2008 Economic Outlook for Ventura County Topic of UCSB Seminars in Thousand Oaks, Oxnard

The prospects for Ventura County's economy in the coming year will be the topic of two upcoming special half-day seminars to be presented by the Economic Forecast Project of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.

In the eastern part of the county, a program will be held Thursday afternoon, February 21, in the Lundring Events Center at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. Registration opens at 1 p.m. and the program begins at 2 p.m.

In the western part of the county, a seminar will be offered the following morning, Friday, February 22, at the Marriott Residence Inn at River Ridge, 2101 W. Vineyard Ave., in Oxnard. Registration and breakfast begin at 7 a.m. and the program begins at 8 a.m.

Both programs will include presentations by these featured speakers:

·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: "Another Year and Three More Elections"

·Kirk Lesh, real estate economist, UCSB Economic Forecast Project: "Real Estate Outlook for 2008"

The Feb. 21 program at Cal Luthern will also include a special presentation by acclaimed author and global economist Joel Kotkin, whose topic is "Thousand Oaks, A Prototype Community?"

The Feb. 22 program will also include a special presentation on "Smart Growth" by Wendell Cox of the Heartland Institute.

Admission to the seminar is $110 per person until February 12 and $125 per person after that date. The registration fee includes a copy of "The 2008 Ventura County Economic Outlook" book and CD. To register, or for information, visit the UCSB Economic Forecast Project on the Web at www.ucsb-efp.com

or call (805) 893-5159.