CLU center gives first state, U.S. forecast

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Nov. 25, 2009) The California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting will present its first public state and national outlook from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16.

CERF Executive Director Bill Watkins will present the "United States & California Forecast" in Lundring Events Center in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center. He will also share his policy recommendations for how California and the United States can speed economic recovery.

Watkins and his team of economists launched CERF in June. The new center provides local, state and national forecasts for government, business and nonprofit leaders throughout the country.

Watkins, who has a doctorate in economics, had been the executive director of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project since 2000 and previously served as an economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. The other members of the team also came from the UCSB Project. They are Dan Hamilton, who created a new economic forecast model for CERF, and Kirk Lesh, who specializes in the real estate sector.

Watkins has been widely published in academic journals, traditional media and new media. He, Hamilton and Lesh are quoted regularly by many news organizations including the Wall Street Journal, NBC, Fox Business Network, Forbes and Bloomberg News.

The CERF economists are faculty members in CLU's School of Business. Working with Dean Charles Maxey, they launched a new Master of Science in Economics program focusing on forecasting and applied research this semester.

Registration for the event is $95. The cost includes breakfast, the presentation and a copy of the full forecast on CD. Reservations are requested by Dec. 14. To register, go to http://www.clucerf.org. For more information, visit the Web site or call (805) 493-3358.