Valley Vision Cohosts Americas Competitiveness Exchange 10
The tenth Americas Competitiveness Exchange arrived in Sacramento on Thursday, following five days of exploring sites across Northern California representing a broad swathe of the Megaregion’s robust innovation ecosystem.
Before arriving in Sacramento, the delegation of 50 high-level decision makers representing 23 different countries across the Western Hemisphere and beyond, visited multiple sites in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Salinas, Los Banos and Fresno. The purpose of the ACE program is for participants to make connections with the local community and explore opportunities for ongoing partnerships in research, trade, economic development, and more. Valley Vision‘s strong connections to federal partners through AgPlus and other initiatives were key to Northern California being the location of the exchange, with Valley Vision and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources serving as organizers and hosts.
Upon arriving in Sacramento, the group was hosted by the Sacramento Kings in the Golden 1 Center Assembly room, where they were welcomed by Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Sacramento City Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and President of Business Operations for the Sacramento Kings, John Rinehart. A panel discussion, moderated by Valley Vision’s Chief Executive, Bill Mueller, explored the public-private partnerships involved in building the arena as an anchor asset for community revitalization and economic development. Featured panelists were Arlen Orchard, General Manager and CEO of SMUD; Danielle Casey, a new Executive Vice President with the Greater Sacramento Economic Council; and Louis Stewart, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Sacramento. Each of the speakers and panelists shared their perspectives on why it was important to work together in bringing the arena to downtown Sacramento and how it serves as a regional and community asset. After the panel discussion, participants were treated to a tour of the most technologically advanced and sustainably operated sports arena in the world by Ryan Montoya, Chief Technology Officer for the Sacramento Kings and member of the Valley Vision Board of Directors.
The next stop in Sacramento was the Urban Hive at the Cannery where the participants saw another urban revitalization project in the former cannery transformed into a sleek and creative co-working and event space. A panel discussion of nine women leaders representing various aspects of the Sacramento region’s innovation ecosystem was masterfully moderated by Valley Vision’s Meg Arnold. As noted by Meg, the job of moderating was made easier by the powerhouse of talent serving on the panel including Amanda Blackwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce; Cynthia Carrillo, Regional Director for the Greater Sacramento Economic Council; Katherine Cota, Executive Director for the new Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University Sacramento; Kathy Kossick, Executive Director with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency; Debbie Lowe Muramoto, Director of the Women’s Business Center, California Capital Financial Development Corporation; Gina Lujan, Founder and CEO of Hacker Lab; Tracey Schaal, Executive Director for Power Inn Alliance; Dr. Amy Schultz, Dean of Career, Continuing, and Technical Education at Sierra College; and Molly Weber, Founder and CXO of the Urban Hive. Additional speakers included Evan Schmidt, Director of Evaluation and Strategy for Valley Vision, Brooks Ohlson, Director of the Los Rios Community College District Center for International Trade and Development, and Ian Steff, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing with the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. Local farmer David Ogilvie also warmly welcomed the group to Sacramento and reflected that many of the challenges he faces as a farmer in a small community are similar to the challenges ACE 10 participants face in their own home countries.
After the event at the Urban Hive, ACE 10 participants and local community leaders split into tables of ten at farm-to-fork restaurants in Sacramento for small group discussion dinners. The Dinner Discussion sponsors were the City of Davis, the City of Elk Grove, the City of Sacramento, Los Rios Community College District, Center for International Trade and Development, Sacramento State University, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sierra College, and Raley’s. The small group discussion dinners received rave reviews, with many ACE 10 participants commenting that these dinners allowed for in-depth conversations to occur and strong connections to develop – not to mention the best Farm-to-Fork food experience of the entire trip!
Friday morning kicked off with a welcome breakfast hosted by Sacramento State University at the Leland Stanford Mansion, where university President, Dr. Robert Nelsen welcomed the group and shared his pride in Sacramento State. His pride is well placed in the recognition the university received from the American Association of State Colleges for Excellence in Innovation for successful strategies to increase graduation rates and reduce achievement gaps. Following Dr. Nelsen’s remarks, Brian Lenihan, the newly appointed Executive Director for SelectUSA with the U.S. Department of Commerce had an opportunity to address the group and share the importance of building strong trade relationships.
Following the welcome breakfast, the group relocated to the first floor ballroom where Congressman Ami Bera, California’s 7th District, welcomed the ACE 10 participants to Sacramento. The group then had an opportunity to hear an interactive policy dialogue with state and local policy leaders. The discussion was moderated by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, California District 4. The panelists were Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Awinash Bawle, Deputy Director of International Affairs with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development; and Dr. Alberto Ayala, Executive Director with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. The aim of the panel discussion was to highlight how, by working together, we can address some of the most significant challenges we face globally through embracing the new connections, partnerships, and possibilities.
