Economists will help local businesses navigate the impacts of global economics during a forum Thursday morning at Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort.

The “Global Economy Impacts on Regional Business” summit will feature former Federal Reserve Bank senior economist Gary Zimmerman and The Wall Street Journal’s most accurate economist of 2006, Sung Won Sohn.

The Bank of Santa Barbara is presenting the event in association with the Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce and it’s sponsored by the CSU Channel Islands Institute for Global Economic Research.

“Even Santa Barbara-area businesses are affected daily by national and international events,” said Eloy Ortega, CEO of The Bank of Santa Barbara. “This led us to provide owners and managers an opportunity to gain perspective from economic experts.”

The summit includes breakfast and starts at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the DoubleTree, 633 E. Cabrillo Blvd. Tickets are $20. Click here to purchase tickets online from the Santa Barbara chamber.

Want to go for free? Noozhawk is giving away six tickets on a first-come, first-served basis. Email melinda@noozhawk.com to enter.

All proceeds will benefit the family of Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Louis J. Langlais, a Santa Barbara native and Seal Team 6 member who was killed in action in August in Afghanistan.

Langlais, 44, held the highest rank possible for Navy enlisted personnel and was a troop leader in the Seals’ elite Team 6, the same unit that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in May. Langlais is survived by his wife, Anya, and their two sons, Gabe, 9, and Jack, 7.

“Reading about Lou and his family’s sacrifice brought home the price our war heroes’ pay and we wanted to help in some way,” Ortega said.

— Noozhawk business writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.