Events Calendar

July 10, Wednesday
Central Coast Chapter Board Meeting

Time: noon
Location: Laughing monk tap room, 262 Mt Hermon Rd, scotts Valley
Contact Scott Long at ‭831-332-4565 or slong@centralcoastlandscape.com

_______________
Off for the Summer!

September 4, Wednesday
September 11, Wednesday
Central Coast Chapter Board Meeting

Time: noon
Location: Laughing monk tap room, 262 Mt Hermon Rd, scotts Valley
Contact Scott Long at ‭831-332-4565 or slong@centralcoastlandscape.com

Coming
September 20, Friday
Liar’s Cup Golf Event

Time: noon
Location: delaveaga golf course, 401 Upper Park Rd, Santa Cruz
Contact Scott Long at ‭831-332-4565 or slong@centralcoastlandscape.com

October—TBA

Annual Planning meeting of the Central Coast Board of directors
Contact Scott Long at ‭831-332-4565 or slong@centralcoastlandscape.com

Board of Directors Report

News updates from the Board—July/August 2024

Central Coast Chapter Summer Report 2024,

After the dust had settled from our recent Chapter Awards Banquet, held at the Dream Inn this past June, I’ve had time to reflect on the nature of our efforts. I saw with pride the unselfish work of our volunteer board of directors come together and deliver what I believe to have been one of our best productions in recent years. It doesn’t happen without their heart and efforts to serve our members.

When we look deeper at how and why our programs come to fruition in the first place we can draw a direct line to our yearly planning meetings. At those meetings, held in the fall, we come together over lunch at a chosen location (for several hours) to lay out and discuss plans, programs, and budget for the next year. It’s a wonderful and essential process for our chapter to have a game plan for the coming year and get input from the attendees on what best serves the wants and needs of our membership. We often invite potential new board members to attend so that they can see first hand what the governess of our chapter works. We hope to be able to get some fresh ideas on how to improve and grow our chapter. Did you catch the hint?

I confess that this is a sneaky way of promoting the value of volunteering in our chapter both for the individual and also for the greater good of our assocation. Our current and past board of directors are a testament to that. Non-profit organizations depend on volunteerism to accomplish their goals and serve their communities, the CLCA is no exception! I have seen over the years that I have been involved in our Central Coast Chapter that if we don’t add new people, energy, and ideas to our purpose we can become stuck and outdated. That is why I would like to invite you on behalf of the Central Coast Chapter Board to get involved and help us out by attending our upcoming planning meeting this October. Please feel free to contact me personally for more information. rbarry@coastalevergreen.com We always have positions available for you to serve.

Lastly I would like to thank our Partners for Success for underwriting our yearly programs with their financial contributions and believing in the work we do for the Landscape industry.  We also would like welcome Oldcastle to our Partners program!!! We appreciate your support. 

—Regan Barry
Coastal Evergreen Company
rbarry@coastalevergreen.com

Central Coast Chapter Board of Directors

Immediate Past President: Phil Dundas—The Landscape Company
Membership Director: Terri Baker—Graniterock
Director of Events: Scott Long—Central Coast Landscape
Director of Education: Michael Johnson—California H2orticulture Services 
Associate Member Director: Julia Zuckerman—Delta Bluegrass
Legislation Director: Regan Barry—Coastal Evergreen
Secretary/Treasurer: Jamie Clark—K & D Landscaping

Please come and learn more about our board by coming to a meeting, or volunteer to help in any capacity. Please contact Regan Barry at rbarry@coastalevergreen.com if you are interested in becoming involved with this dynamic group.

Central Coast Chapter Partners for Success Program

It’s that time of year to renew your partnership. Central Coast’s Partners for Success Program provides an opportunity to increase your visibility in the community, to be seen as a leader in the green industry by helping sustain the many educational and enrichment offerings of our association.

For more information, contact Regan Barry at rbarry@coastalevergreen.com

register NOW for 2024!

WE love our partners

PaRTNER’S CORNER

KATIA VELASQUEZ

netafim

Read more about Katia here…www.clca-cc.org/partners

The Partner’s Corner! What a great benefit. Here’s an easy way to let people in your industry know what you’re up to, what’s new, and why you’re the success that you are. We want to see pictures of you, your family, your company’s staff, we want to know what you do in your spare time and what makes you unique. We’re interested. Please contact Elise Huffman, the Central Coast editor, if you are interested in being featured on our website in a future “Partner’s Corner.” Partner’s don’t miss this chance for some FREE advertising.

UPCOMING EVENT

Liar’s Cup Golf Event 2024

Fun event we are really looking forward to seeing you there on the green. Register early and put on your calendar today!

