Gov. Gavin Newsom at his inauguration ceremony in Sacramento on Monday. Image for state television Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his Council of Economic Advisors Friday, with a UC San Diego scholar among the 13 members.
Renee Bowen, an associate professor of economics and director of the Center for Commerce and Diplomacy at the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, and the rest of the council will advise the governor and state Department of Finance Director Keely Martin Bosler on wide-ranging economic issues.
The council will also “deepen relationships between the (Newsom) administration and academic researchers to keep California moving toward an economy that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable,” according to a statement released by the governor’s office.
In addition to academics, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Lenny Mendonca, the governor’s chief economic and business adviser, will serve on the panel, which will be guided by the Department of Finance’s chief economist, Irena Asmundson.
“For California to continue thriving, we need our economy to work for everyone in every corner of the state,” Newsom said. “Our state is experiencing its longest economic expansion, with record-low unemployment — 3.9% — increases in personal income, and billions in investments, but this expansion has unevenly benefited people across the state.
“We need to invest for the future, adapt to a changing climate and keep our budget balanced,” he said. “This council will keep its pulse on what’s happening in our economy while making policy recommendations to prepare us for what’s to come.”
The council will be co-chaired by Laura Tyson, a professor at the graduate school and faculty director of the Institute for Business & Social Impact at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, and Pomona College economics professor Fernando Lozano.
–City News Service