The study examined spending from the 2016-17 academic year. The study’s authors collected data from the CSUSM Budget Office, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the United States Census Bureau’s American Fact Finder, the Federal Reserve Economic Database, the California Department of Industrial Relations, and taxrates.org. Students based their modeling methods on a similar analysis of spending at Cal State Fresno and utilized IMPLAN software to measure the impacts of the data that was collected.

“If anything, our analysis was on the conservative side,” said Kevin Dunwell, an accounting major who led the six-member team.

The report evolved from the University’s renowned Senior Experience Program, which matches students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations – in this case, CSUSM’s University Advancement. Students working on the study included Dunwell as project coordinator, Randall Brady, Timothy Bynum, Daniel Goodman, Kaitlyn Prideaux and Tiffany Linney. All come from different backgrounds and interests. Bynum, for example, works in pharmaceutical sales. Goodman works as a financial analyst. Linney will be pursuing a future in interior design.

If anything, those disparate experiences strengthened the project by bringing a variety of perspectives to the task at hand.

“I can’t convey enough how impressed I am with these students and their report,” said Sarah Villarreal, Associate Vice President for Community Engagement, who was the project’s sponsor. “They had a limited amount of time to work on this, they had to learn new software to get it done, they had to figure out the modeling on the fly and on their own. From my perspective, they came up with a report rivaling that of a professional consulting firm.”

None of the students had any prior experience in writing a detailed economic analysis of this type before CSUSM’s University Advancement approached them with the project proposal. Students started by reading economic impact reports conducted for other colleges and universities, looking at the nuances of the methodology involved, and becoming familiar with the IMPLAN software.

“It seemed a little ominous at first, but little by little, you start pecking away at what you have to do,” Dunwell said. “When you take it one step at a time, you start understanding everything a little better. We also had a lot of help from a lot of people at the university, and eventually it came all together.”

Students integrated twice weekly meetings with work and school and a lot of late nights that often merged into the early morning. Economic impacts at both the main campus in San Marcos and a satellite campus in Temecula were examined. Among the findings: the nearly $127 million in payroll distributed and spent by CSUSM and its auxiliary organizations supports more than 2,000 jobs; excluding tuition, fees and books, students spent $150 million on goods and services; and the total estimated state and local tax revenue generated by university-related activities comes to approximately $26 million annually.

“This is the kind of economic impact report that most universities will spend up to a year to complete and will often go to an outside firm to get done,” said Dr. Andreas Rauterkus, a professor of finance who served as the team’s faculty adviser. “These students provided the same type of quality, and they did it in three months.”

Added Rauterkus: “This team and their project says a lot, and it says a lot of good things about the quality of education students are receiving at Cal State San Marcos. It says a lot about what they have been taught and how well they are prepared to go out into the real world and put what they’ve learned in the classroom to work.”

It’s not just the title of his recent book or simply a phrase on his business cards. Those three words have guided Burnham through decades of helping to improve the San Diego region and the lives of those who reside here.

It’s also a philosophy that aligns perfectly with the mission of Cal State San Marcos.

Burnham and his wife Roberta recently continued their long history of supporting CSUSM with a $225,000 gift through the Burnham Foundation to establish the Burnham Leadership Experience in the University’s College of Business Administration (CoBA).

“Philanthropy provides satisfaction in seeing something done that might not otherwise have been accomplished,” Malin Burnham said. “But it takes teamwork to get it done. Cal State San Marcos has a great tradition of collaborating with leaders, businesses and community members to make our region better for all. I’m pleased that the Burnham Leadership Experience will help CSUSM continue to fulfill that mission.”

Malin and Roberta Burnham have been supporters of CSUSM since its founding, from providing annual Burnham Foundation Scholarships to business students who embody the philosophy of “Community Before Self” to collaborating with MBA students to complete feasibility studies on the creation of a new international airport in the North County region.

That tradition of giving continues through the Burnham Leadership Experience, which will operate under the umbrella of CSUSM’s Senior Experience Program, a CoBA hallmark for 25 years.

A requirement for all CSUSM undergraduate business students, the Senior Experience Program matches teams of students with projects submitted by a variety of businesses and organizations. The program has proven to be a win-win as students gain valuable work experience as consultants on rigorous real-world projects while businesses gain concentrated attention from teams of students who provide a fresh, independent perspective.

