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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.

Patrick racing to pick up cotton balls with a plastic spoon while blindfolded

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.