May 5, 2006

2006 Economic Outlook for North S.B. County Topic of May 12 UCSB Seminar in Santa Maria

Jane Donnellan

The outlook for North Santa Barbara County's economy in the coming year will be the topic of a special seminar in Santa Maria being presented by the Economic Forecast Project of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

The UCSB North Santa Barbara County Economic Forecast Seminar will be held next Friday morning, May 12, at the Marian Theatre on the campus of Allan Hancock College, 800 South College Drive, Santa Maria. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m. The speaking program begins at 8 a.m. and concludes at approximately 11 a.m.

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

Dr. Bill Watkins, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C., will review the performance of the local, state, and national economies in 2005 and offer his outlook for northern Santa Barbara County's economy in 2006. Other speakers for the half-day seminar:

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Dan Walters, syndicated columnist

Walters has been a journalist for over 40 years. In 1981 he began writing California's only daily newspaper column devoted to political, economic, and social trends in the state. His syndicated column now appears in more than 50 California newspapers. The title of his talk: "A New Year, A New Schwarzenegger."

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Lloyd Dean, President/CEO, Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)

Dean is responsible for the overall management, strategy and direction of CHW's integrated health care system of 40 acute-care hospitals, two medical practice groups, 40,000 employees and more than 7,500 physicians in California, Arizona and Nevada.

In 2004 he was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth. His talk is titled: "CEO Perspective: The State of Health Care -- North Santa Barbara County and Beyond."

Admission to the seminar is $75 per person and includes a copy of the book, "The 2006 North Santa Barbara County Economic Outlook." (The volume retails for $68.76 per copy, including tax and shipping.)

Registration forms and other information about the event can be found on the UCSB Economic Forecast Project's Web site:

www.ucsb-efp.com

For information, call (805) 893-5159.

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.