Organizations pay $1,500 to participate in the Senior Experience Program. Nearly 2,000 organizations have been positively impacted in the 25 years of the Senior Experience Program’s existence, and nearly half of the projects completed by CSUSM students have been for nonprofit organizations. However, the Burnham Leadership Experience will open the door for additional nonprofits with limited funds.

“Malin and Roberta Burnham’s gift will significantly increase the impact that our students are able to have on the nonprofit sector in San Diego County,” said Ed Ashley, CoBA’s director of business community relations. “The Burnham Leadership Experience will provide an excellent opportunity for nonprofit organizations that may not have had the means to participate in the past.”

The Burnham Leadership Experience will underwrite the cost for three nonprofits to participate every semester in perpetuity.

Through the program, CSUSM students will provide participating nonprofits with numerous benefits, including:

• analytical, comprehensive and implementable solutions to defined challenges;
• determining stronger business practices;
• helping to create organizational efficiencies; and
• expanding community services.

More than 7,200 students have completed the Senior Experience Program, providing them with practical learning and leadership experience as well as problem-solving skills using a team- and service-oriented approach.

Much like Malin Burnham’s philosophy of “Community Before Self” aligns with CSUSM’s mission, the students’ experiences in the Senior Experience Program, and now the Burnham Leadership Experience, align closely with Burnham’s seven virtues of excellence: commitment, dedication, hard work, teamwork, follow through, playing by the rules and planning ahead.

“Roberta and I continue to be impressed by the caliber of CSUSM’s students, their commitment to community and their responsiveness to industry,” Burnham said. “It’s exciting to be part of a future-focused university that is positively impacting our region.”

The Burnhams have been supporters of CSUSM since the University’s founding in 1989. Their most recent gift will fund three teams of CSUSM students every semester in perpetuity.

The Burnham Leadership Experience will operate under the umbrella of CSUSM’s Senior Experience Program, a College of Business Administration hallmark for 25 years.

“Cal State San Marcos has a great tradition of collaborating with leaders, businesses and community members and organizations to make our region better for all,” Malin Burnham said. “Roberta and I are pleased that the Burnham Leadership Experience will help CSUSM continue to fulfill that mission.”

A requirement for all CSUSM undergraduate business students, the Senior Experience Program matches teams of students with projects submitted by a variety of businesses and organizations. Students gain valuable work experience as consultants on rigorous real-world projects while businesses gain concentrated attention from teams of students who provide a fresh, independent perspective. Organizations pay $1,500 to participate in the Senior Experience Program.

While nearly half of the Senior Experience Program projects completed by CSUSM students have been for nonprofit organizations, the Burnham Leadership Experience will open the door for additional nonprofits that may not otherwise be able to afford the Senior Experience Program fee.

“Malin and Roberta Burnham’s gift will significantly increase the impact that our students are able to have on the nonprofit sector in San Diego County,” said Ed Ashley, CoBA’s director of business community relations. “The Burnham Leadership Experience will provide an excellent opportunity for nonprofit organizations that may not have had the means to participate in the past.”

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

It simply worked well with his school schedule.

But a combination of drive, work ethic and his time studying in Cal State San Marcos’ College of Business Administration helped him open Ara Lebanese Grill on San Marcos Boulevard.

While the restaurant business is notoriously difficult, Merhi has used the lessons learned both from CSUSM and his many years as a restaurant general manager to thrive since opening Ara Lebanese Grill in 2014.

“For me, I know the restaurant is three compartments – there’s a front, back and office,” Merhi said. “Front is the customer service. The back is the good food. The office is knowing how to manage your paperwork.

“If you know those three compartments – front, back, office – if you’re successful in those, it’s easy. If you’re missing one of them, you’ll close in the first three years.”

Merhi came to the United States from Lebanon in 2004 with his parents and three younger brothers when he was 18. He spoke no English at the time, but he learned quickly.

“I had no choice,” he said. “Either I had to learn English fast or I would be in trouble because no one speaks Lebanese around here.”

