2026 Ventura County Economic Forecast Event

Tuesday, February 24th, 2026  |  8:30am
Scherr Forum Theatre, Thousand Oaks

Broken Inheritance

How Today’s Decisions Handicap the Next Generation

From serial government deficits to stringent growth controls, decisions made years ago have shaped the current state of the economy at the national and local levels. And decisions made today will have major consequences for future generations. CERF Executive Director Matthew Fienup will present the 2026 Ventura County Economic Forecast publication, with in-depth analysis of the county’s economic and demographic performance and the role of local policies in shaping growth. Fienup will also provide detailed discussion of the state of Ventura County agriculture and present CERF’s award-winning U.S. and California economic forecasts. Featured Speaker Veronique de Rugy will discuss the economic and social costs of government debt, underscoring the critical importance of putting the country on a sound fiscal path. Dr. de Rugy is chair of Political Economy at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist. She frequently appears in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal as well as on Bloomberg, Fox News, and CNN.
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Conference Agenda

Forecast Content

Matthew Fienup, PhD

Matthew Fienup, PhD

Executive Director of the Center for Economic Research & Forecasting

Veronique de Rugy, PhD

Veronique de Rugy, PhD

Chair of Political Economy at George Mason University, Nationally Syndicated Columnist

Tickets

$75 for early admission / $105 at the door
Free with Cal Lutheran ID

Sponsored By

Platinum
CoBank
Leadership
AgWest
CSMAR
VCCCD
Ventura County Credit Union
Executive
Arroyo Capital
California Resources Corporation
Citizens Business Bank
Community West Bank
Meissner
The Port of Hueneme
Ventura Housing
Business
Athens
city of thousand oaks
Farm Bureau
Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce
RRM Design Group
Ventura Chamber
Individual
Bauer
Pelton
Schultz
Toussaint

Event Highlights

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Veronique de Rugy | Broken Inheritance: How Today’s Decisions Handicap the Next Generation

Veronique de Rugy discusses the economic and social costs of government debt, underscoring the critical importance of putting the country on a sound fiscal path. Dr. de Rugy is chair of Political Economy at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist.

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Q&A with Veronique de Rugy (2026 CERF Forecast Event)

Featured Speaker Veronique de Rugy and CERF Executive Matthew Fienup discuss political economy and the broken inheritance bequeathed to our children and grandchildren.

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U.S. and California Economic Outlook (2026 CERF Forecast Event)

From serial government deficits to stringent growth controls, decisions made years ago have shaped the current state of the economy at the national, state, and local levels. And decisions made today will have major consequences for future generations. CERF Executive Director Matthew Fienup presents CERF’s award-winning U.S. and California economic forecasts.

View on YouTube

Ventura County Outlook and Forecast (2026 CERF Forecast Event)

Decisions made years ago have shaped the current state of the economy. And decisions made today will have major consequences for future generations. CERF Executive Director Matthew Fienup presents the 2026 Ventura County Economic Forecast publication, with in-depth analysis of the county’s economic and demographic performance and the role of local policies in shaping growth.

View on YouTube

Part 1 | Shared Inheritance: Multi-generational Farming in Ventura County

The knowledge that Ventura County farmers have is indispensable, because it's not something that you can just go to school and learn. It's an accumulation of all the knowledge of all of the generations that came before that has been passed down. It's a shared inheritance that we are all responsible for stewarding.

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Part 2 | Shared Inheritance: Multi-generational Farming in Ventura County

We've kept farmland intact in Ventura County, but we haven't kept farmers, who are actually the stewards of that farmland, intact and profitable to the point that they can really thrive in this area. As a County, it's never too late to change course. We don't have to continue making the same mistakes.

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