A memorial service for economist Jack Kyser is scheduled to take place next month, the Southern California Association of Governments announced. The service, titled “Celebrating the Life of Jack Kyser,” will be held on Jan. 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Crystal Room at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Friends planning to attend the event are encouraged to register on SCAG’s Web site, where more information about the service is also available. A private funeral service for immediate family only is also planned. Kyser, who served as chief economic advisor for SCAG, was found dead in his Downey residence on Monday, Dec. 6 after he had been missing from work several days. Colleagues said Kyser appeared to be in good health on Dec. 2 , which was when he had delivered a regional economic summit for SCAG in downtown Los Angeles. At the summit, Kyser and others called on the governor-elect and the state legislature to adopt business-friendly principles and legislation in order to spur economic recovery in the region. Kyser started working for SCAG this year after he retired from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation as the organization’s chief economist. Kyser was known for his ability to explain complex economic concepts into simple terms and was a go-to person for regional economic analysis, particularly for the media, business leaders and government officials. Jessica Vernabe