About Us
ALMA Strategies (ALMA) is a planning and management consulting firm specializing in California public higher education and other mission-serving organizations.
ALMA has been a trusted partner for over fifty California Community Colleges and Districts and The California State University since 2010. Our Sacramento headquarters, strategically located steps away from the State Department of Finance, has been instrumental in our unmatched success in securing state funding for our clients—over $1 billion in the last five years.
ALMA provides mandatory California Community College submittals for Space Inventory, Five Year Construction Plans, Initial Project Proposals (IPP), Final Project Proposals (FPP), and Scheduled Maintenance and Replacement (SMR). Our Space Inventory verification and Space Utilization Analysis services identify how effectively existing facilities are utilized, the educational delivery method, where there are opportunities for improvement, and strategies to improve Capacity Load Ratios.
ALMA helps clients develop successful applications for Outreach Centers to become Education Centers and Education Centers to become Colleges. We provide Pre-Programming and Pre-Feasibility Studies to quickly determine program viability and project feasibility before expensive decisions are made and are potentially difficult to reverse.
Our Total Cost of Ownership and Operations (TCO&O) model integrates historically stand-alone databases into an integrated database useful for testing alternative program and facilities development scenarios and the potential impact on enrollment, staffing, capital, and operating costs. We apply all these resources for the development of Comprehensive and Integrated Master Plans.
At ALMA, we provide our clients with a collaborative planning experience, superior deliverables, and an unmatched level of responsiveness and communication. Our commitment to client satisfaction is at the core of our business.
Meet Our Staff
Shaun Blaylock, Psy.D.
Shaun has over 25 years of experience in community college and K-12 facilities planning. He has successfully managed all phases of educational facilities development, from pre-planning through construction and beyond. Shaun is well versed in the nuances of District level governance and understands the legislative and governmental agency process involved in facilities planning and construction.
As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Blaylock is adept at building consensus by finding common interests with diverse stakeholders. He also has experience as a Trustee of a public education system Board and served as its President.
Shaun has a B.A. in Philosophy and B.S. in Finance from CSU Bakersfield, a M.A. in Psychology from Humboldt State University, a M.A. in Education Administration from Fresno Pacific University, and a PsyD from Pepperdine University/UCLA.
Bobby Khushal
Bobby has over 20 years of facilities and educational planning experience for multiple California community colleges. He has successfully managed facilities capital outlay project planning and implementation for districts and colleges across the state of California. He is an expert in the State Chancellor’s Office funding mechanisms and procedures for capital construction projects, including scheduled maintenance and proposition 39 funding and district or colleges seeking Education Center status for their Outreach Centers. His expertise in data analysis, technical report writing, and leading user groups has led to successful completion of multiple master plans at various community college districts. Mr. Khushal oversees all ALMA capital outlay project planning, space utilization and facilities planning analytics seeking state funding.
Bobby has a B.S. in Managerial Economics from University of California, Davis.
Douglas Graham, AIA, CDS
Douglas Graham’s experience and perspective spans many roles in higher education and healthcare planning and management including as the Owner’s Representative, Owner’s Project Manager, architect, program manager, and consultant. As an American Institute of Architects Certified Development Strategist, he has demonstrated “comprehensive proficiency in all aspects of the project development process, including strategic vision, program development, real estate, funding, design and construction.” He has led multi-disciplinary consulting teams and developed transformational projects across the nation.
Douglas has a B.S. in Architectural Studies + BARCH from Washington State University.
Sativa Dimas
Sativa Dimas is an expert in the State Chancellor’s Office funding mechanisms and procedures for capital construction projects. She utilizes her knowledge and understanding of State agency planning and funding requirements to maximize State-funding opportunities for clients. Her expertise in data analysis and technical report writing has led to successful completion of multiple projects at various community college districts.
Sativa has a B.S. in Business Administration - General Management from California State University, Sacramento.
ALEXANDER R. MURDOCH - School Facility Consultants, President/Partner
MATTHEW A. PETTLER - School Facility Consultants, Vice President/Partner