Welcome
Fourth District Supervisor
Riverside County Board of Supervisors
V. Manuel Perez
It is an honor and privilege to welcome you to the sixth annual Coachella Valley Business Conference & Economic Forecast!
Hosted by the Cabazon Band of Cahuilla Indians and presented by the Riverside County Office of Economic Development and Beacon Economics, this conference focuses on economic growth and business development.
Keynote speaker Dr. Christopher Thornberg, along with our guest speakers, led by our very own Riverside County Executive Officer, Jeff Van Wagenen, will give detailed forecasts on how our region, county, and state are performing economically. They will share insight on what is on the horizon in terms of future growth at local, regional, state, and federal levels.
Economic development and job creation are major focuses for my office and the county as a whole. Investing in our community and growing and diversifying our county’s economy creates a better future for all families and residents of Riverside County.
Thank you for joining us. Enjoy the program!
Featured Guest
County Executive Officer, County of Riverside
Jeff Van Wagenen
Jeff Van Wagenen has served the residents of Riverside County in one capacity or another for more than 25 years, including three years as Assistant CEO.
After beginning his career working in the District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor, Van Wagenen opened a criminal defense law firm in 2000. As a specialist in criminal law, certified by the State Bar of California, Van Wagenen handled many of the County’s most serious and high-profile cases. During this time, he was often asked to serve as a Judge Pro Tem in the Superior Court, handling felony and misdemeanor matters. In 2011, Van Wagenen returned to the DA’s Office to serve as an Assistant District Attorney and was assigned the countywide administration of the office. To these relatively unique experiences (as the administrator of a large law office, a prosecutor, a defense attorney, and a judge pro tem), he added the Managing Director of Riverside County’s Economic Development Agency (EDA) in late 2014. Among other things, RivCo EDA (now called the Office of Economic Development) works to enhance the economic position of the county’s residents and businesses.
Van Wagenen lives with his wife and two children in the city of Riverside.
Master of Ceremonies
Director, Riverside County Office of Economic Development
Suzanne Holland
Suzanne Holland started her career with the County of Riverside 27 years ago and has served as an Executive in Economic Development, Finance, Library and Community Services. Her diverse background has been instrumental in providing public service to Riverside County residents as well as fostering economic vitality for the growing region. In addition to being the Director of the Office of Economic Development, Holland also serves as the Library Director for the Riverside County Library System (RCLS) with 36 library branches countywide. She is also the Special District Director for over 62 special districts utilizing financing programs for municipal services to enhance the community. Her experience includes utilizing resources effectively and efficiently to solve community issues and developing sustainable programming to benefit the residents of Riverside County.
After earning her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Riverside, Suzanne continued her education and earned her Master of Arts in Leadership and Organizational Studies from California Baptist University. She has spearheaded projects such as Enhanced Infrastructure Finance Districts, Tourism Recovery Campaign and Public-Private Partnerships, which included three new libraries and programs that have received numerous awards and recognition.
Holland resides in Norco, CA with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Suzanne and husband, Rod, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary in December of 2022.
Keynote Speaker
Founding Partner, Beacon Economics LLC
Dr. Chris Thornberg
Christopher Thornberg Ph.D. founded Beacon Economics LLC in 2006. Under his leadership the firm has become one of the most respected research organizations in California serving public and private sector clients across the United States. Dr. Thornberg also served as Director of the UC Riverside School of Business Center for Economic Forecasting and Development and was an Adjunct Professor at the School from 2015-2023.
More information on Dr. Thornberg please see the following links below:
Remarks & Presentations
Thank you for attending the Coachella Valley Business Conference & Economic Forecast. Below featuring remarks and presentations from John Page, Senior Vice President, Acrisure Arena, Hilda Kennedy, Founder/President, AmPac Business Capital, Bruce Sher, Head of Business Development, LG ThinQ Energy Solution, and Scott White, President & CEO, Visit Greater Palm Springs.
Please click on the following images to view the presentations of each speaker.
Event Program
Please review the following Coachella Valley Business Conference & Economic Forecast program.
Dignitaries
Acknowledging all dignitaries in attendance.
| CABAZON BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS | COUNTY OF RIVERSIDE | CITY OF DESERT HOT SPRINGS | CITY OF LA QUINTA | |
| Doug Welmas, Tribal Chairman Paul Slama, Director of Tribal Affairs Joey Acuna, Director of Community Outreach |
V. Manuel Perez, 4th District Supervisor County of Riverside YxstianGutierrez, 5th District Supervisor County of Riverside |
Jan Pye, Council Member | Linda Evans, Mayor Steve Sanchez, Mayor Pro Tem Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Council Member John Pena, Council Member Deborah McGarrey, Council Member |
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| CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE | CITY OF CATHEDRAL CITY | CITY OF INDIAN WELLS | CITY OF PALM DESERT | |
| Larissa De La Torre, District Rep. Office of State Senator Steven Padilla |
Rita Lamb, Mayor Ernesto Gutierrez, Council Member |
Greg Sanders, Mayor Pro Tem Ty Peabody, Council Member Bruce Whitman, Council Member |
Karina Quintanilla, Mayor Pro Tem Evan Trubee, Council Member |
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| CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY | CITY OF COACHELLA | CITY OF INDIO | CITY OF PALM SPRINGS | |
| Kimberly Barraza, Senior District Rep. Office of Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia Kimberly Miranda, Field Rep. Office of Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia |
Steven Hernandez, Mayor Neftali Galarza, Mayor Pro Tem Denise Delgado, Council Member Stephanie Virgen, Council Member Dr. Frank Figueroa, Council Member |
Lupe Ramos Amith, Mayor Pro Tem Glenn Miller, Council Member |
Lisa Middleton, Council Member Christy Holstege, Council Member Ron deHarte, Council Member |
2023 Sponsors
Thank you to the Coachella Valley Business Conference & Economic Forecast Sponsors!