Paul Merage, Chairman, MIG Capital | Suncore Products, and namesake of The Paul Merage School of Business presents to a full house at the Corporate Partners 30th Anniversary Celebration at Taco Bell.

On April 24, the Merage School's Corporate Partners celebrated their 30th year anniversary at Taco Bell Headquarters. Hosted by Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed, the event drew the Who's Who of executives in Orange County.

"Our partnership with the Merage School through Corporate Partners has provided us with dynamic and resourceful leadership candidates. We are excited to play a role in assisting the School in its ongoing initiatives and are proud to have contributed to the development of their new facility; it will be a truly unique and innovative center for learning and business," said Jane Buchan, CEO, Pacific Alternative Asset Management Company (PAAMCO).

Andy Policano, dean of the Merage School, welcomed more than 300 guests and announced the launch of the Corporate Partners' new capital campaign aimed at raising $300,000 to support the business school's new building. Already more than $90,000 in pledges have been made. Corporate Partners has contributed $40 million to the business school over the past 30 years.

Leon LePorte ‘77, retired United States Army general, honored former business school Dean Lyman Porter, who is credited as the "father" of the Corporate Partners program, with the announcement of a special campaign to name a classroom in the new building after Porter.

The Merage School has launched an exciting new $50 million building initiative that will take our remarkable business school to new heights of excellence in student learning opportunities, faculty research and community engagement. The new building will be a showcase of Orange County's premier business community and our strong partnerships with distinguished alumni, entrepreneurs, executives and philanthropists who have supported our efforts.

The Face2Face team, which offers an interactive communication platform for physicians and patients to communicate, won the Campus Wide Division of the 2012 Business Plan Competition. The Archon Medical Technologies, LLC team, which is developing a low-cost mechanical suturing device that decreases healing time and reduces the risk of infection, won the Life Science Division of the competition. Both teams will take home $15,000 each in cash along with other in-kind prizes. The Archon team has also qualified to compete in the statewide California Dreamin’ Competition for awards totaling $100,000.