Backstory: Edward L. Wallace

Edward L. Wallace

Owner
Midwest Landscaping
Long Beach, Calif.

Education

Grove City High School
Grove City, Ohio
Class of 1973

Olympic Community College
Bremerton, Wash.
Business Administration
1973-1975

“I ran track and played football there. My main event was the 440 intermediate hurdles.”

Fort Steilacoom Community College
Tacoma, Wash.
Graphic Arts
Class of 1977

Work Experience

1978-1980
Offset press operator
Pick-Up Printers
Seattle, Wash.

1980-1987
Letterpress operator
West Coast Printing
Seattle, Wash.

“I learned the three-color process and started learning how to run the machines.”

1987-1989
Offset press operator
Boeing Aircraft
Kent, Wash.

“We were printing schematics for when they make the airplanes.”

1989-1990
Offset press operator
ST Morgan Printers
Long Beach, Calif.

1990-1992
Offset press operator
Jacobsen’s Printers
Carson, Calif.

1990-present
Owner
Midwest Landscaping
Long Beach, Calif.

“I got my company started by complaining about the bad job that people were doing at the apartment building I lived at.”

Associations

California Landscape Contractors Association
2003-2005
Director of communications

2017-2018
Director of resource management

2018
First African-American president of Orange County chapter

“I’m the first African-American president of the Orange County chapter…We had a president’s council meeting, and I was really excited as I looked around the room at the diversity.”

Did you know?

“I’ve been married for five years to my beautiful wife, Mari. We don’t have any children, but she has grown children, so I’ve got stepkids.”

Wallace and fellow contractor, Richard Cohen, manning a CLCA chapter booth at an environmental expo in Irvine, Calif.

“I love to travel because when you travel, you learn different things. I also love to fish.”

Words of Wisdom

“Never be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.”

“Always respect other people’s opinions, even though everybody has their own.”

“Never stop, never quit. If you’re going to do something, see it through.”

“Don’t dwell on the problem. Concentrate on the solution.”

Photos: Edward L. Wallace