Fresh off his part-time job recommending ways to fix the nation's staggering deficit and his full-time job running the UNC system, Erskine Bowles in early January will share his outlook on the 2011 economy.

Bowles is scheduled as a keynote speaker at the annual prognostication and networking forum sponsored by the N.C. Chamber and N.C. Bankers Association on Jan. 3.

His speech will likely touch on his recent work in Washington as co-chairman of President Barack Obama's budget deficit commission. Given that he is retiring as UNC system president on Dec. 31, there might be some discussion of what's next for the self-described workaholic.

The N.C. Bankers Association and N.C. Chamber had a huge name lined up to handle the keynote speech at an annual economic forecast forum next month in Raleigh: Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis.

The groups even ran an ad in the latest edition of NC Magazine with Lewis' photo. But Lewis in late September announced that he planned to retire by Dec. 31, assuming the Charlotte-based bank can find his replacement by then. So bank officials told the groups that Lewis was backing out.

As the top sponsor of the Jan. 4 event, Bank of America needed to pick a replacement keynote speaker. The bank recently named David Darnell, president of global commercial banking.