The weeks since President Donald Trump took office in January have brought rapid change at the federal level.
Speakers at The Columbian’s Economic Forecast will explore how these new federal policies may affect the local economy.
“Futurespective” is the theme for this year’s event, which begins at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton Vancouver Washington. Tickets are $54.36 and available at columbian.ticketbud.com/2025-economic-forecast-.
What can the past tell us about what will happen in the future? What will happen with tariffs, job opportunities, growth or decline in certain industries? What will happen with our economy? To what indicators should we look? They’re all questions that will be under the microscope at Thursday’s event.
Matthew Gardner, the keynote speaker for the 2022 Economic Forecast, will return this year. Gardner, one of the most recognized real estate economists in the country, serves on the Washington Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors.
In 2022, he talked about a lack of housing supply — still a huge issue for our region. At the time, he said cranes in downtown Vancouver building housing were a good sign.
Cranes are a rarer sight these days. Panelist Mike Wilkerson will shed light on why. Wilkerson is a partner and director of Economic Research at ECOnorthwest, with expertise in the economics of local rental markets. He has advised the public and private sectors for 20 years.
Emily Robertson will also join Thursday’s panel. She is the Southwest Washington regional economist for the state Employment Security Department. Robertson replaced the region’s longtime economist, Scott Bailey, who will also speak Thursday — as he has since the early 1990s, when The Columbian launched the annual Economic Forecast event.
