Charting the Future

UC Santa Barbara’s Economic Forecast Project (EFP) has, over nearly four decades, examined the Tri-County’s prospects for growth — from a birds-eye view down to a granular level. This year’s EFP will do both.

The 38^th Annual EFP Economic Summit presentations, to be held May 7 in Santa Maria and May 16 in Santa Barbara, will bring together respected financial professionals, policy makers and executives.

The May 7 summit, “Growing a City: Accommodating growing economies and populations in North County,” will take place at Marian Theatre at Alan Hancock College, 800 S. College Dr. Presentations will be from 8-10:15 a.m. Peter Rupert, executive director of the EFP, will moderate a post-presentation panel discussion.

The May 16 event, “Financing the Future,” will take place at the Granada Theatre, with breakfast 7:30-8:30 a.m. and presentations from 8:30-11:15 a.m. Steve McCarty, a partner at McCarty Davis Commercial Real Estate, will moderate a panel discussion following the presentations.

Here’s a look at each summit’s speakers:

North County

Peter Rupert is executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project. He is a professor of economics and is also the associate director of the Laboratory of Aggregate Economics and Finance at UCSB with Nobel laureate Finn Kydland. Before joining the economics faculty, he was a senior research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland for 13 years.

Steve McCarty is a partner at McCarty Davis Commercial Real Estate in San Luis Obispo. He has worked in the Central Coast market for more than three decades, specializing in agricultural, industrial, office, warehouse and retail properties. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UC Santa Barbara, and is a longtime board member of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project.

Shad Springer is director of utilities for the city of Santa Maria, overseeing water, sewer, stormwater, solid waste and landfill services. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s in public administration from the University of Wyoming. He is a registered civil engineer and certified floodplain manager. Previously, he served as the city’s director of public works and principal civil engineer.

A.J. Cisney is general manager for Rancho Guadalupe in Santa Maria. The farm produces broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, celery, strawberries and raspberries on approximately 6,000 acres. As general manager, Cisney oversees Rancho Guadalupe’s regulatory compliance, risk management, pest management and financial analysis. He joined the company in 2000 as safety officer, becoming general manager in the fall of 2007.

Bob Braitman is the founder of Braitman & Associates, a consulting firm that specializes in local government issues. He spent 24 years with the Ventura County Executive Office and 18 years as executive director for the Ventura Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO). He also served as executive officer of Santa Barbara, Contra Costa and San Benito LAFCOs.

Santa Barbara

Neel Kashkari is president and CEO of the Minneapolis Fed, and serves on the Federal Open Market Committee. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois, and went on to become an aerospace engineer, developing technology for NASA missions. He later turned to finance and public policy, earning his MBA from the Wharton School and joining Goldman Sachs. He also served in several senior positions at the U.S. Treasury Department, including overseeing the Troubled Assets Relief Program during the financial crisis.

Kathy Moe is director of the FDIC’s San Francisco Region, responsible for oversight of financial institutions in the Western U.S., Guam and Micronesia. Prior to this, she served as FDIC deputy regional director for risk management.  In her 32-year FDIC career, she has led numerous high-profile projects, including developing training based on lessons from the financial crisis. She has a bachelor’s degree in finance from University of Nebraska, and is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado.

Peter Rupert, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project.