May 9, 2003

Economic Outlook for North Santa Barbara County Topic of May 15 UCSB Seminar

Mara Cotich

The Economic Forecast Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara will present its annual seminar on the outlook for North Santa Barbara County's economy on Thursday, May 15.

Speakers at the half-day program will review the performance of the local, state, and national economies in 2002 and offer their views on the outlook for the region's economy in 2003. The seminar will be held in the Marian Theatre at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m. The speaking program begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at 11 a.m.

The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.

Bill Watkins, executive director of the Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., will present the economic review and forecast for North Santa Barbara County.

Other speakers and their topics include:

·Dan Walters, a syndicated columnist whose work now appears in more than 50 California newspapers: "The California Budget Crisis"

·Michael C. Maloney, an expert in resolving conflicts within businesses and organizations: "The Common Sense of Business Management"

·David Hayes-Bautista, a professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and director of the university's Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture:

"Demographics of the New Economy"

·Dan Hamilton, director of economics at the UCSB Economic Forecast Project: "The Local Real Estate Market"

Admission to the seminar is $75 per person and includes a copy of The 2003 North Santa Barbara County Economic Outlook, featuring data and narrative analysis, graphs and tables. (The book can be purchased separately for $63.76 per copy, including shipping.)

To register for the seminar, or for more information, contact the UCSB Economic Forecast Project by phone, (805) 893-5159; or fax, (805) 893-2754. Information about the UCSB Economic Forecast Project's programs, publications, and research activities can be found at www.ucsb-efp.com.

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