Braving the Maze at State Leg Summit
I shouted “Hooray!” as I finally emerged from the elevator in front of Kip Lipper’s office in the California State Capitol. I learned the hard way that Kip’s office is in the older “historic” section of the Capitol building, and requires entry using a different elevator and set of stairs than the newer “Annex.” Suffice it to say, the secrets of the Capitol building began to reveal themselves to me on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 13th.
The 2018 State Legislative Summit was a window into the Capitol lifestyle that so many of my friends and colleagues live and breathe, but one that has remained mostly unknown to me. Organized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, ‘SLS’ (as it is known) is a day of meetings with the Sacramento region’s state-level elected representatives, staff, and consultants about policy issues that matter to our region.
I served on the Air Quality team this year, advocating for vital investments in clean air, transportation infrastructure, watershed protection, and more, alongside leaders from Valley Vision, the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, SMUD, Union Pacific Railroad, and other members of the Cleaner Air Partnership.
The day kicked off with a brief program focused on the statewide housing crisis with a number of powerhouse speakers. Eleni Kounalakis, candidate for Lieutenant Governor and former Valley Vision board member, spoke concisely about issues including affordable housing finance and rent control. She challenged many in the room to think differently about solutions to the housing crisis, but did it in a way that was unifying at the end of the day. University of California President Janet Napolitano talked about the power of the UC system to shape the state narrative around housing, and brought up the important issues of workforce development and the serious lack of “workforce housing.” Jeff Michael with the University of the Pacific shared some excellent insights on the new federal tax bill and how it could affect our region’s housing market, as well as the possibility of redevelopment funds coming back to California under a new Governor. Assemblymember Jim Cooper facilitated a rockstar panel as well – it really was a fantastic program!
Lunch was followed by the real meat of the event – select appointments with a bipartisan group of our region’s elected leadership in the Capitol building. Setting aside Kip Lipper’s office in the older part of “The Building,” the rest of the appointments (as well as the restrooms!) were much easier to find. By the way, I’ll never get used to calling it, “The Building.”
Our conversations at SLS went incredibly well – perhaps unsurprisingly, everyone cares about air quality! Our team listened as much as we spoke – gleaning knowledge from those in the room, following up about relevant issues or initiatives, and taking copious notes about general (but critical!) insights about the processes that guide decision-making in the Capitol.
Huge congratulations to Anna Ballard of Intel, who did an excellent job as 2018 SLS Program Chair, and the whole team at the Metro Chamber for making this year’s event possible. I know how much of a team effort that was – thank you all! The State Capitol building will always be a maze to me, but these organizers of State Legislative Summit made it a truly a-MAZE-ing experience. I’m already looking forward to SLS 2019! My homework until then: get to know that “historic” side of the Capitol like the back of my hand. Oh wait, I’ve never noticed that birthmark before…
Adrian Rehn is a Valley Vision Project Manager overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s online communications.
Sierra College Experience Leaves Lasting Impact
He was good kid, really. Yet hard to tell by outward appearances. Long hair. Scraggly beard. Ripped jeans. Skateboard in hand. It was probably his careless attitude and the way he disrupted the class that most perturbed the professor. This wasn’t high school after all, but college. This student had arrived late again and made a bit of a scene. It was an all-too familiar pattern.
So when the professor called him up after class, this kid knew he was in trouble. He began to stiffen up. Put up his defenses. When the class cleared, the conversation started.
“You really don’t care about me or our classmates,” the teacher stated flatly. “It’s also clear you really don’t care about yourself either. If you did, you’d take school more seriously.” The kid had heard all this before. It didn’t faze him.
The professor continued: “But you have an even bigger problem.” Now the student took notice. “There is no one at the helm of your life. You – your ship – it is drifting, aimlessly, on open water. You are going nowhere. If you think the pilot is your mom or your dad, or your friends, or someone else, you’re terribly mistaken. It’s now or never. You must be at the helm of your life and steer. Otherwise you will be lost. And so will your future.”
