Economic Development Council presents Economic Forecast Luncheon with Arun Raha on April 4

What will the economy bring in the next year – both here in San Juan County and on a global scale? Washington State’s chief economist, Arun Raha, will outline the economic climate we face today, during the San Juan County Economic Development Council’s 2011 Economic Forecast Luncheon on Monday, April 4. The event will feature Raha and local economic experts representing industries such as banking and real estate. Arun Raha is Chief Economist for the State of Washington and Executive Director of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. He is responsible for preparation and presentation of quarterly forecasts of Washington’s economy and general fund revenues. He also advises state legislative committees and other government agencies regarding economic and revenue activity in the state.

March 29, 2011 5:25 pm

What will the economy bring in the next year – both here in San Juan County and on a global scale? Washington State’s chief economist, Arun Raha, will outline the economic climate we face today, during the San Juan County Economic Development Council’s 2011 Economic Forecast Luncheon on Monday, April 4. The event will feature Raha and local economic experts representing industries such as banking and real estate.

Arun Raha is Chief Economist for the State of Washington and Executive Director of the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. He is responsible for preparation and presentation of quarterly forecasts of Washington’s economy and general fund revenues. He also advises state legislative committees and other government agencies regarding economic and revenue activity in the state.

Dr. Raha was formerly Vice President of Economic Research at Swiss Re in New York, a leading global reinsurer, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. There he was responsible for forecasts of North American macroeconomic, financial, and property-casualty insurance markets. Prior to that, he was Manager of Economic Analysis at Eaton Corporation, a global diversified industrial manufacturer in Cleveland, Ohio.

Raha has won two national forecasting awards: the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s top overall forecast prize for 2007, and the Wall Street Journal’s forecasting award in January 2005. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Washington State University, and a Masters degree from the Delhi School of Economics.

The 2011 Economic Forecast Luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. on Monday, April 4, in the San Juan Room at Friday Harbor House, 130 West Street, Friday Harbor. Tickets are $25 and space is limited; please call 360-378-2906 or email info@sanjuansedc.org to reserve your space.

For more information, visit www.sanjuansedc.org. A portion of ticket proceeds will go to support the EDC’s educational programming.

“The San Juan County Economic Development Council (EDC) strives to strengthen and diversify the economy of San Juan County,” said executive director Victoria Compton. “We believe a strong economy builds a strong community. The EDC works to build an environment that helps business owners create jobs. We serve business: linking organizations and resources, providing valuable information, rendering assistance and advocating for an improved island business environment.”