In Brief
[naviga:h3]Butler graduate joins Chicago firm[/naviga:h3]
CHICAGO — Kelly Mackalica Ray was hired in December as controller at Public Communications Inc. in Chicago.
Ray, a 1989 Butler Senior High graduate, oversees the finance area of the company.
Ray’s experience includes working for global companies as well as start-ups as a consultant, accounting manager and chief financial officer.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in international business from Slippery Rock University.
[naviga:h3]Economy growing at solid rate[/naviga:h3]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a solid 2.9 percent annual rate in the final three months of last year, a sharp upward revision that caps three quarters of the fastest growth in more than a decade. The Trump administration is hoping the economy will accelerate further this year, aided by sizable tax cuts and increased government spending.
The gross domestic product, the country’s total output of goods and services, grew at a faster clip than its previous estimate of 2.5 percent, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.
That 2.9 percent fourth quarter advance followed gains of 3.1 percent in the second quarter and 3.2 percent in the third quarter.