Merhi enrolled at Palomar College and worked at a gas station for about six months before becoming a host at Denny’s. Within a year he was a restaurant manager, putting in 60-hour work weeks while attending school full time.

Working in the restaurant business allowed him to attend school in the mornings while having his afternoons and evenings open for work.

Merhi took English as a Second Language classes at Palomar, though he notes that it’s actually his third language. He said his second language, French, helped him pick up English faster. He earned associate degrees in both business administration and arts and humanities before transferring to CSUSM.

Merhi entered CSUSM as an accounting major, but switched to finance when he realized accounting didn’t suit his desire to interact with customers.

It was while taking a prerequisite for CSUSM’s Senior Experience Program that Merhi, who was still managing a Denny’s, was inspired to open a restaurant of his own. He was already well-versed in managing a restaurant and he knew he could rely on his mother’s superior cooking skills.

“By the final, I handed the professor my business card,” Merhi said. “I was working really hard to open this place.”

The restaurant has proven to be a great success. One of the pleasant surprises for Merhi was the popularity of the restaurant’s garlic sauce, which is called Garlic Addiction based on an enthusiastic customer’s description of it. The sauce is typically served with chicken, but customers soon began asking for it to complement other menu items.

Ara Lebanese Grill now sells jarred Garlic Addiction and Merhi is working with Costco in hopes of being approved to hold a Roadshow at one of the retail giant’s warehouses.

While the restaurant keeps Merhi busy, he still found time to open another business recently, Ara’s Party Rental, which offers a wide variety of services and equipment rentals. Though he originally planned to expand his restaurant business, Merhi decided to focus on a complementary business that could rely on a manager for day-to-day operations and didn’t require his daily presence. Not to mention there aren’t many hours left after the 90 or so he spends each week at the restaurant.

Merhi has seven restaurant employees and even hired an assistant recently to help take care of some of the tasks that he is able to delegate. His wife used to work with him at the restaurant, but is currently focusing on their son, who was born last year.

Merhi may also turn to CSUSM to help him further improve his restaurant business. He has been looking into having the restaurant be part of the Senior Experience Program.

“When you’re on the ground level all the time, there’s stuff you will miss,” he said. “Since it’s an outside group, people will see something you’ve been missing or don’t see. You might see something as perfect, but they can see the imperfections. They see things you don’t see because you’re used to it. Senior Experience can help address mistakes and find improvements that can be made.”

The Business Confidence Index determines the economic confidence of business owners in San Diego County. The initiative uses CSUSM’s Senior Experience Program, which matches teams of students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations, to create an online survey and distribute it to business owners throughout the county.

The Economic Dashboard serves to present key economic indicators and provide quality information regarding business and major industries in San Diego County. It gives shareholders and stakeholders of the local economy relevant conclusions drawn from evidence provided by various data sources. It is supported by CSUSM’s Senior Experience Program, the College of Business Administration and the San Diego Business Journal.

“CSUSM’s College of Business Administration is proud of our partnership with the San Diego Business Journal and we look forward to continuing to provide valuable economic data for the county’s business community,” said Ed Ashley, the director of business community relations in the College of Business Administration.

The partnership between CSUSM and the San Diego Business Journal allows for more access to business leaders for input into the survey, and the Business Journal provides an optimal outlet for distribution of the survey analysis.

The Business Confidence Index, which is adjusted and re-examined semiannually, will continue with a new Senior Experience Program team conducting the survey each semester. Results of the most recent Index can be viewed at CSUSM’s Economic Dashboard or in the June 12 issue of the San Diego Business Journal.

Survey Results

San Diego County business owners remain optimistic about their prospects for the next 12 months, with about twice as many predicting growth as stability and only a small percentage expecting declines. The findings are from the San Diego Business Journal-CSUSM Business Confidence Index.

The most recent survey produced an index of 76, slightly above the 72 from six months ago and 74 from a year ago. The index uses 50 as a baseline; above 50 indicates overall optimism in the local economy and below 50 indicates a lack of confidence. The most recent survey received 222 responses.

Sixty percent of the respondents expect their firm’s profits to increase, and a third expect profits to remain about the same. The past 12 months produced increased profits for 52 percent of the respondents, while 33 percent were about the same and 15 percent declined.

