Economic Forecast Conference

Celebrating 26 years of innovation and progress in the North State

Building a Resilient North

Join us Thursday, January 15th at 9:00 a.m. as we discuss aligning people, policies, and the North State through workforce, food, and tourism innovation.

Directions to the Bell Memorial Union

Access the Conference's Agenda

Event Details

The doors to the event will open at 7:30 a.m.

Tickets

In-person tickets for the 2026 Economic Forecast Conference are SOLD OUT! We hope you will join us virtually. Purchase your ticket today to attend online!

Online Tickets: $100

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About the Conference

Each year, we bring together decision-makers from industry, government and education to tackle the issues at the forefront of economic development in the North State. These conferences serve as launching points for year-round discussion, collaboration and action. We dive deeper into the issues at our Regional Summits, held each Spring and Fall.

Speakers

Welcome by

Jason Schwenkler

Jason Schwenkler, Executive Director
North State Planning and Development Collective, Chico State

Jason is the Executive Director of the North State Planning and Development Collective at Chico State, with more than 30 years of experience using GIS and regional planning to support communities across the North State. His work is driven by a commitment to helping people build good lives here—through family-supporting jobs, strong local economies, civic engagement, and responsible stewardship of the region’s land and resources.

Jason focuses on connecting CSU Chico’s knowledge and technical capacity with the everyday needs of North State communities and businesses. Working alongside North State leaders and community partners, he fosters applied research opportunities that connect faculty-driven ideas with regional projects, pairing student learning with hands-on, project-based experiences. Through this work, he helps bring people together around shared goals, supports informed local decision-making, and advances collaborative solutions that leave the region stronger and more resilient for future generations.

2026 Economic Forecast by

Dr. Robert Eyler

Robert Eyler, Ph.D is President and Head of Research at Economic Forensics and Analytics, and Dean of the School of Extended and International Education at Sonoma State University.

Dr. Eyler is Professor of Economics and Senior Director of Government Relations at Sonoma State University, where he has been teaching since 1995. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in 1998, and B.A. in Economics at CSU, Chico in 1992. Dr. Eyler also serves on the Board of Directors of Redwood Credit Union, a $9.6 billion nonprofit financial cooperative. Dr. Eyler is the author of two books and several academic articles concerning economic sanctions, the economics of the wine industry, and monetary economics.

Kate Gordon, CEO, California Forward

Kate Gordon is the CEO of CA FWD, a statewide organization dedicated to a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy across every region of the state. Gordon has spent the past two decades working at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and equitable economic development. Most recently, she served within the Biden-Harris administration as Senior Advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. During her time at the Department of Energy, Gordon led a variety of locally focused initiatives to help drive a more sustainable and resilient energy transition, including creating the Community Benefits Plan framework for DOE funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act; driving the agency’s efforts to site clean energy projects on DOE lands through the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative; and collaborating with the White House to lead the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities. Gordon served on the Secretary of Energy’s Advisory Board (SEAB) through the end of the Biden-Harris administration.

Stewart Knox, Secretary, California Labor and Workforce Development Agency

Stewart Knox was appointed Secretary of the California Labor & Workforce Development Agency in December 2022. He brings 28 years of statewide experience in workforce and economic development.

Before his appointment, Knox was Undersecretary of the Labor & Workforce Development Agency since 2021 and previously served in this role from 2019 to 2020. He served as Senior Vice President of Calbright Community College from 2020-2021, Executive Director of the California Employment Training Panel from 2014 to 2019, Director of Health and Human Services for Nevada County in 2014 and Director of Economic and Workforce Development for San Mateo County from 2013 to 2014. Secretary Knox was Director of the Northern Rural Training and Employment Consortium from 2009 to 2013 and Executive Director of the North Central Counties Consortium from 2006 to 2008. He was Director of Workforce for the City of Glendale from 2004 to 2006 and for Yuba Community College from 1997 to 2004.

