The 36th annual Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Portland, Oregon, May 15-17, 2002.

The Pacific Northwest enjoyed a long and sustained period of prosperity during much of the 1990s. However, the new millennium has brought with it a series of events that has shaken our confidence in the economic and social systems we rely on. From the collapse of the technology sector, to chaos in energy markets, to a growing sense of vulnerability to terrorist acts, our feeling of economic security has been eroded. How will these events change our economy in the future, and how will we regain our sense of economic security? Conference speakers and panels will address these issues and related topics.

Conference Times
The conference's opening session will begin at 1:00 P.M. on Wednesday, May 15, 2002. Conference check in will be available that day from 11:00 A.M. The conference will conclude at 4:30 P.M. on Friday, May 17, 2002.

The Conference will feature speakers, panels and papers on a wide variety of regional topics and issues, including:

• Regional, national, and international economic outlooks and trends;
• Global economic issues and how they will affect the Pacific Northwest and western Canada;
• Changing distribution of income and wealth;
• Environmental and natural resource issues and their implications for the region's economy;
• Economic links and border issues between western Canada and the Pacific Northwest states;
• Transportation issues, including urban congestion and value pricing experiments;
• Changes in Federal tax policies and their effects on the region;
• Developments in energy markets and their implications for the regional economy;
• Equities markets and their relationship to the regional economy.

The conference is currently accepting proposals for contributed papers or panel sessions. Contact the conference organizers listed below.

Conference Background

The Pacific Northwest Regional Economic Conference is a non-profit organization established to promote research and education on the economy of the Northwest states and western Canada. The objectives of the Conference are:

• To present a program of professional papers, panels and symposia that relate to regional economics.
• To enable distinguished regional scientists and policy analysts from elsewhere to play a featured role at the Conference
• To provide a forum for those from academia, business, and government to meet and interact professionally.

2002 Conference Committee
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• Terry Morlan - Chair
  Northwest Power Planning Council
  
  
• Joanie Pop - Conference Coordinator
  Event Dynamics Incorporated
  
  
• Tom Potiowsky - Contributions/Sponsorships
  Oregon Office of Economic Analysis
  
  
• Paul Warner - Program
  State of Oregon
  
  
• Tony Rufolo - Program
  Portland State University
  
  
• Gus Mattersdorff - Program
  Lewis and Clark College (retired)
  
  
• John Mitchell - Program
  U.S. Bancorp
  
  
• Ken Corum - Audiovisual Support
  Northwest Power Planning Council
  
  
• Debbie Kitchin - Publicity and Social Activities
  InterWorks, L.L.C.
  
  
• Gary Smith - Board Advisor
  PNREC President, Washington State University
  
  
• Lorrie Brown - Board Advisor
  PNREC Treasurer, Washington State Department of Revenue
  
  

The Board of Directors of the Conference is comprised of economists, geographers, and others from the states of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho; and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. They represent a cross section from academia, business, government, and consulting organizations in both countries. Additional information about the 2002 Conference may be obtained by contacting:

Terry H. Morlan

Manager, Economic Analysis
Northwest Power Planning Council
851 SW Sixth Ave., Suite 1100
Portland, Oregon 97204-1348

Phone: (503) 222-5161

Fax: (503) 820-2370

E-mail: tmorlan@nwppc.org

or through the Conference's web site: http://www.pnrec.org