ST. SIMONS ISLAND — As director of Armstrong State University’s Center for Regional Analysis, Michael Toma has been a bearer of grim economic tidings over the last several years. But Thursday morning, his remarks on the region’s outlook appeared to be much more well-received. Toma, the Fuller E. Callaway professor of economics at ASU, told Effingham Chamber of Commerce community retreat attendees that the economy is on an upswing and is headed for more growth.