Secretary Knox has been instrumental in transitioning several workforce development entities into productive, performance-based, and accountable organizations. With his broad multi-functional experience base in a large matrix of managed organizations, Secretary Knox has extensive knowledge of the complex interactions between workforce and economic development. His extensive leadership experience and knowledge of organization development concepts and theories provide him a solid foundation to assess and manage complex organizational issues such as strategic planning, team dynamics, and conflict management.

Secretary Knox is a native of Vina, California and earned a bachelor’s degree from Chico State.

Fireside Chat with Assemblywoman Heather Hadwick

Heather grew up in the rural town of Dorris in Siskiyou County, where she met her husband, Bryon. They married in 2003 and now reside in Modoc County with their two almost grown sons. Sam is a junior attending college in Nebraska on a shooting sports scholarship and Zack is now a high school senior. She also has a bonus daughter Shayla who is a sophomore at Shasta College. Together, they operate a diversified family farm producing hay, vegetables, and pumpkins, raising Highland cattle, and run Modoc County’s only pumpkin patch each fall.

The daughter of a single mother who worked multiple jobs, Heather is a first-generation college graduate. She earned her Associate’s Degree from Shasta College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Science from California State University, Chico. In 2016, she completed a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management.

Heather’s professional background spans both education and public service. She taught at the elementary and high school, and, for the last four years, created and taught as a Public Safety instructor at Modoc High School. She also previously served as the County 4-H Coordinator through the University of California, Davis.

Her experience as a small business owner as both a farm operator and former owner of a local newspaper has given her a strong understanding of the economic and regulatory challenges faced by rural entrepreneurs. She is a strong advocate for policies that support small businesses and job creation.

Heather spent the last two years working for the Modoc County Office of Education, where she oversaw school safety and emergency preparedness. The two person unit was one of the first in the state focused on school safety. There, Heather was able to help many counties and states create and stand up school safety positions and programs. Heather has presented all over the state and at the National level on school safety in rural areas. Prior to this role, she served as Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Services for the Modoc County Sheriff’s Office. In that capacity, she managed disaster response and recovery efforts, including wildfire evacuations and interagency coordination during major incidents such as the Bootleg, Dixie, and McKinney Fires. Heather served on many CalOES committees including statewide training, warning and alert systems and mutual aid. In her management role at the Sheriff’s office, Heather supervised Dispatch, managed the Sheriff’s office budget, wrote and managed all grants and was in charge of their communications and outreach.

Heather is deeply involved in community service and civic leadership. Her volunteer roles have included serving as president of a local school board, planting and pastoring a children’s ministry, coaching youth sports, and participating in numerous organizations, including the California Youth Shooting Sports Association, PTO, Ducks Unlimited, Cub Scouts, Little League, and the Alturas Chamber of Commerce. Heather currently serves on the Assembly Budget committee, Education finance, Agriculture, Insurance, Business & Professions, special session budget and is Vice-Chair of Emergency Management.

Plus! Presentations on Food Security, Tourism and Workforce:

Regional Tourism: Planning for Resilience and Sustainability

Greg Williams
Executive Director and Founder
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship

Greg is the founder and Executive Director of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and a descendant of the Deer Creek Band of Northern Sierra Miwok. He has spent his life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains guided by the examples of his elders, developing a passion for community, clean streams, big mountains and long trails.

A trailblazer and pioneer of backcountry mountain biking in Downieville, Greg established Yuba Expeditions in 1991 and launched the Downieville Classic in 1995. In 2003 he founded the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship to care for the trails he loved, to create local jobs and to grow the recreation economy throughout the northern Sierra.