The welcome breakfast and policy dialogue were following by a full afternoon at UC Davis that will require another entire blog to cover. On the way back to Sacramento from UC Davis the group stopped in West Sacramento for a tour of the Bayer Crop Science facility where they were welcomed by West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.
ACE 10 culminated with a closing dinner at the California Museum attended by local community partners. Dr. Stacy MacAfee with the University of the Pacific provided closing remarks along with Assistant City Manager, Mike Jasso, with the City of Sacramento. The Honorable Manuel Laboy, Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce for Puerto Rico was on hand for Puerto Rico to receive the hand-off for ACE 11.
Overall, the ACE 10 event was an opportunity to raise the profile of the Capital region’s innovation ecosystem assets nationally and internationally. This objective was well accomplished, along with making new connections and becoming part of a network of global innovators seeking a brighter, more prosperous future for all. A big shout out to our sponsors for their support in accomplishing this objective. Many thanks to CALED, Los Rios Community College District, Center for International Trade Development, California State University Sacramento, Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, SMUD, Power Inn Alliance, Sacramento State University, University of the Pacific and Visit Sacramento for helping us warming welcome our international guests to the Capital region.
To see video highlights from the ACE 10 delegation’s activities in the Capital region, see the videos for Day 5 and Day 6! See also the ACE 10 Website and Trip Book!
Tammy Cronin is a Valley Vision Project Leader working in the 21st Century Workforce and Innovation and Infrastructure strategies.
South Sacramento Prioritized for Cap & Trade Investment
At the end of September 2018, the California Air Resources Board unanimously approved South Sacramento-Florin as one of 10 communities statewide for air quality monitoring, positioning us favorably for clean transportation investments to mitigate pollution!
The Sacramento region’s Cleaner Air Partnership has been building momentum for this decision since January by holding over 50 in-person meetings with elected officials and decision-makers in the Capitol and at CARB, and organizing with local air quality advocates and community leaders. Now, the Sac Metro Air District will work with the community to develop an effective emissions reduction program.
We encourage you to read both the CARB Press Release and the Sac Metro Air District Press Release for additional info. View the video of the September 27th session to see the Cleaner Air Partnership’s all-star delegation in action!
“We are extremely pleased CARB selected a Sacramento community to be a first-round priority when implementing the monitoring component and community engagement requirements of AB 617. Through this additional monitoring we will be able to more accurately assess how air pollution affects our most disadvantaged communities,” said Sacramento City Councilmember Larry Carr, who represents parts of the selected area. “This new information will set the stage for what I hope will be new measures by the Sac Metro Air District to reduce emissions including investments in the community for cleaner cars and trucks.”
The Sac Metro Air District is currently seeking South Sacramento-Florin residents, businesses and others to serve on an Air Quality Steering Committee to help create a Community Air Monitoring Plan. The Air District is accepting applications through November 9th, and hosting a community meeting on Thursday, November 1st at the Southgate Library. More information is available on the Air District’s Community Air Protection Program web page.
For questions about getting involved in the Cleaner Air Partnership, please email Adrian Rehn or call (916) 325-1630.
Adrian Rehn is a Valley Vision Project Manager overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s online communications.
Keep Manufacturing Close: A Brooklyn Tale
Is manufacturing dead in America? Have all the good “blue collar” jobs been exported to low-cost countries, never to return?
News reports are full of stories about the loss of manufacturing jobs, but the truth today is something different. During the past eight years since the global recession, manufacturing has bounded back strongly, gaining 1.1 million jobs to reach over 12 million today – many based in California. Companies are bringing manufacturing back home for reasons of quality and creative control. According to the Institute for Supply Management, 17 of 18 major manufacturing industries have been in “growth mode” in recent months.
Manufacturing is vital to a healthy economy not just because it has the single highest multiplier of any economic sector, generating $1.81 in output for every dollar invested, or that every direct manufacturing job supports another four. Perhaps even more important for a middle-weight economy like Sacramento’s is that manufacturing occupations pay better than other working-class fields, averaging $57,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; are plentiful in our region, and with the right training, people can get on the highway from poverty to opportunity relatively quickly.
World-renowned fashion designer Nanette Lepore made a compelling case for keeping manufacturing close during the 2018 Study Mission program to Brooklyn, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber. Brooklyn is seeing a manufacturing resurgence, chiefly with small, creative enterprises that leverage technology, local supply chains, and modern tools, like 3-D printing, to knock down traditional barriers to entry.
After years in Manhattan, Lepore is now operating from Brooklyn where the city is using their building codes to protect and preserve old warehouses as manufacturing sites and directing infill housing elsewhere. You can’t have all the beauty of fashion, art, or design without making room for the grit that builds it, said Lepore. Developers of the Brooklyn Navy Yard are breaking up massive buildings into smaller 500, 1,000, and 1,500 square-foot individual business sites to match the needs of smaller manufacturing enterprises with great success. Hyper-localized is the new story, we heard.
