Bill Watkins

Noted California Lutheran University economist Bill Watkins has been added to the lineup of speakers for next month’s  Santa Clarita Valley Economic and Real Estate Outlook event.

Presented by the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation and the College of the Canyons, the event will take place on from 2:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, February, 23, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency in Valencia.

Watkins, Executive Director of CLU’s Center for Economic Research and Forecasting is expected to present his wide-ranging insight on the state of the national and California economy at the conference.

Many regional business leaders may be familiar with Watkins’ work with University of California, Santa Barbara, where he spent nine years as head of the Economic Forecast Project. Previous to that effort, he served as an economist to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington D.C. Watkins’ research has been widely published by both government and academic journals as well as in mainstream regional and national business media around the world.

Watkins’ presentation will be one of three given at the half-day conference, designed to provide attendees with a comprehensive economic analysis and outlook for the coming year. The event primarily focused on the trends and issues associated with Northern Los Angeles County and the surrounding business community.

“We are excited to have Dr. Watkins at our conference this year,” commented Dr. Dena Maloney, Vice President of Economic Development and the college’s Canyon Country campus. “Under his direction, California Lutheran University is quickly becoming one of Southern California’s premier academic institutions for economic information and analysis. Businesses that have detailed information like this can make more informed decisions, and are better positioned to enhance the economic recovery of the region.”

The keynote forecast for the 2012 event will once again be presented by veteran California economist and Executive Director of the California Economic Forecast, Dr. Mark Schneipp.

“The response already to this year’s Outlook has already been extremely positive,” noted SCVEDC President/CEO Jonas Peterson. “I would encourage interested parties to purchase their tickets now as we anticipate a capacity turnout for this event.”

Tickets to the 2012 Santa Clarita Valley Economic & Real Estate Outlook are $95, if purchased before January 23. Starting January 24, regular registration is $125 and walk in registration the day of the event is $150. Registration includes admission to the event, continental breakfast, and a complimentary copy of the 2012 Santa Clarita Valley Economic Outlook Report (an $85 value).

To purchase tickets or for more information about the 2012 Santa Clarita Valley Economic & Real Estate Outlook visit www.scvedc.org and click on the “Economic Outlook” banner or call 661-288-4400.