Here’s your direct link to registration:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/zuuh6hc/lp/973ed441-7f65-4d81-b7c9-b2f16883cdd0

This year the raffle prize money will be split 50/50 between these great organizations:

The Leaf Scholarship
https://clca.org/industry-resources/college-scholarships-leaf/

LandPac
https://clca.org/advocacy/landpac/

PAST EVENT

Beautification Awards 2024—A Night at the Beach

On Thursday, June 20th 2024, the CLCA Central Coast Chapter met at The Dream Inn on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz for our 38th Annual Beautification Awards Banquet. Our theme for the evening was “A Night at the Beach.”

As in years past, the green industry came together to celebrate outstanding landscapes in our community. Twelve companies were represented, all vying for their place in history as an achievement award winner or first place record holder.  Contractors submitted jobs in multiple categories, each with their own guidelines and rules. Judging for the event took place one month before beforehand and was completed effectively by two Bay Area contractors:  Scott Hayes from Frank & Grossman and also Juan Carlos Esparza from Urbanscapes Landscape. Chaperoning and driving the van were Francisco Hernandez from SiteOne Landscape and Mike Ruscoe from Ewing Irrigation (retired). They spent two grueling days driving around the Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz, south San Jose, Gilroy, and Salinas. According to Regan Barry, past president and past chapter events director, “the days are long but also rewarding to see such professional and beautiful landscapes.”

It was a magical “Night on the Beach.” The Dream Inn’s 180-degree view of the Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, and The Beach Boardwalk, with the sun warmly setting, a reggae band playing in the background, and the bar serving beachy cocktails, just very special. We filled the room with a maximum capacity crowd of 100 people. This was the largest attendance in many years. If that wasn’t enough, etched into the sand, two stories below the banquet space, was a large CLCA logo beautifully crafted by a crafty member of the hotel staff. Some special highlights of the evening: arriving early and sitting at the bar, where Scott Long bought some of us coffee martinis (quite a treat!), seeing Kurt Christiansen wearing his island-style inspired white linen suit and pink crocs…very tropical and very fashion forward. Elise was happy to find a red piece of tape on the underside of her chair, winning a table centerpiece to take home. Let’s face it, we’re a fun but of folks.

Many continued thanks to the amazing Katia Velasquez from Netafim, the chairperson of the event who made the night what it was; one of the best in a long time! Katia knows how to pull together a great party. The Beautification Committee did an amazing job. Thanks Katia Velasquez and Scott Long in particular! The layout of the room was perfect, and the food delectable. Let’s hear it for those beautifully cooked root vegetables, short ribs (yum), and tiramisu!

Andrew Tuckman, past president/past events director masterfully emceed the event. Andrew led the chapter for a decade, building the member base and helping to create a fun environment over many years. He was concerned about A/V issues at the beginning of the night, I mean really concerned, as in almost freaking out, as the slide show looked lost and gone forever. But Andrew persevered and showed amazing coolness under pressure. No one had any idea there were video problems. Crisis averted, good job Andrew! Laura Leuer, administrative director at CLCA, and Andrew were responsible for creating that stunning slideshow of the winning properties.

We had several speakers including Central Coast Event Director Scott Long, Event Director Katia Velasquez, and Past President and Central Coast VIP Regan Barry. CLCA’s current state President Tom Sweeney from The Landscape Care Company and Sacramento Executive Director Sandra Giarde honored us with their presence.

Congratulations to Central Coast Chapter’s newest member Water & Stone Natural Landscapes from Santa Cruz took home two awards for Medium Residential Installation and Water Feature.

This year’s favorites Fall Creek Landscape and Central Coast Landscape received top honors for the Judge’s Awards, congratulations.

Congratulations to all who participated, there are too many to name all here. Please visit our Beautification Awards page for the pictures of all the winning company’s landscapes.

Thank you to our event sponsors. Chapter membership supports events like this and also companies who come forward to offer extra support: AC Bentley Concrete, Alliance Gator, Ewing, and Graniterock and Stone Universe Inc.

Thank you to category award partners: A Tool Shed Rentals, B&B Small Engine, Delta Bluegrass, CLCA Insurance Solutions, Central Home Supply, Devil Mountain Nursery, GraniteCrete, Graniterock, Hunter | FX Luminaire, MSI, Netafim, and SiteOne.

The talented Meg Venter, graciously allowed us to use her stunning image of The Dream Inn at Sunset. Please check out her photography here: www.megventer.com. Elise Huffman enjoyed working with that great image to create the colorful program guide for the event.

For more information about the awards or chapter events please visit www.clca-cc.org

—Written by Andrew Tuckman (and Elise Huffman) 

educational corner

CLCA State Legislation Center

CLCA’s legislative program includes professional lobbying in Sacramento, grass roots action, and involvement in political coalitions. The CLCA also has a political action committee, LandPAC, that raises funds from the landscape industry and uses that money to support qualified candidates for political office.

In each two-year legislative session over 2,500 bills are introduced for consideration. We read them, flag them, and track them as we continue our advocacy for landscape contractors.

Want to see the legislative bills that CLCA is working on?

Read our current bill list.