The Central Texas College (CTC) Enactus Team won its 19th consecutive regional championship at the Enactus regional competition in Dallas this week. CTC was one of 33 schools (three two-year schools and 30 four-year universities) from across Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and California competing in the regional event. As champions, CTC Enactus earned a $1,000 prize and the regional trophy and will now compete at the Enactus USA National Exposition in Kansas City, MO next month.

In addition, CTC Enactus was named a member of the Enactus 4.0 Club for the second year. The honor was given in recognition of the team’s quality educational programs, success in Enactus and long-term sustainability to improve the quality of life and standard of living for others.CTC was the only community college among the 22 schools achieving the Enactus 4.0 Club status.

The Dallas event was one of 11 regional competitions held across the country. Competing teams are divided among separate leagues, with approximately five to seven teams per league. Each Enactus team must submit a written annual report and make a live audiovisual presentation detailing the results of their community outreach projects to a panel of judges comprised of area business leaders. Following an intense question-and-answer session with the judges, the teams are then evaluated based on how successful they were at using business concepts to improve the quality of life and standard of living for its community.

The CTC presentation focused on four of the group’s main projects this past year: Operation Upgrade, Operation Step-Up, Operation “I” Serve Too and Operation Liquid Gold.

Operation Upgrade was created to provide weekly job readiness and personal development training for low income, welfare recipients, veterans and military spouses who are unemployed. Team members offered resume writing and interviewing skills as well as GED preparation and a clothing closet to enable job seekers to “dress for success” on job interview. As a result, 69 central Texans were trained, 26 obtained employment, 15 enrolled in GED or college this year and 422 took their skills to job fairs where they were able to land a job.

Through Operation Step-Up, Enactus members assisted two local businesses achieve success through improved business practices. The Fins and Flowers Pet Shop in Copperas Cove received a total makeover which included new marketing and advertising strategies, business plan, a new inventory tracking system, customer service training and a store remodel. The end result was a new name (Out of the Cage Pet Store), increased sales of 50 percent, increased profits of 281 percent and the business has lowered its credit debt by $5,000.

The second business, Michelle’s Flowers and Gifts was able to open a second location in the main Post Exchange on Fort Hood and has increased its sales and customer base.

Military spouses were the target in Operation “I” Serve Too. Enactus members provided entrepreneurial mentoring to help military spouses start a small business. A week-long “Be Your Own Boss” seminar was held in which 37 military spouses created a business concept and learned to develop a business plan. The top three were chosen and given a $1,000 grant to start their business. After seven months of mentoring and skills training, accounting practices, product placement, pricing strategies, Internet strategies and marketing plan development, Diaper Baby Dolls is now generating $200 a month income. Old Fashion Portraits earn a monthly income of $800 and Jessica’s Classy Crafts generates an income of $900 a month.

To help the City of Killeen and other businesses cope with the problem of proper disposal and recycling of fats, oils and grease, CTC Enactus initiated Operation Liquid Gold. In January, Enactus partnered with Centex Grease Recovery to recycle used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. The team developed a proposal for the City of Killeen to implement a used cooking oil program and educated 130,000 residents on reducing, reusing and recycling used cooking oil. Disposal containers were placed at the Killeen Recycling Center, various low-income residential areas, three apartment complexes and five local businesses. The project will save Killeen an estimated $429,000 in the next three years in maintenance and clogged sewer pipes should be reduced from 75 to 25 percent.

Other projects undertaken by CTC Enactus were Operation Hope which featured numerous food drives to benefit area food care centers; Operation Lemon Ade Day to teach youngsters entrepreneurial skills and Operation Building Lives to teach low-income homeowners and renters about energy efficiency and applying minor home maintenance. The team recently began an initiative to remodel the Cove House homeless shelter.

Through its projects, CTC Enactus directly impacted 40,657 area residents through 5,068 man hours. Their efforts indirectly touched nearly 350,500 central Texans.

Representing CTC Enactus at the regional competition was David Netherwood, president; Frank Fitzgerald, vice president; Jasmin Ramos, director of team management; Taryn Ellis, operation executive director; Alvin Perry, operation executive director; Artia Perry, operation executive director; and Matthew Wallace, computer technician.

Four individual Enactus members also received a special surprise at the regional competition as they were offered Management- In-Training positions with Sam’s Club. The new hires were Netherwood, Ellis, Perry and Fitzgerald.