Respondents are similarly upbeat about increases in sales revenue, at 65 percent, with 28 percent foreseeing similar revenue and 7 percent predicting a decrease. The past 12 months produced increased sales for 57 percent; 30 percent were stable; and 13 percent had a decline in sales.

Forty percent see staff growth in the next 12 months. Only 2 percent predict a reduction in headcount.

Two-thirds of the respondents see improvements in their industry.

“As the economy has improved, many small business owners are reporting a stronger financial situation, healthier revenues, and good cash-flow trends,” Brian Lee, North San Diego Area President for Wells Fargo and a member of the College of Business Administration’s Advisory Board told the San Diego Business Journal. “More business owners are also reporting plans to increase their capital spending and apply for new credit products, which is consistent with what our bankers are hearing from small business customers in our branches.”

About California State University San Marcos

Building on an innovative 27-year history, California State University San Marcos is a forward-focused institution, dedicated to preparing future leaders, building great communities and solving critical issues. Located on a 304-acre hillside overlooking the City of San Marcos, it is the only public four-year comprehensive university serving North San Diego, Southwest Riverside and South Orange Counties.

The University enrolls over 15,000 students. With approximately 2,000 employees, the institution is a Great College to Work For® (The Chronicle of Higher Education). As a recipient of the annual HEED Award since 2014—a national honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion—CSUSM is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment.

As CoBA’s Director of Business Community Relations, Ashley is responsible for an array of corporate and community outreach efforts and oversees a capstone Senior Experience program that pairs up to 500 business administration majors annually to work on innovative projects seeking solutions for businesses and government agencies – a program that is having a major impact on area commerce.

“I love what I do,” Ashley said. “Our students are resourceful, intelligent and very much engaged, and with 85 percent of our students staying here after graduation, we are having a tremendous impact in our region.”

Ashley speaks from experience. After earning his MBA in Strategy and Management at CSUSM, he flourished in an array of senior management positions, including Vice President of Global Systems at Nicholas-Applegate Investment Partners and Senior Manager, IT Strategy, at pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

An adjunct professor for more than 25 years who has taught a number of courses at CSUSM and who does his best to place students in jobs and help companies find alumni seeking work, Ashley was named CoBA’s Director of Business Community Relations in the fall of 2014.

“Real-world problem solving and critical thinking are what employers want from graduates,” Ashley said. “I believe that we enable as much of that practical application as we possibly can and provide much more opportunity for students than the other local institutions.”

“The work they did was excellent,” said Tim Fennell, CEO of the 22^nd District Agricultural Association, which operates the Del Mar Fairgrounds. “Our goal is to have the concert venue open before the 2018 fair season.”

After reviewing the analysis and agreeing with its findings, the Agricultural Association’s Board of Directors on Jan. 3 gave its staff the go-ahead to spend up to $250,000 to investigate potential funding sources for the estimated $11 million renovation of the Surfside Race Place and hire an engineering firm to develop more detailed plans.

The Surfside Race Place is a 91,000-square-foot building constructed in 1991 at a cost of $12 million. Initially a success, the facility attracted an average of 3,000 people daily after it was built, and as many as 6,000 bettors for the Kentucky Derby. But an aging clientele combined with an array of alternative options has contributed to attendance plummeting to less than 300 bettors on an average day, Fennell said.

That prompted the 22^nd Agricultural District to look at other opportunities, including restaurants, movie theaters, and even a microbrewery.

“The idea of a concert venue was also kicked around,” Fennell said. “We wanted to make sure we were going in the right direction, so we reached out to our friends in the Business program at Cal State San Marcos. We’re very pleased with the work they did.”

Two groups of business students worked on the months-long study under the supervision of Dr. Don Sciglimpaglia, a marketing lecturer in the CSUSM College of Business Administration. One group comprised five students wrapping up their MBA program; the other group comprised five undergraduates (and one MBA advisory student) tackling a Senior Experience project, a successful College of Business Administration program matching teams of students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations.

