Trends in family businesses will be the topic at the Institute for Family Business meeting April 2 at California State University, Fresno. It will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Smittcamp Alumni House, Whitten Room.

William “Denny” Dennis Jr., senior research fellow at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in Washington, D.C., will be the guest speaker. His topic is “Major trends in entrepreneurial family businesses and their impact for economic development in agriculturally dependent regions.”

The NFIB is the nation’s leading small-business advocacy association.

Dennis’s research focuses on small business and public policy. He is founder and editor of the National Small Business Poll, has co-authored Small Business Economic Trends for nearly 20 years and published a variety of articles. He received a Special Advocacy Award for research from the U.S. Small Business Administration in 1998.

There is a registration fee of $25 for non-institute members. Reservations may be made by calling 559.278.5662. Parking passes are available with RSVP.