,” which includes efforts to better understand small business development issues, and strategic investment in education and workforce training. Jim is a lead member of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee’s Finance Advisory Committee, and has served on scores of committees and task force efforts at both the state and local levels.

Mr. Rounds began his career as a Senior Economist and Senior Budget Analyst with the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and has been engaged in policy related economics for more than two decades.  Jim has a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Economics from Arizona State University.