January 30, 2007

2007 Economic Outlook for Ventura County Topic of February 16 UCSB Seminar in Oxnard

Jane Donnellan

The prospects for Ventura County's economy in the coming year will be the topic of an upcoming special seminar to be presented in Oxnard by the Economic Forecast Project of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The half-day program on Friday, Feb. 16, features speakers who will review the performance of the local and regional economies in 2006 and offer the outlook for the Ventura County economy in 2007. The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.

The Ventura County Economic Outlook 2007 seminar will be held at Marriott's Residence Inn at River Ridge, 2101 W. Vineyard Ave., Oxnard. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m.; the program will conclude by 11:30 a.m.

Featured speakers for the program and their topics include:

·Bill Watkins, Ph.D., executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.: "The Ventura County Economic Review and Forecast"

·Dan Walters, syndicated newspaper columnist: "The Roller Coaster Keeps Rolling"

·Henning Bohn, Ph.D., professor of economics, UC Santa Barbara: "Ben Bernanke at the Federal Reserve -- What Can We Expect?"

·Philip Martin, Ph.D., professor of agricultural and resource economics, UC Davis: "Immigration Reform: The Outlook for 2007"

Admission to the seminar is $125 per person and includes a copy of "The 2007 Ventura County Economic Outlook" book. To register, or for information, visit the UCSB Economic Forecast Project on the Web at www.ucsb-efp.com

or call (805) 893-5159.

Note to Editors: Press coverage of the seminar is invited. Reporters interested in covering the seminar are asked to contact the UCSB Economic Forecast Project so that an embargoed copy of "The 2007 Ventura County Economic Outlook" report can be e-mailed to them in advance of the seminar and a press registration prepared.

About UC Santa Barbara

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a leading research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. Our academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, as we draw inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.