San Diego economic outlook will highlight State of Region lunch on Feb. 27

Economics will be the focus of this year’s State of the Region luncheon next week in Rancho Bernardo.

Diane Harkey, the Fourth District’s representative on the California State Board of Equalization, will talk about California’s fiscal position and its relevancy to taxpayers. She will also give an economic forecast for the state for the coming months.

The Fourth District includes San Diego, Riverside, Orange and Imperial counties plus the southernmost part of San Bernardino County.

The former 73rd District California Assembly member was elected to the board last November. According to her bio, she has public and private sector experience, and advocates for policies that support job creation in the private sector, improve the state’s budget outlook and reduce the burden for companies to comply with government audits and tax regulations.

The annual State of the Region Luncheon will be 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 at Sony Electronics, 16535 Via Esprillo in Rancho Bernardo.

Tickets are $49 for North San Diego Business Chamber members and $69 for non-members. A table seating for eight is $600. The deadline to purchase is Wednesday, Feb. 25. For details, go to www.sdbusinesschamber.com or call 858-487-1767.

In addition to Harkey as the luncheon’s keynote speaker, there will also be a panel discussion featuring three elected officials — Assemblyman Brian Maienschein, San Diego City Councilman Mark Kersey and Oceanside Mayor Jim Wood.

They will talk about what a thriving region looks like and touch upon issues such as the current job market, the toughest challenges facing businesses today and share their ideas for stimulating more business relocation to the region. Moderating their discussion will be Cynthia Curiel from Northrop Grumman.