The annual meeting of the business community in the Indian Wells Valley meets tomorrow. The 2026 Economic Outlook Conference will start at 7:00 a.m. at the Kerr McGee Center. The conference is organized by the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets are available at the door.

Thursday, February 26, 2026, 7:00 am to 1:00 pm
Kerr McGee Center, 100 W. California Ave, Ridgecrest, CA 93555

The 39th Annual Indian Wells Valley Economic Outlook Conference (EOC), combined with the
Business EXPO, is an excellent opportunity for you and your business to network with, and market your
products and services to other businesses in our valley. This half-day conference draws attendees
who are interested in the community and our local businesses.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

7:00AM Business Expo & Networking Continental Breakfast by Catering Thyme

8:00AM

Welcome Chris Hill, Economic Outlook Conference Committee Chair
Invocation John Paul, Pastor, Bethany Christian Fellowship
AltaOne Federal Credit Union, Stephanie Sievers, CEO
RDML Keith A. Hash, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division
Mayor Travis Endicott, City of Ridgecrest
Supervisor Phillip Peters, Kern County District 1

Break
Dr. April Moore, Superintendent, Sierra Sands Unified School District
Dr. Sean Hancock, President, Cerro Coso Community College
Kari Crutcher, Executive Director, RACVB

Break
Charting the Course: Economic Outlook for the IWV
Dr. Aaron Hegde, Professor of Economics, CSU Bakersfield
Richard Chapman, CEO, Kern Economic Development Corporation
Heather Spurlock, City of Ridgecrest, Community Dev. Manager

Break
Leadership Ridgecrest presentation
Ashly Palomino, President, Ridgecrest Area Association of Realtors
Jim Suver, CEO, Ridgecrest Regional Hospital

Concluding Remarks Chris Hill

Publisher’s Notes:

This year’s conference is especially important. The IWV has some headwinds to growth and economic development, and this is the place for the Ridgecrest business community to gather and discuss the future of economic development in the Indian Wells Valley.

Cost of Living – Quality of Life

The Navy has cited issues concerning quality of life as their primary concern in 2026. Multiple headwinds are adversely affecting the cost of living, which is the primary factor affecting quality of life, including the cost of energy, gas and water.

Loss of Jobs at Searles Valley Minerals and China Lake

The recent announcement of layoffs at Searles Valley Minerals will result in the loss of 300 or more employees.

Live by the Navy, Die by the Navy

NAWS China Lake loses approximately 500 employees each year due to retirements, transfers and attrition. In 2025, the base was able to hire a handful new employees, mostly college graduates, in spite of a hiring freeze, and according to Rear Adm. Hash, the headcount has declined by 400 in 2025 with the same number expected in 2026.

That means that the total headcount is a loss of 800 in 2025 and 2026.

Lack of a non-retail, manufacturing economy, Ridgecrest is a service-oriented economy (for the Navy).

Factors that limit growth include no meaningful employment opportunities outside of the service sector in Ridgecrest. Housing and automotive services, along with a few big-box retailers and grocery stores, are in the mix, however California is experiencing an exodus of businesses across a state with the 49th worst business climate in the country.

With the loss of 1,150 jobs at SVM and China Lake and using a multiplier of only two residents for each job lost, the population of Ridgecrest could see a decline of 2,300 residents very quickly. There aren’t any new jobs in the pipeline. Speaking of pipelines, uh, never mind.

Navy has become a BIG headwind to economic growth in the IWV.

Without getting into the details, the Navy has become the biggest factor negatively affecting the potential for economic growth in the Indian Wells Valley, and hence the Quality of Life. It would behoove the business community to discuss these issues and address the concerns that many have regarding the following:

• How Navy’s issues with encroachment are adversely affecting quality of life, development, zoning restrictions, and property values in the IWV.
• How Navy’s misguided attempt to reserve the Safe Yield of the IWV’s groundwater has cast doubt on private property ownership for the entire IWV.
• How little Navy contributes in the form of taxes needed to improve the quality of life and recreational activities in the IWV and Ridgecrest, including the golf course, which is functionally obsolete and in need of a rebuild and “open to the public” status for everyone in the valley.
• Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) are divided by Kern County, San Bernardino County and Inyo County, all of whom overlap the 1.1-million-acre reservation of NAWS China Lake. Very little of that PILT money trickles down to the City of Ridgecrest.

This post will be updated after the conference with any news or comments from the participants.

No Off-Road Vehicles Allowed

Finally, news that a judge has decided to shut down 2,000 miles of OHV roads and trails on BLM public lands has caught everyone in the valley as well as the towns of Randsburg, Red Mountain and Johannesburg off guard.

Look for an upcoming post on this issue in the next week.