Titled the Del Mar Surfside Race Place Concert Venue Marketing Analysis, the report cites a 2015 Ticketmaster study estimating the average driving distance one travels to a concert at 43 miles, and concludes there are 3.7 million people living within that distance of the fairgrounds. More importantly, 42 percent of the population within that area is from 25 to 54 years old, which is the most common age group for people attending concerts. Residents, the analysis found, spend an average of $3,400 on entertainment per year and shell out just short of $67 per ticket to attend the theater, opera, or concert performance.

The report recommends that the Belly Up Tavern, which has suggested a new concert venue at the fairgrounds, would become a partner in managing the site.

The report’s conclusion: Surfside Race Place could be repurposed into a 1,900-seat concert venue. With tickets selling for an average of $45 per ticket, and with 90 concerts booked annually, the analysis estimates a net cash flow of nearly $2.4 million each year. That compares to revenue of less than $129,000 generated by the Surfside Race Place in 2014, about 22 percent of what it was in 2010.

Students based the $45 average ticket price by researching admission costs at four San Diego venues: The House of Blues, the Balboa Theatre, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, and the Observatory North Park. They shared their findings with the board of directors at the 22^nd District Agricultural Association monthly meeting in December. Less than a month later, the fair board approved the initial funding.

“For an agency to commit a $250,000 expenditure in moving forward on a project proposed by a team of students that includes undergraduates is very unusual,” Sciglimpaglia said.

Students who worked on the project included Mike Menor, who led the Senior Experience team, and Debbie Jo McCool, who led the MBA team.

“We’re overjoyed with the impact our work has had,” McCool said. “Our team has already committed to buying tickets to the first concert once the new venue opens. We’re pretty ecstatic right now.”

Said Menor: “It was a very challenging, but very rewarding project. We felt good about the work we did, but we weren’t sure about the reception we were going to get from the fair board. But they were really impressed.”

Those on the fair board weren’t the only ones who were impressed.

“This was a team of bright people who asked relevant questions, engaged in extensive research, and listened to what people were saying,” said Chris Goldsmith, president of Belly Up Entertainment.

“I was very impressed by their work,” Sciglimpaglia said. “The quality was very comparable to what you would find from a professional consultant.”

The program change, implemented last fall, aims to broaden the spectrum of projects available to students and sponsors alike, allowing for the growth and increased variety of project types as well as new sponsors.

“Having multidisciplinary teams across various colleges is desirable, rather than all students who have the same major,” said Ed Ashley, director of business community engagement for CoBA. “Working with other colleges takes the diversity of disciplines to a new level, which is more like the real world where we work with people of all educational backgrounds.”

Historically, CoBA has had to decline a number of community partner projects simply because they required disciplines other than business or not enough student teams were available. By allowing other colleges to participate, not only can the program accept more projects, but also the sponsoring organizations receive an even richer solution to their respective projects.

“For example, we conducted an intercollege project for the DLH Foundation,” said Ashley.“The DLH Foundation provides support for patients and families of patients with gastroesophageal cancer. Their project last semester was to produce an informative video to get the word out about the disease. We matched CoBA students with health majors in the Department of Human Development. The human development students brought domain knowledge about the subject that we simply don't teach in CoBA. Consequently, the sponsor received work that encompassed the marketing elements of CoBA and the health and counseling knowledge of the College of Education, Health and Human Studies.”

Elizabeth Bigham, a human development lecturer and faculty advisor, was one of the first multidisciplinary advisors for Senior Experience.

“As the word spreads about the change to the program, multidisciplinary team projects are expected to grow across campus as they provide opportunities for active learning in environments similar to real workplace situations,” she said. “The interactions with actual clients and businesses gives the students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in a real yet supportive environment thereby giving them a sense of accomplishment through hard work, responsiveness to feedback and guidance, and teamwork.”

Moving forward, Bigham said she will recommend Senior Experience to her students because collaborating with students from a different major is a realistic simulation of what happens in the workplace, where training and perspectives are different yet, through communication, each employee can identify and appreciate the value of different strengths and perspectives.

“Faculty members can also gain through this collaboration as the students and faculty from CoBA bring a different perspective and skills to the joint challenge,” said Bigham. “This is consistent with our University mission of active engagement in the learning process. And it is another important aspect, or analogy, of diversity.”

Any faculty or student interested in participating in Senior Experience should contact Ed Ashley at 760-750-4266 or eashley@csusm.edu.

