Economist Leaves Forecast Project

Mark Schniepp, an economist and well-known expert on the Ventura County economy, has resigned from his longtime position as director of the Economic Forecast Project at UC Santa Barbara.

He plans to spend more time on a variety of projects, including developing a database for the California Department of Transportation and devoting more time to his work as a senior economist for the state controller’s office, he said.

“I had so many things on the drawing board, I had to let UCSB go,” Schniepp said.

“This [Caltrans] project is going to give me more of a pulse on the California economy.”

Schniepp said he plans to continue as a county economic analyst and will keep his speaking engagements.

“I was very happy to be with the project during its growth phase,” Schniepp said.

“I’m sure it will be fine without me.”

Schniepp joined the forecast project as a newly minted PhD in 1982 and became the project director in 1985.

During that time the project’s budget grew from $25,000 to $400,000, he said.

He chose not to renew his contract at the beginning of the year, he said.

Taking Schniepp’s place as director is Bill Watkins, formerly an economist with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve Board, who moved into Schniepp’s old office Monday. Schniepp’s last day was Jan. 6.

Watkins, a 1969 graduate of Ventura High School, worked in the banking industry for years--including stints at Union Bank and Bank of the Oaks--and earned a doctorate from UC Santa Barbara in 1998.

He will speak at the next Chicago Title-sponsored quarterly real estate forecast in February.

“I didn’t know anything about this until last week,” Watkins said. “[Schniepp] knows a lot nobody else knows. But I’ll be up to speed. I have an advantage in that I grew up here.”