November 2026

Bay Breeze

In This Issue

From the President

Jackie Marsey, Paradise Garden and Landscape, Inc.

One of my favorite parts of this chapter is spending time with people who understand this business; the rewards, the challenges, and the days when nothing goes according to plan.

Running Paradise while serving as chapter President has reminded me how challenging it is to balance commitments to clients, employees, family, and our industry. Some weeks, urgent things take over, and planning gets pushed to another day. I suspect I’m not alone.

With shorter days and the possibility of rain ahead, fall feels like a good time to pause and prepare. At Paradise, that preparation includes strengthening our team and introducing new software and systems. It’s rewarding to see our team grow and projects come together, but change brings challenges: finding time for training, learning new processes, and following through consistently. I’m learning that introducing a system is only the beginning. Building useful habits takes patience – including with myself!

Those experiences remind me how valuable it is to have others to turn to. I’d like us to have more of these conversations as a chapter. Our members have so much experience, and sharing a success; or something that didn’t work can help someone else move forward. Sometimes, hearing “we’re working through that, too” makes a difference.

As we plan for the chapters 2027 events, community projects, educational programs, and dinners, we need more members involved. I’m grateful for our dedicated volunteers. Bringing more members into the planning adds fresh ideas, helping hands, and programs that better reflect your needs.

I know finding extra time is difficult. That’s why I’m asking each of you to choose one way to contribute. Suggest a topic and help arrange a speaker, join a committee, introduce a potential partner, or help at an event. You don’t have to commit to an entire year. A few hours can make something worthwhile happen.

Start by joining us Thursday, November 12, at Shoreline Golf Links & Michaels Restaurant in Mountain View. Our General Membership Meeting begins at 5 p.m., with discussion and an in-person vote on the proposed chapter bylaws, followed by our Board Installation Dinner at 6 p.m. Advance registration is required.

I’m honored and excited to continue serving as your President in 2027. I look forward to learning alongside you, celebrating our successes, and working through challenges together. Come have dinner with us, share what’s on your mind, and help decide what comes next.

Auxiliary Report

We are on the downhill side of 2026. Hope everyone had a safe and not too scary Halloween! Time to move on to Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. Enjoy the lull before the storm…literally El Nino!

The Auxiliary had our last Auxiliary meeting of 2026 on October 14 at Vina Enoteca at the historic Stanford Barn in Palo Alto. We were a very small group of six (Girvin and myself, Vicky Parrott, Charlene Ott, Chapter President Jackie Marsey and James Walker. Thank you to the chapter for paying for our dinner and thank you to everyone who attended. I appreciate the time and energy it takes to come to a meeting and participate in the discussion. We did accomplish a lot.

The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter Holiday Party is quickly approaching. Join friends and family on Saturday, December 12 at 5 p.m. at the San Mateo Elks Lodge to start your holiday festivities. Enjoy appetizers and a gourmet buffet dinner featuring marinated skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and chicken piccata. We will be doing an ornament exchange again this year so bring a wrapped holiday ornament from your collection or a new one. It’s a mystery grab bag! You never know what you will get. The Auxiliary will hold our usual raffle benefiting LEAF (Landscape Educational Advancement Foundation). Students and future Green Industry members thank you in advance for your generosity over the years. Look for more information coming soon in a Constant Contact invitation.

Have a wonderful November. We go off daylight savings on November 1 so it will be dark earlier and getting colder as the days go by. Enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends. Hope to see you soon.

Lesley Peters
Garden Designer (retired now!)
650-444-4580
gpland@sbcglobal.net

Sunshine, Smiles & Friendly Competition

Click on the thumbnails below to view the larger image.

Our Golf Tournament at Spring Valley Golf Course in Milpitas gave us a welcome break during a busy year. It was one of the best weather days we’ve had for golfing; although still a little chilly for me!

Between demanding projects and full schedules, it felt good to spend an afternoon outdoors with no jobsite deadlines to manage. There were plenty of laughs, new friends to meet, and just enough healthy competition to keep everyone paying attention to their scorecards.

One of my favorite parts was driving around with Beth and Scooter. We had so much fun stopping to chat with everyone and sharing a few laughs along the way. We may or may not have helped anyone’s golf game, but we certainly enjoyed checking in on it!

Tom and Matt Ellington and Leslie and Girvin Peters took home several prizes, keeping themselves busy when it was time to hand out the winnings. The lowest score belonged to John Holmquist, Mike Benham, Jeff Freund, and Greg Jetter. Congratulations to our winning foursome and all our prize winners!

A heartfelt thank-you to our sponsors and volunteers for making the day possible. Special thanks to Robyn and Beth for judging the putting contest, Scooter and Brandy for welcoming everyone at registration, and Frank and Grossman for sponsoring the beverage cart—a much-appreciated stop on the course!

An extra thank-you to Beth Valdez for all the planning and care that went into the tournament. Giving everyone else a relaxing day takes plenty of work behind the scenes, and we appreciate it.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for golf and dinner. Catching up with old friends, getting to know new ones, and enjoying an afternoon together made this a day worth making time for. I’m already looking forward to next year!

2027 Partners For Success Opportunity

Put Your Business in the Spotlight. Build Connections That Last

Want to get your business in front of more landscape professionals, strengthen industry relationships, and be part of something bigger? The CLCA San Francisco Bay Area Chapter’s Partners for Success (PFS) Program puts your company at the heart of our landscape community!

