Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his Council of Economic Advisors Friday, with professors from Pomona College and USC among the 13 members.
The council will advise the governor and state Department of Finance Director Keely Martin Bosler on wide-ranging economic issues and “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.
Pomona College economics professor Fernando Lozano will co-chair the council with 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.
Members include Manuel Pastor, a professor of sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California, and director of the Program for Environmental and Regional Equity and the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. He is also the inaugural holder of the Turpanjian Chair in Civil Society and Social Change.
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.”