Keeping manufacturing close allows for improved creative control over the result, Lepore continued. You don’t have to wait days for proofs or early runs to know whether you hit the mark. Quality control is also dramatically increased when cycle times are shortened by hours or thousands of miles, reducing the margin for error. “Speed to market and proximity to suppliers also are big advantages in today’s economy,” Lepore said.
Could we be returning to the past?
Six hundred years ago, humanity finally left the dark ages thanks to the rebirth of the arts, learning, and invention. Historians point to the epicenter being places like Florence, Italy, where small, open-stall shops lined bustling city streets, bringing together clothiers with fine artists, cobblers, metal workers, sculptors, and machinists of all kinds, collaborating and borrowing from each others’ innovations. Those were the days of Leonardo Da Vinci. That close-knit manufacturing community launched the renaissance, and later the scientific revolution that would lead to the discovery of new cures, new frontiers, and improve living standards for millions.
In the greater Sacramento area, manufacturers like Siemens Mobility and Tri Tool have come together to form the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI), with Valley Vision as their host organization. Their aim: to partner with educators to build the talent pipeline for in-demand manufacturing jobs in places like South Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, and Woodland. Research shows the Sacramento Region is home to over 2,700 manufacturing companies – half of which have fewer than five employees – in fields ranging from machine shops, food processors, and breweries to medical device companies whose technologies are being used around the world. There were 10,000 job postings for manufacturing positions in the Sacramento Region in the past 12 months, a massive gap and growing opportunity which area employers are eager to fill.
Brooklyn showed us a glimpse of Sacramento’s future. Let’s build it together. To get involved, please contact SVMI’s Dean Peckam or read more about the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative.
Bill Mueller was Chief Executive of Valley Vision.
California to Host Tenth Americas Competitiveness Exchange
Senior Officials from Across the Western Hemisphere and other Nations to Visit Northern California’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs.
Valley Vision and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, along with other partners are hosting the 10th Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACE 10) October 21 – 27. The selected ACE 10 participants will be visiting innovation ecosystem assets at several sites across the Northern California megaregion. The ACE 10 program will be coming through the Capital region on October 25th and 26th. Sites the ACE 10 delegation will visit in the Capital region include the Golden 1 Center, the Urban Hive, and UC Davis.
October 12, 2018 – WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA), in coordination with the U.S. Department of State and the Organization of American States (OAS), announced that 50 high-level representatives from 24 countries will participate in the Tenth Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. ACE 10 will take place on October 21-27, 2018, in Northern California.
ACE brings together decision-makers from the Western Hemisphere and beyond to explore global and regional partnerships, and economic development opportunities to establish new global commercial relationships.
ACE 10 will showcase Northern California’s unique entrepreneurial and innovation assets. This year, the program will focus on the intersection of these assets across four global areas of opportunity: improving health, feeding the world, maximizing economic resources, and fostering resiliency.
The delegation will tour leading innovation clusters in San Francisco, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Fresno, Davis and Sacramento built around industries such as information technology; food and agriculture; energy and clean technologies; life and environmental sciences, including marine technologies and manufacturing.
“ACE continues to succeed in its goal of advancing commerce and accelerating business opportunities throughout the Western Hemisphere,” said John Andersen, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere. “We’re excited to host the tenth iteration of this program in Northern California, where the delegation will have the unique opportunity to forge partnerships with California’s leaders in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, aerospace, and agriculture technology.”
“ACE has been instrumental in showcasing the incredible innovation capacity of U.S. regions and has proven critical in establishing global commercial relationships that can support U.S. business objectives,” said Dennis Alvord, EDA Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regional Affairs. “Northern California is a world-renowned center of innovation and entrepreneurship activity and we look forward to showcasing the incredible work that the Department of Commerce and regional leaders are doing to advance the innovation economy.”
For more information about the ACE program please visit: http://riacevents.org/ace/. For more information on ACE 10, please visit: http://riacevents.org/ACE/california2018/.
International Trade Administration (www.trade.gov)
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is the premier resource for American companies competing in the global marketplace. ITA has more than 2,200 employees assisting U.S. exporters in more than 100 U.S. cities and 75 markets worldwide.
About the U.S. Economic Development Administration (www.eda.gov)
The mission of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing the nation’s regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. An agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, EDA makes investments in economically distressed communities in order to create jobs for U.S. workers, promote American innovation, and accelerate long-term sustainable economic growth.
New Farm-to-Fork LIVE Event Series Kicks Off (Plus Paella)
You think getting your kids to eat what you cook them is difficult? Try feeding 45,000 kids every day!