As a valued Partner, you’ll enjoy exclusive benefits, including complimentary admission to monthly meetings, prominent recognition on our website and in our monthly Bay Breeze newsletter, and opportunities to showcase your business throughout the year.

But being a Partner is about more than sponsorship benefits. It’s about building relationships with the contractors, designers, suppliers, and industry leaders who make our chapter thrive. It’s about sharing ideas, supporting one another, and creating opportunities for everyone to grow.

Join us as a 2027 Partner for Success! Get involved, make meaningful connections, and help us build an even stronger landscape community. We look forward to partnering with you!

Diamond Partner $1,600

One ticket to all monthly meetings (excludes special events)
One comp for the Golf Tournament
Golf Tournament Hole Sponsorship
Two tickets to the Awards Banquet
Awards Plaque Sponsor
Two tickets to the Holiday Party
12 Flex Points Valued at $240 (a value of $20 each that can be applied toward eligible chapter events and sponsorship opportunities)
Recognition at all SFBA events, on the website and in the electronic newsletter, Bay Breeze
One sponsor highlight in the Bay Breeze

Platinum Partner $1,200

One ticket to all monthly meetings (excludes special events)
One comp for the Golf Tournament
Golf Tournament Hole Sponsorship
One ticket to the Awards Banquet
One ticket to the Holiday Party
7 Flex Points Valued at $140
One sponsor highlight in the Bay Breeze
Recognition at all SFBA events, on the website and the electronic newsletter, Bay Breeze

Gold Partner $800

One ticket to all monthly meetings (excludes special events)
Golf Tournament Hole Sponsorship
One ticket to the Awards Banquet
6 Flex Points Valued at $120
Recognition at all SFBA events, on the website and the electronic newsletter, Bay Breeze

Emerald Partner $600

One ticket to all monthly meetings (excludes special events)
One ticket to the Holiday Party
One ticket to the Awards Banquet
Recognition on website and the electronic newsletter, Bay Breeze

OTHER SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNTIES

Award Plaque

$400 includes one ticket to the Awards Banquet

Golf

Closest to the Hole (2 available) $350
Longest Drive (2 available) $350
Putting Contest Longest Drive $350
Hole Sponsorship (18 available) $350

Student Membership Sponsor $300

CLCA Student Membership
Student Admission to Annual Achievement Awards
Student Admission to Installation Night
Student Admission to all Educational Seminars
Recognition at all SFBA events, on the website and the electronic newsletter, Bay Breeze

Additional Partners Flex Points $

BAY BREEZE E-NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING ANNUAL RATES

Business Card Ad CLCA Member $450 / Non-member $675
¼ Page Ad (specs approx. 418 x 535 px) CLCA Member $700 / Non-member $875
½ Page Ad (specs approx. 868 x 535 px) CLCA Member $ 1300 / Non-member $1650

Please register for your Partners for Success level by March 1st, 2027.

Download Information SIgn Up

Upcoming Events

General Membership Meeting & Installation Dinner

Thursday, November 12th 5-8pm
Michaels Restaurant

General Membership Meeting
5pm-6pm
no cost to attend but registration is required

Installation Dinner
6pm-8pm
CLCA Member $65
Life Members and Students $32.50
Non Member $80
REGISTER

Click to Enlarge

SFBA Chapter Board of Directors Meeting

Thursday, November 19th @ 5pm
Peninsula Building Materials – Mountain View

CLCA Members are welcome to attend
Contact Jackie Marsey jackie@paradiselg.com

CLCA SFBA Chapter Holiday Party 2026

Saturday, December 12th, 2026 @ 5:00pm – 9:00pm
San Mateo Elks Club
229 W 20th Avenue
San Mateo, Ca. 94403

Get your holiday festivities started by joining your CLCA friends and family for the 2026 Holiday Party at the San Mateo Elks Club. Enjoy cocktails and appetizers starting at 5:00 p.m., followed by a delicious buffet dinner, featuring marinated skirt steak with chimichurri sauce and chicken piccata (full menu below) and peach cobbler for dessert. We will be having a holiday ornament exchange again this year so bring a wrapped holiday ornament from your collection or a new one for the grab bag table, one per person. You never know what you’ll get!

$100 per person

Register online. If you want to pay by check, please register online, check the pay with check box and mail a check, payable to CLCA SFBA Chapter to:
Lesley Peters
185 Del Monte Avenue
Los Altos, Ca. 94022

Any questions, call or email Lesley Peters 650-444-4580 or gpland@sbcglobal.net
Please RSVP by Friday, December 4.

Menu:
Gourmet Charcuterie Board
Buffet menu:
Seasonal salad: green salad with pomegranate, onions, tomatoes, almonds and feta cheese
Penne pasta with house pesto cream sauce
Rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes
Steamed asparagus with roasted garlic, sweet peppers and a balsamic glaze
Grilled skirt steak, marinated and served with chimichurri sauce
Chicken piccata: capers and parsley in a lemon white wine sauce
Dessert: peach cobbler

Please let us know if you need a vegetarian option

Welcome New SFBA Chapter Members

Matt Bray, Blue Spruce Landscape & Construction, Inc.
Martin De La Cruz, Blue Spruce Landscape & Construction, Inc.
Justin Fredrickson, Blue Spruce Landscape & Construction, Inc.
Patrick McGonagle, Blue Spruce Landscape & Construction, Inc.