Feeding the Future: Regional Collaboration for Food Security and Sustainable Growth:

caleb griffen smiling at camera

Caleb Griffin
Local Area Revitalization Proect (LARP) Co-Op

Upon developing an early interest for the land where he grew up in the heart of Appalachia, Caleb Griffin earned his B. S. In Agroecology at West Virginia University in 2014, finishing with minors in soil science, environmental microbiology, and horticulture. Researching soil health and vegetative management principles in local agricultural systems shaped his passion for understanding wise resource consumption, leading him to an early career with the US Department of Agriculture – working first as a Soils Technician monitoring pre- and post-harvest forest sites, then as a Soil Conservationist, assisting local farmers and ranchers in implementing on-farm conservation efforts. Since moving to Susanville with his family and modest market gardening/vermicomposting operation in early 2020, Caleb has led local efforts in facilitating responsible waste cycling and developing/enhancing food systems through his work at the Local Area Revitalization Project (LARP) Co-Op and at Lovestead Farms. After serving as the National Association of Conservation District’s Pacific Region Representative from 2022-2025, Caleb transitioned his focus to local food systems development in becoming LARP Cooperative’s first full-time employee in early 2025. He currently supports much of LARP’s member services development, food aggregation programming, community partnership, and agricultural education efforts in addition to directing LARP’s Urban Ag. Incubator and Composting Project.

Jenn Rogge

Jenn Rogge is the Farm to School Network Regional Lead for the Superior Region at the CA Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). She is excited to connect communities that are passionate about supporting local agriculture and sustainable farming practices, while nurturing students in their school environments. Before joining CDFA's Farm to School team, Jenn grew vegetables for a CSA in Yolo County and taught farm-to-school education on an elementary school student farm in Davis, CA. From this experience, she truly believes that Farm to School programs can change kids' lives for the better while supporting local farmers and ranchers. Jenn is now living in the beautiful Scott Valley of Northern California, and is looking forward to meeting people from schools, ranches, and farms from the Oregon border to Sacramento. To get involved with the Superior Region farm-to-school movement, please contact Jenn at Jennifer.Rogge@cdfa.ca.gov.

Josiah Jacobs
Pit River Tribe (Bio and photo to come)

The Future is Local – Strengthening CTE Pathways for the North State Workforce

Julie Carriere
Executive Director, Glenn-to-Greatness

Kathy Garcia smiling

Kathy Garcia
Executive Director, Expect More Tehama

Kathy Garcia is the Executive Director of Expect More Tehama, a nonprofit committed to coming alongside education to help prepare students for life beyond a high school diploma. With more than 20 years of experience in workforce development and as a former Western Regional Community Relations Manager for Wheelabrator Technologies, Garcia brings a strong understanding of industry needs, regional labor trends and an appreciation of all things rural to helping her community. She is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento.

Founded in 2009, Expect More Tehama began as a community conversation about how to better prepare local students for success after graduation. Since then, the organization has grown into a collaborative movement that aligns education, industry, and community partners to tackle shared challenges. Recent efforts include working as part of the Tehama County CTE Coalition to strengthen and expand Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways, creating a middle school career exploration program with the Tehama County Department of Education, and helping address the region’s workforce shortages in sectors such as healthcare and education. This fall, EMT also launched a countywide literacy initiative aimed at strengthening the very foundation that affects future workforce success. Expect More Tehama is one of the ten counties that make up North State Together.

Lodging

Hotel Diamond (Downtown Chico, three blocks from campus)
220 W. 4th Street, Chico
Book by calling 530-893-3100 and mention “2026 Economic Forecast Conference"

For additional lodging options, visit the Chico Chamber of Commerce

Parking

All paid attendees will receive a promo code via email to use to register their vehicle in advance for free parking.
Vehicles must pre-register in advance.; Valid on event day for any general parking stall on campus. Map will be provided.

Conference Staff:

Co-Chairs
Courtney Farrell, Assistant Director, North State Planning and Development Collective
Alice Patterson, Communications & Outreach Manager, North State Planning and Development Collective

Outreach
Sabrina Oregel, Outreach Coordinator, North State Planning and Development Collective

For additional information, contact conference co-chairs.

Alice Patterson
ampatterson@csuchico.edu

Courtney Farrell
cafarrell@csuchico.edu