Jarring words that this young man could not escape. Caring parents can try to break through. Families can help. Friends can intervene. But sometimes teachers can say things in a way that penetrates.
That skateboarding kid, the one who was once not sure about his future or all that driven, graduated from Sierra College and went on to graduate from UC Berkeley and later earn a Masters degree from a Boston university. He was recently ordained a priest.
I’m his proud father.
Sierra College changed my son’s life. It also changed my life for the better. I also had a teacher who took notice of me and inspired and challenged me to think and be different. I look back upon that moment as a major turning point in my life.
Education does this. It not only unlocks knowledge and insights, helps us analyze, think critically, problem-solve and prepare for a career and a life of learning, education and those who practice it transforms lives. Education in no small way democratizes hope. Makes opportunity accessible to a small town kid like me whose father and mother never went to college.
Life turned full circle. Now there is a way we can pay it forward.
This June Sierra College is asking property owners in Placer County to consider a bond issue that will raise $350 million to modernize the Rocklin campus and invest in facilities that will advance science, technology, engineering, and math for advanced economy jobs. The last bond investment in Sierra College was back in 1957.
This past Monday the Valley Vision Board heard this matter and, after reviewing the issue from all sides over several weeks, voted unanimously to endorse this school bond. They didn’t hear a passionate plea or a personal story of change from their chief executive. They analyzed the facts and weighed the evidence. Investing in education is investing in the human capital we need to drive jobs and business growth, draw investment, create new products and services, increase the regional tax base, and position this region for a vibrant future that touches all of us. It’s why one of Valley Vision’s six driving strategies is to build a 21st Century talent pipeline and why we engage in a vast body of work around education and workforce development.
Sierra College is highly regarded, well run, and has put forward a thoughtful proposal with well-defined purposes and strong taxpayer protections. Leading organizations have pulled in behind it.
William Yeats said that “education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” I know this has been true in my life. Perhaps this has been true for someone you know.
Twenty thousand students experience Sierra College today – 15 times more students than what was original planned for in the late ‘50s. Thousands more students are expected to attend the campus over the next few decades seeking purpose, opportunity and a chance to make a difference. This is a lot of new light, and worth kindling. Our future depends upon it.
Bill Mueller is Chief Executive of Valley Vision.
Fast Pitch Makes Nonprofits the Star of the Show
Collective Power at Work for a Better Community
The power of unified purpose is undeniable. Working collectively in pursuit of common outcomes has over and again proved greater impact than any one organization could have individually. This has long been Valley Vision’s underlying premise. It’s also the driving philosophy of Social Venture Partners of Sacramento, a collective of corporate executives, community leaders, volunteers, philanthropists, and parents who work together to close the chasm between the challenges our communities face today and the society we wish to be tomorrow.
At the core is SVP’s Fast Pitch, an exciting speed contest that gives local nonprofit organizations a chance to win funds to advance their cause. What makes Fast Pitch brilliant and truly community driven is that it teams nonprofit executives with area professionals who work together to craft, coach and hone their presentation “pitch” delivered to a panel of judges. The result is a fast-paced competition involving invested and dedicated individuals who’ve formed a strong bond and deep alliance with the nonprofit they’ve helped prepare. Everyone’s invested.
10 finalists competed this year at Golden 1 Center, each hopeful that the judges would claim their organization the winner of one of three awards of $10,000, $2,000 and $1,000. Presentations were limited to just three minutes and delivered from the floor of G1C in front of an audience of roughly 500 fans cheering for their favorite. With organizations working in youth and adult education, building healthy communities, administering needed social services and delivering innovative learning projects, choosing just three was no easy decision.
Every team needs a coach
Valley Vision’s director of strategy & evaluation Evan Schmidt paired up with Daniel Kaufman of Third Plateau as pitch coaches to Ashley Simon from Roseville Home Start. Their job was to help Ashley deliver the best possible 3-minute pitch on why her nonprofit was more deserving than the competitors. Like the other nine teams, Evan and Daniel worked with Ashley over weeks, helping to craft her message and delivery. In this way, coaches become as invested in winning as their nonprofit partner. The experience—which both cited as highly rewarding—gave Evan and Daniel a platform to elevate their own impact for area nonprofits in a very applied, real way.
