April 19, 2012

Economic Forecast Project Heads to Santa Maria for Annual North Santa Barbara County Economic Summit

The UC Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project will be presenting its annual North Santa Barbara County Economic Summit on Friday, May 4. The annual report on local, national, and international economic trends, issues, and projections will be held at the Marian Theater on the Allan Hancock Community College campus in Santa Maria, from 8 to 11 a.m.

The North County event features John Felmy, chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute; David E. Altig, senior vice president and director of research of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta; and, in his second year as executive director of the Economic Forecast Project, UCSB professor Peter Rupert, who is also chair of the Department of Economics.

After the 7 a.m. continental breakfast at the Marian Theater, Felmy, with more than 25 years' experience in energy, economic and environmental analysis, will make his presentation and answer questions from the audience. His presentation, titled "Energizing America: Facts for Addressing Energy Policy," begins at 8 a.m.

At 9 a.m., Altig, adjunct professor of economics in the graduate school of business at the University of Chicago, and an expert on macroeconomics and monetary-economic topics, will give his forecast on the national economy. Altig, whose research focuses primarily on monetary and fiscal policy issues, will also be answering questions from the audience.

Rupert will present the EFP's North County forecast at 10 a.m., discussing issues affecting the local and regional economy, focusing on trends in local business, industry, and households. Rupert is also associate director of the Laboratory of Aggregate Economics and Finance at UCSB. He specializes in macroeconomics, monetary economics, labor, and family economics. Before joining the UCSB faculty, Rupert was a senior research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for 13 years. He will also hold a question-and-answer session after his talk.

The UCSB Economic Forecast Project was established in 1981 by the Department of Economics to provide the community with information on economic, demographic, and regional business trends.

The summit is open to the public, and admission is $50 per person for the half-day event. A copy of the Economic Forecast Report is included with admission. Tickets can be purchased by calling (805) 893-5148, or at the door on the day of the summit. Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and American Express) are accepted.

Complimentary parking will be provided at the Marian Theater.

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.