Public/Private Partnerships: Where Size Doesn’t Matter
Collaboration on a small, local scale can make a huge difference
By Rusty Eddy
While smaller budgets and spending constraints batter public services across the country, the popularity of public/private partnerships (PPPs), combining public projects and private equity, continues to increase. Now the Ukiah Valley has its own example: the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Greater Ukiah Business and Tourism Alliance (GUBTA) announced last week the formation of a public/private partnership to increase awareness of Lake Mendocino as a recreation destination and resource.
The cooperative agreement provides for development of recreation assets, interpretive and educational services, and the implementation of a comprehensive marketing and branding strategy.
Katrina Kessen, the Executive Director of GUBTA, worked with Poppy Burkhead, the Operations Project Manager for Lake Mendocino, to hammer out the cooperative agreement. Kessen hopes the “agreement will be another step toward the revitalization of Lake Mendocino, the jewel of inland Mendocino County.” A collaborative committee, with diverse professional backgrounds and interests in the local community, has been developing both near and long-term projects for the Lake, ranging from innovative branding and signage to re-imagined community spaces.
Lake manager Burkhead noted that public/private partnerships like this are relatively new for USACE. “Our job is to build and maintain projects, so we’re pleased to be able to partner with GUBTA to handle the marketing and promotion for all the recreation activities available at Lake Mendocino.” Burkhead considers this collaboration to be part of a shared vision, not just a short-term marketing program.
Lake Mendocino has over 3000 acres of outdoor opportunities, including sustainable recreation activities and access to unique ecosystems. The property is even home to an endangered plant, burke’s goldfields (lasthenia burkei), a small annual herb that grows in vernal pools and swales. Hiking trails ring the Lake, and other outdoor activities include biking, fishing, boating, and camping. Many areas at the Lake are wheelchair accessible, in accordance with the ADA. The Coyote Valley dam itself is a popular destination for hiking and dog walking.
In the long term, Burkhead and Kessen agree increased visitor numbers to the Lake will help benefit economic development through tourism, business opportunities for food service, and concessions and rentals. “That’s where the private sector can really help,” said Kessen, “if we generate tourist awareness, those visitors support the local economy with jobs and revenue (like TOT funds). Lake Mendocino is the attraction, but local hotels, restaurants and services all benefit from hosting Lake visitors…it’s like a multiplier effect to stimulate the local economy.” Burkhead agreed, but added that “building community is just as important as building visitor awareness.”
Initial partnership projects are in various stages of completion, including the development of a distinct and authentic brand and logo for Lake Mendocino. A new marketing/promotional campaign will be developed to help attract visitors, and a destination park, encompassing approximately nine acres, will add natural play elements and space for gatherings and events.
Essentially, Lake Mendocino, the USACE and GUBTA have become a single, jointly administered, destination management and marketing partnership.The agreement between GUBTA and USACE will be in place for five years, after which the contract allows for renewal or cancellation. Both Burkhead and Kessen think this organization can be an example for other potential community partnerships in Mendocino County.
The first step in the GUBTA/USACE PPP is the “branding” of the Lake. The brand name is the verbal cue to drive the marketing campaign, it becomes the reference point in consumers’ minds. Branding is not only a marketing tool to help differentiate a tourism product or destination from another, but should also be viewed as a management tool to help create a genuine competitive advantage for attracting visitors.
And aside from attracting guests, Burkhead also believes putting a face on Lake Mendocino will help highlight the presence of the personnel at the Lake, “we’re all members of the community,” she says, “we participate in local festivals, run interpretive programs, and our families have fond memories of growing up spending summers at the Lake.”
Those nostalgic stories of family boating trips to the Lake resonate with Kessen, as well, who says that every member of the ad-hoc marketing committee remembers cooling off at the Lake during a sweltering Ukiah summer, having picnics and walking the dam. “Ultimately, the local community benefits from, and builds memories about, great times spent at the Lake,” said Kessen, “bringing together businesss, visitors, and local communities creates the kind of energy that helps these kinds of partnership marketing programs succeed.”
The official agreement between the USACE and GUBTA was signed at the beginning of August. A marketing plan has been developed, and roll-out of new signage at Lake Mendocino will happen this fall. The new Destination Park should break ground in 2025.
Burkhead recently toured the Lake Mendocino area by air and came away with a fresh perspective: “We tend to take things for granted,” she said. “But seeing our little world from 4000 feet really convinced me that affecting change in one tiny place requires cooperation with the bigger community; involvement and inclusion is critical.”
Lake Mendocino is currently open for all recreational activities, and both boat launches are fully operational. Specific information is available at https://www.recreation.gov/camping/gateways/483.
