The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco will be the keynote speaker for The Columbian’s 2012 Economic Forecast Breakfast in January.

The annual event at the Hilton Vancouver Washington is scheduled for Jan. 10 and will feature John Williams, who was named president and chief executive officer of the body in March.

He has been asked to share his outlook for the region for the new year.

After his speech, Clark County experts will share their forecasts for local industries and job growth in breakout sessions.

Williams, who also serves on the monetary policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, joined the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco in 2002 as a research advisor. His past experience includes time as a senior economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisors, and as an economist and senior economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

He has conducted research into monetary policy, innovation, productivity and business cycles.

As the central banking system of the United States, the Federal Reserve system conducts U.S. monetary policy, oversees banks and maintains the stability of the financial system. The San Francisco District oversees nine states, including Washington, plus three U.S. territories abroad.

Williams holds a doctorate in economics from Stanford University.

The breakfast begins at 7 a.m., with the keynote speech to be followed by breakout sessions featuring The Columbian’s forecast panelists.

They will tackle key issues surrounding Clark County’s efforts to return to economic growth, along three themes:

• “Place: Changes to where we live work and shop” will examine changing property values and what it means for owners of commercial and residential real estate.

• “Jobs of the Future” will looks into which job sectors are growing, which are shrinking, and which industries Clark County should recruit.

• “Connections: Infrastructure that underpins the economy” examines how industrial land, roads, rail, the river and our electric grid are meeting the needs of business today — and where we need to improve.

Previous keynote speakers have included nationally syndicated columnist Michelle Singletary; Arun Raja, Washington’s chief economist; and Tess Vigeland, host of public radio’s Marketplace Money. The event is being presented in conjunction with First Independent and other sponsors.

Reservations for The Columbian’s 2012 Economic Forecast Breakfast will be handled by the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at http://www.vancouverusa.com or 360-694-2588. Tickets are $50 per person.

Print this article