UC Santa Barbara Public Affairs and Communications

NEWS RELEASE

Economic Outlook for Ventura County Topic of UCSB Seminar in Oxnard

February 13, 2001

(Santa Barbara, California) — What the future might hold for Ventura County's economy will be the topic of a special seminar to be presented in Oxnard next week by the University of California, Santa Barbara Economic Forecast Project.The half-day program will feature several guest speakers who will review the performance of the local, state, and national economies in 2000 and offer the outlook for the Ventura County economy in 2001. Special attention will also be given to the outlook for commercial real estate in Ventura County this year. The UCSB Economic Forecast Project is a research unit that provides regional economic data, analysis, and forecasts to the community.The Eighth Annual Ventura County Economic Forecast Seminar will be held Thursday, February 22, at the Marriott Residence Inn, Oxnard River Ridge, 2101 W. Vineyard Ave., in Oxnard. The program will begin with a breakfast session at 7:30 a.m. and continue through noon.

Speakers for the program include:n Dr. Nancy Sidhu, a senior economist at the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.n Dr. Sung Won Sohn, an executive vice-president and chief economic officer at Wells Fargo Bank.n Dan Walters, a syndicated columnist whose work now appears in more than 50 California newspapers.n Jerry Pelton, managing director for CB Richard Ellis in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.n Dr. Bill Watkins, executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and a former research economist at the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.

Admission to the seminar is $125 per person and includes a copy of the book "2001 Ventura County Economic Outlook," featuring more than 100 pages of data and analysis. To register for the seminar, or for more information, contact the UCSB Economic Forecast Project by phone, (805) 893-5148; fax, (805) 893-2754; or e-mail, doh@instadv.ucsb.edu. Information about the Economic Forecast Project's other programs, publications, and research activities can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.ucsb-efp.com.

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