“My hope is that the entire campus will eventually work together with CoBA on Senior Experience projects,” said Ashley “We would like to keep CoBA involved, but we would also like to get even more diverse projects for students. We also hope the program will serve as a model for other colleges to follow and further develop on their own.”

“I called up a couple people to inquire about a market analysis, and it was going to cost a pretty penny,” Morales said. “Then one of the people I talked to told us about the Cal State San Marcos program. We looked into it and decided this was a perfect fit.”

The Senior Experience Program matches teams of graduating business students with projects submitted by local businesses and organizations looking for feasibility studies, business plans, marketing research or workflow improvements. Students benefit by working as consultants on rigorous, real-world challenges that require teamwork and the application of classroom knowledge. Businesses gain by receiving concentrated attention from bright, energetic teams that provide a fresh, independent look at their goals.

Past projects include developing strategies for California Coast Credit Union to boost its Generation Y member base. Another involved market research on Target’s guest services and the benefits that they offer to customers.

The Senior Experience burnishes CSUSM’s credentials as a leader in collaborating with the community. And this project underscores the University’s history of closely working with local tribes, an effort that extends to 25 Native American communities in San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

“This is a unique opportunity for our students to engage with a tribal community and tribal leadership,” said Tishmall Turner, a member of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians who also serves as CSUSM’s Tribal Liaison, the only tribal liaison in the California State University system. “San Diego County has the largest number of reservations of any county in the country, so it makes sense for Cal State San Marcos to be engaged with the local tribes.”

That Rincon Nursery specializes in drought tolerant plants native to the region makes the Senior Project effort even more compelling.

The Rincon Tribal Nursery’s experience has, in many ways, been typical of the Senior Experience. Businesses and organizations submit an application to the college for review, and selected projects are matched with students based on qualifications and interest. Months of market research, interviews and meetings are involved, culminating with an in-depth report and a project presentation.

This year presentations will be on May 5, and neither the Rincon Tribal Nursery nor the Rincon Tribal Council will know until then what the team of five seniors has found. A Senior Experience Trade Show is set for May 12 at the USU Ballroom.

“The Senior Experience is one of our signature programs, a program that benefits local businesses and nonprofit organizations and benefits our students,” said Professor of Marketing Dr. Vassilis Dalakas, who served as the faculty advisor to the team working with the Rincon Tribal Nursery. “It enables our students to take what they are learning in the classroom and apply it for the benefit of a business or nonprofit.”

Dalakas said he was impressed by his group’s work. “They have really done a very thorough job. The draft was 179 pages. This is not something you can just throw together the night before. Their analysis is comprehensive, thorough and detailed, and it would cost quite a bit of money if this were prepared by a marketing firm.”

The team wasted no time in getting organized, holding its first meeting the week before classes even began. Roles were quickly defined. Amy Armstrong was selected as team leader and representative. Setarre Bringman and Illyvia Samala were appointed primary and secondary researchers. Rachelle Garcia was the designated writer. And Samantha Butts was given the task of pulling the research together into a readable format.

In addition, each senior was tasked with investigating a specific business plan to pursue. Options and strategies include growing a customer base of big box retailers; growing a customer base of landscapers; growing a customer base of contractors; or focusing on growing as a retail nursery. A social media and marketing plan also was included in the report.

“We wanted to give them as many options and opportunities to explore as possible,” Samantha said.

Research included analyzing the area’s demographics, talking to homeowners associations, looking at opportunities with government agencies and contractors and researching bid processes. They also contacted tribal governments to see what potential markets might exist there.

“They’ve been very dedicated to this, keeping me updated, asking the right questions,” Morales said.

The verdict?

“There is a very promising market for this kind of industry,” Amy said. “Native and drought tolerant plants are valuable not only for homeowners and homeowner associations, but they are also valuable to the construction industry because incentives exist to incorporate environmentally friendly landscaping in their projects. There is a growing market in California for drought tolerant, native plants. We have done thorough research and analysis and we are giving them some valuable tools that we believe can help them build a strong business.”

“It was extremely interesting to pull all this information together and work as a team,” Amy remarked. “It was really our time to shine.”