The competition was fierce
Presenters from Lilliput Family Services, the Sacramento Children’s Receiving Home, and the LGBT Center of Sacramento kicked off their pitches with a narrative detailing the impact that their organizations make for individuals and families. Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking Center of Sacramento and 3Strands Global both shared testimony describing how personal life experiences inspired them to lead their respective organizations. City Year Sacramento energized the crowd with a “power greeting”, a clapping and chanting ritual that welcomes elementary students to school each day, while Fairy Tale Town vividly described their unique experience that countless children in our region have enjoyed since 1959.
Rundown on the results
First place was awarded to 3Strands Global Foundation, which works to combat human trafficking through education, reintegration, and mobilization. The second place winner was the Children’s Choice for Hearing and Talking Center of Sacramento (CCHAT), which teaches children who are deaf and hard of hearing to listen and develop a spoken language. KidsFirst, the third place winner, treats and prevents child abuse and neglect through education, advocacy and counseling services.
Wait, there’s more.Blanket Marketing Group selected Juma Ventures to receive their Movie Star Advertising Package, and the Ultimate Brand Package went to CCHAT Sacramento. Social Venture Partners also provided Social Media Maven Packages to each of the ten finalists. 3Strands Global was also awarded the Mayor’s Award to meet with Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and KJ2 Productions and Third Plateau Strategies chose CCHAT Sacramento for the Amplified Impact Award. OE Consulting chose the Children’s Receiving Home of Sacramento for the Organization Transformation Award, and the Sacramento LGBT Center, CELI Inc., Lilliput Families, and Sierra Nevada Journeys received the American Advertising Federation FreeThink Award.
Last minute plot twist
With so many organizations providing much needed services for at-risk, LGBTQ and foster youth and young adults, it’s an impossible task to narrow down 10 finalists to just three winners. Apparently someone in the audience felt the same way. City Year Sacramento didn’t make the judges’ final cut, but was able to raise $2,000+ during the event from donors in the audience. But that’s not the end of the story. Just as Fast Pitch was coming to a close it was announced that an anonymous donor was so moved by City Year CEO Jeff Owen’s presentation that they would commit $15,000 to fund one year of service for a student success ambassador over the next three years. That’s a grand total of $47,000 for City Year, an impressive result for not being a top finalist.
Fast Pitch has awarded area nonprofits over $100,000 in funds and $50,000 in services
Social Venture Partners Sacramento was established in 2008 and has worked to unite the power of the business community with the passion of the nonprofit world ever since. SVP’s Fast Pitch is an extraordinary platform to learn about area nonprofit organizations making a difference, to become inspired by their work and impact, and to contribute yourself to making our communities stronger, more connected and more compassionate. Valley Vision was proud to partner in this year’s Fast Pitch and commends all the region’s nonprofit leaders, staff and those who support them in their work to improve people’s lives.
To learn more about SVP visit www.svpsacramento.org
Ruben Moody is Valley Vision’s Communications Intern.
International Delegation Will be Looking for Trade, Research, Partners
By Mark Anderson – Staff Writer, Sacramento Business Journal
An international delegation for entrepreneurship and innovation will tour Northern California this fall, ending with a week-long tour of Davis and Sacramento to study advanced food and agricultural business ecosystems.
The tour will also focus on innovation, science and research, said Trish Kelly, managing director of the local research and advocacy group Valley Vision. “This is food and ag in a big sense.”
This is the first time the Americas Competitiveness Exchange has visited Northern California. The 50 members of its tour group will include government ministers, academics and entrepreneurs looking to forge trade, business ties and research partnerships, she said.
“These events are very focused on outcomes. They want to make connections,” Kelly said.
