Ideas for the Institute first came from discussions Dean James Strong had with business leaders in the surrounding communities. Reflecting that genesis, this is not just a program that will benefit students, faculty, and staff; it will also serve local businesses and the communities in which they operate.

“Students will certainly be involved, but we’ll also do a lot of outreach to the community,” says Strong. “Faculty might study aspects of small business and entrepreneurship in the area, which will lead to a better understanding of potential markets and areas of growth for businesses.”

“Since I’ve come to campus, I’ve noticed there are a lot of different cities and communities that want to develop programs to help small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially in the global logistics field since the ports are right here,” Strong continues. “It’s always seemed fairly fractionated marketplace to me – everyone’s trying to do these things, but there isn’t one place they can all turn. Maybe one of the Institute’s roles is to get faculty doing research on topics that would impact these businesses and organizations, make it readily available to them, and help coordinate their efforts.”

The funding may take up to a year to be received as an earmark in the robust $57.9 billion Fiscal Year 2006 Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill and was approved on the general concept of the Institute, not on an elaborate established architecture. As they wait for the funding to come through then, Strong and other CBAPP administrators and faculty will develop this more concrete plan for the Institute. First on that list will be hiring a director for the program, who will then lead the development of programs and initiatives.

Before talking about specifics of the Institute, both Strong and Leslie Patterson, director of development, are quick to assert that the Institute would still be a pipedream had it not been for the advocacy of Millender-McDonald.

“Without her, we would not have received this funding. It’s as simple as that,” says Patterson.

Congresswoman Millender-McDonald serves on the House Small Business Committee as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The missions of both Committees are mirrored in the Institute, so it was a natural fit for her to advocate for the federal funding. In addition to the Congresswoman’s help, the appropriations request received ample support the University’s President James E. Lyons, Sr. and Ray Riznyk, director of research and funded projects.

While Strong, Patterson, and the rest of CBAPP are appropriately ecstatic about the major new program coming to their College, that excitement also comes from the top. “This appropriation is a great example of what I mean when I talk about the strength of partnerships,” says President Lyons. “This idea meets a regional need that the Congresswoman felt was important for the citizens of this area. Now, as a result of our working together, this important institute can be launched. This is a very exciting day for CSUDH.”

Another reason for excitement within CBAPP is that this earmark comes on the heels of a two-year $250,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that will develop a global logistics and supply chain management program within the College. Together, they represent the largest sources of outside funding received by the College in years, and coming back-to-back, they suggest the College is on the cusp of a major wave of support for new programs and offerings. All of this will build upon CBAPP’s service for and relationship with the surrounding business communities.