For this year’s Poly Gives, Lisa Wise (City and Regional Planning, ‘01) has gifted $5,000 in matching gift funds to the City and Regional Planning Department. 

Wise founded Lisa Wise Consulting, Inc. in 2006, an urban planning and economics firm that specializes in creating, updating, and streamlining policies, programs, and regulations that enable pedestrian and transit-oriented neighborhoods and well-designed communities. She is also an adjunct professor on campus.

“From the very beginning of my career in urban planning, Cal Poly has been a core part of my successes and a solid professional partner,” she said. “Since earning the MCRP degree in 2001 and being an adjunct professor, the connections I've made with professors and fellow students enabled me to start my own firm in 2006. “

Wise sees the school’s pipeline of graduate talent as essential both to her own firm’s success as well as the industry as a whole.

“Our first employees were Mustangs, and we’ve grown to a staff of 20, managing projects throughout the U.S. and as far as Saudi Arabia. Today, half of our team is Mustangs, including senior leaders, aspiring project managers, and interns.”

She is proud to support her alma mater as she sees it as a key driver for the local community and beyond.

“We are more than happy to support and give back to the University anywhere we can. To understand the impacts of Cal Poly and why we are so committed to supporting the institution, you’d have to imagine San Luis Obispo without Cal Poly. The University brings an incredible vibrancy to the City and the region. Cal Poly represents a center point of learning, collaboration, and opportunities for forward-thinking ideas, and for young people to learn skills (inside and outside of the classroom) they need to make more prosperous, diverse and resilient communities. It’s clearly the best investment we can make.”

Poly Gives is happening April 10-12. Make sure to take advantage of this matching gift to the City and Regional Planning Fund!

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