The tour group will include members from Canada, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and South America, as well as Germany and Israel.
The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, which is based in Davis, is a primary sponsor of the tour, along with Valley Vision.
Some of the highlights of the local tour will be the University of California Davis, the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Sciences and Golden 1 Center, as well as some local food companies, beverage purveyors and briefings on local food systems, Kelly said.
Read full article on the Sacramento Business Journal website.
A New Beginning for Patrick Guild
Experts in All Things is something that Evan Schmidt and I started one day as a way of messing with our co-workers. It is a very real research organization (similar, but far superior to Valley Vision) that exists to learn a creepy amount about the behavior and mannerisms of our coworkers. We would put on comical glasses and then present our observations to the staff as some kind of roast and tribute to our colleagues. It is some kind of weird joke/serious birthday present that lets them all know that we are scrutinizing them heavily and we know little things about them – like how many times they got angry in all of 2016, or what kind of insane snacks they ate at their desks. It sums up my time at Valley Vision perfectly. It’s nerdy, but it’s fun and informed, and it pushes just the right amount of buttons.
But what kind of person would do that for fun?
Is it the same kind of person that would show up to an office everyday to do research projects and create large presentations/documents/media products on frustratingly slow Internet? Or the same kind of person that would choose to work in a building with no windows and bad a/c, that backs up to a busy alley, and is next to a recycling center where glass is being shattered ALL. DAY. LONG?
It’s exactly that kind of person.
As I found out after three years in that weird, stressful, fulfilling, confusing, and challenging environment, there are a lot of incredibly smart, dedicated, and compassionate people in this region that will deal with those conditions. There are people that are more than willing to show up day after day to work in any conditions necessary to make the Sacramento Capital Region the most livable region in the world. They’re doing it for those who live here now, and those whom will live here next. And it’s not only the people who work in that building – it’s the people who visit that building. It’s the lawmakers, the business leaders, the organizers, the activators, and the influencers. It’s the company that Valley Vision keeps.
But in the process of becoming the people that we want to be, we have to do some jumping around, and it’s time for me to go in a different direction. In December, I accepted a role with the Metro Chamber Foundation as a Program Specialist working on the Thousand Strong internship program and the Metro EDGE young professionals program. When I was made aware of the opening, I knew that it was the perfect opportunity to use the skills I’d developed and relationships I’d formed to pay back the greatest gift I’d ever been given – the opportunity that comes from internships. I started as an intern with Valley Vision, and worked my way to Office Manager/Executive Assistant/Project Lead/Handyman/Director of Office Hijinks. It gave my ambition direction, and set me on a path of continual improvement and exploration. It got me in front of the right people and changed the way I think.
So that’s a wrap. My time with Valley Vision has come to an end. In the last three years there, I learned how to balance work and life by completing my Bachelors in Business from Drexel University while working fulltime. I learned about leadership as a Fellow of the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders, Class VIII, and how to manage up by being the boss’ assistant. I’ve booked a thousand meetings, and I’ve rocked ‘em all. I’ve been a guest speaker, been on review panels, written grant applications, travelled for work, burnt the midnight oil, rubbed elbows, and accidently unloaded the contents of a Lagunitas keg all over the office (long story). I’ve conquered old fears, developed new anxieties, and have had an endless amount of other new experiences.
While I am not now, nor will I ever be an Expert in All Things, I am somewhat, kind of, a little bit, experienced in some things, and that’s because I had the good fortune of being part of the Valley Vision family. Thanks for everything.
Patrick Guild was Officer Manager/Executive Assistant at Valley Vision from February 2015 through January 2018.
Taking Your Career to the #NextLevel
Supporting Young Professionals Through Conversations, Inspiration, and a Few Mimosas
Valley Vision project coordinators Alejandra Gallegos and I attended Northern California’s largest conference for emerging leaders – the 2018 Emerge Summit on March 1st, an annual event produced by Metro Edge, a program of the Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation. We were among hundreds of young professionals from Washington to Los Angeles, who descended into downtown Sacramento to listen, connect, and become inspired to take our careers to the next level.
Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, at only 27 years old, delivered the most vibrant exchange and kicked off a day of profound speakers. Alejandra, a Stockton native, agreed with Tubbs’ remarks on “the importance of not despising small beginnings.” She liked that he emphasized how easy it is to become frustrated at the start of a career when many are hungry for experience, responsibilities, and growing quickly—something many young professionals struggle with and often face in their careers. Alejandra admires Tubbs’ resiliency and persistence displayed throughout his political career, which he claims stem from his own “small beginnings.”
With several different sessions happening throughout the day, Alejandra and I first made our way over to “Engaging Broad Audiences with Mimosas.” This session was an entertaining and candid conversation between Christine Calvin of the Crocker Art Museum, Tonja Candelaria of the Sacramento Zoo, Emily Williams of the Sacramento River Cats, and Tracie Popma of the Sacramento Public Library. Moderated by Tina Reynolds of Uptown Studios, the women laughed and commiserated on the daily challenges they faced implementing PR strategies for the region and shared advice on how best to connect with broad audiences. We observed that of this panel of six dynamic women, all who hold top leadership roles focused on marketing strategies to the region’s diverse populations, none were representative of the diverse backgrounds they wish to reach. The panel admitted and recognized this dichotomy, and attributed their success in connecting to these audiences has been in part due to their dedication to empowering minority leaders and the work those leaders do. They explained that they could not claim to fully understand the culture of the demographics they are working with without including them on their team.
The panel discussed how young leaders, and organizations alike, should consider diversity as they grow. How do you address the “white elephant”? How can you best work towards inclusive community outreach? What steps can you take toward improving this system?” Altogether, these women are self-motivated leaders in their industries and were able to bring forward their experiences, giving the audience perspective and insight into the complexities of marketing and public relations.
We also stopped in the “Accelerate Your Career to the Next Level” breakout, hosted by Chris Dito, Senior Director of Career Development at University of California Davis Graduate School of Management. This session concentrated on professionally leveling up through social media platforms and the assertion that this avenue is no longer just for personal leisure. With first impressions now made at the click of a button, utilizing these tools has become imperative to invest in a professional future. Dito suggests making your accounts as dynamic as your personality—be charismatic, powerful and warm—do not stop at the general labels provided as descriptors, or follow cookie cutter instructions when marketing yourself.
For young professionals like us, it can sometimes feel daunting to enter the workforce; the notion that young adults lack wisdom and experience inhibits many from excelling early in their careers. However, Caliph Assagai, motivational speaker and Emerge emcee, stated at the closing of the event, “Fear of failure has killed more dreams than fear itself.”
The Emerge Summit spotlighted what empowerment can look like and how young professionals can take control of their careers. Overall this was a very constructive and exciting day. As staff members of Valley Vision, an organization dedicated to and passionate about making the region one of the most livable in the nation, Alejandra and I left feeling motivated and enthusiastic about investing in ourselves and careers.
We appreciate the sponsors and the nineteen organizations that came together to host the breakout sessions for supporting attendees’ goals to become active and engaged young professionals in the region. Also, a big thank you to Metro EDGE and Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation for hosting such an astounding event for Sacramento and Northern California. We can’t wait for Emerge 2019!
Also a big thank you to Alejandra Gallegos who helped me put this together. Her writing is blended throughout this piece and would not have been possible without her insight and assistance.
Emma Koefoed is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the 21st Century Workforce and Healthy Communities strategies.
Alejandra Gallegos is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the Clean Economy and Healthy Communities strategies.
Overcoming Student Barriers Through Technology Integration
On February 21st and February 22nd, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) hosted its annual School2Home Leadership Academy in Downtown Los Angeles. The goal of the Academy is to encourage continued executive school leadership to close both the School Achievement Gap and Digital Divide collaboratively. With support from CETF, Valley Vision assists Leataata Floyd Elementary (LFE) to implement its School2Home program. The school serves the Marina Vista and Alder Grove communities, two public housing projects near downtown Sacramento where residents face significant barriers to upward mobility. The School2Home program provides helps integrate technology in the classroom at the elementary school level, and supports teachers, students and families to improve digital literacy and learning outcomes.
Leataata Floyd Elementary continues to be a one-of-a-kind institution implementing School2Home – being the only school in Sacramento and the only elementary school state wide. As such, LFE has embarked on an ambitious and targeted goal. While at the School2Home Leadership Academy, a myriad of best practices were shared as were opportunities to interact with educational leaders from Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and other schools from across the state. LFE left the Leadership Academy with a delineated action plan to increase the implementation impact of School2Home as well as a respective self-assessment tool. Some of the targeted actions LFE will be implementing include growing teachers’ capacity to integrate technology into all levels of teaching and learning, as well as using a variety of technology/web based platforms to support teacher collaboration and communication. This means LFE and Valley Vision will be working to implement further support for the teachers, including on-site coaching on the role technology can play in supporting learning outcomes and integrating technology into the way teachers collaborate with each other. Attendees were provided with the opportunity to participate through a web-based back channel. After partaking in this experience, it became clear that teachers can utilize technology in the way they collaborate and communicate with each other, which serves as an effective method to embed technology into school, instead of technology being siloed and compartmentalized, used solely by the students during certain hours.
During the self-assessment using this model, it became clear that LFE is making an effort in the augmentation and redefinition portion of the model with student showcases, but we are still in the initial stages of fully realizing the potential of the model.
Kenneth Shelton, an educator of over 14 years turned Global Keynote Specialist and Educational Technology Strategist for EdTechTeam, provided an inspirational talk. He discussed various pressing issues in the educational system, including the importance of having technology embedded in teaching and a matching rigor that is conscious of equity to ensure the entire potential success technology has to offer is expended. Ultimately, technology has the potential to raise student achievement in unprecedented ways, but these improvements will only come to fruition in the lives of students who are underserved if the teachers are aware of the socio-economic problems some of these students face, and form an instructional rigor that is equitable to these conditions. LFE has taken a step in this direction by implementing trauma-informed training to all teachers and staff, which provides insight to staff on what many students at LFE are facing and how certain traumas can impact student performance.
These are important issues to address and one that LFE and Valley Vision will continue to support in its implementation of School2Home.
Alejandra Gallegos is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the Clean Economy and Healthy Communities strategies.
Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative to Provide Job Training for Local Youth
by Mark Anderson, Sacramento Business Journal:
The local research and advocacy group Valley Vision and a group of Sacramento area manufacturing companies are working together to provide more job training for local youth.
The manufacturers hope to inform schools about their current technology and training needs, so that the schools can provide programs better suited to the local labor market.
“We want to develop a workforce to meet the needs of the 21st-century manufacturer,” said Dean Peckham, the project manager of the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative.
Many schools have ceased teaching industrial arts, and even the ones that do have programs might not meet the needs of local companies, Peckham said.
From a first scoping meeting that attracted 60 manufacturers in October, the volunteer group attracted 80 people to a formal organizational meeting at the end of February. That meeting included manufacturers and local high school and community college representatives, said Peckham, who retired from the city of Sacramento as a senior economic development project manager and is now a volunteer with Valley Vision.
“We’re going to make this thing happen,” said Kevin McGrew, director of quality management with Siemens’ Mobility division. Siemens’ (OTC: SIEGY) plant in South Sacramento employs more than 1,200 people who build locomotives, rail cars and light rail trains.
“We have as manufacturers had some individual relationships with some individual schools, but we have not had a common manufacturing voice out to all the workforce development groups and schools in general to help every high school program,” McGrew said.
The effort is intended to expand the workforce, and also to replace a wave of soon-to-be retiring workers, McGrew said. “If you walk through our places, there are a lot of gray beards.”…
Read the full article on the Sacramento Business Journal website.