That’s what Diana Flores, Nutrition Services Director for Sacramento City Unified School District, and her staff face every school day of the year – the largest restaurant you can imagine with the pickiest clientele. With construction of the district’s new central kitchen underway, nutrition services staff will soon have the equipment and space needed to feed those kids more food grown right here in our region – America’s Farm to Fork Capital.
Last week audience members learned this and more at the kickoff event of Farm to Fork Live!, a new event series developed by Valley Vision, that will focus on different aspects of the food and agriculture economy and culture. “We want to address, not just the “why” of our region being ‘America’s Farm to Fork Capital’, but the “how” as well. How are our food and ag leaders showing that We Are Farm to Fork? How is our region leading the way?” said Bill Mueller, CEO of Valley Vision.
The first event, held last Thursday at UC Davis Health’s MIND Institute, focused on our Home Grown Economy – how institutional food purchasers can support the local economy by purchasing from local growers. In addition to SCUSD, UC Davis Health Executive Chef Santana Diaz explained how he is creating a locally-sourced food services program in the health center’s cafeterias and for their patient care program. Patients, staff, and visitors will be getting high-quality, healthy food while supporting the local economy.
While making the connection between food purchasers and local growers might seem like a no-brainer, it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Growers don’t always have the quantity or exact product a chef or purchaser might need, and buyers have to have a purchasing system that allows them to work with multiple sources rather than one large food distributor. Aquaculturist (“fish farmer”) Michael Passmore of Passmore Ranch and rice farmer Michael Bosworth of Rue & Forsman talked about how working with Chef Santana and other institutional buyers has benefited their operations. They explained the paths they each took to get to that point, while Chef Santana talked about how to make a local-purchasing system work.
When large-scale food purchasers buy from local farmers and ranchers, more of our local dollars stay in the region, which lifts the whole economy. Additionally, fresher, often healthier food reaches people who might otherwise not have access to it. That’s what Ms. Flores faces, as over 70% of the SCUSD students come from low-income households. Ms. Flores explained that when she can purchase from local growers, she also saves money. This is important, especially since the Nutrition Services program is completely self-funded – they get no financial support from the district’s general fund. So, the $3.33 she has per student per meal doesn’t just pay for food, it pays for staff, equipment, transportation, and all of the other expenses that go into feeding that many people at 80 different sites.
The program closed with the unveiling of the new Farm to Fork Live brand developed by Honey Agency, who also developed the We Are Farm to Fork civic pride logo and Visit Sacramento’s America’s Farm to Fork Capital logo. The new Farm to Fork Live logo mixes the excitement of eating healthy food with the beautiful patchwork created by agricultural fields across our region.
The informative, engaging conversation was led by local TV personality Bethany Crouch. We look forward to continuing to work with Bethany through the rest of the series. Following the program, participants were treated to a reception that included Chef Santana’s paella, sourced from local ingredients including fish from Passmore Ranch and rice and Rue & Forsman. This was paired with sangria and an arugula and quinoa salad.
Valley Vision will continue the Farm to Fork Live series with events in December, February, and March!
Robyn Krock was a Valley Vision Project Leader managing food, agriculture, and broadband initiatives.
Why You Should Vote Yes on Measures U and B
Improving lives is the reason Valley Vision exists. For 25-years we have dedicated ourselves to a community mission that values all people and wants their long-term success. This means safer streets, better schools, cleaner air, and access to the Internet, quality food and healthcare, housing that’s affordable, and a meaningful job that allows people to provide for themselves and live well in our communities.
In Sacramento and in Roseville, residents’ long-term quality of life is not so certain. Why? In Roseville, 10-years of belt tightening due to the loss of a utility tax and the effects of online shopping have brought them to a point where there’s no place left to cut. The effects are showing, and things will get worse unless action is taken. In a city known for good management and financial conservatism, they smartly reached out to residents and involved them for over a year in finding a solution. Increasing the local sales tax by a half-cent was the community’s consensus decision, raising the tax rate from one of the lowest in the region modestly. If Measure B, is approved by voters this November, police and fire service levels will be maintained, cherished parks and libraries will stay open, and streets and roads will be maintained for commerce and connectivity.
In Sacramento the story is a bit different. The city’s original Measure U was approved several years ago at a time of great financial stress. A temporary half-cent sales tax was approved by voters to preserve essential city services like police and parks. Today Sacramento voters are being asked to make permanent the original half-cent tax to continue essential services like police and parks and then add a half-cent more, for community investment. A key feature of the extra half-cent contained in Measure U, says Mayor Steinberg, is fulfilling the promise of “Project Prosper”, a year-long community engagement process that aims to invest in underserved communities across the City, growing jobs and opportunity.
Valley Vision leadership and research have been part of Project Prosper from the start, and the effort is closely matched to the region-wide inclusive-economy-building effort informed by the Brookings Institute and driven by the Greater Sacramento Economic Council, Valley Vision, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and the Sacramento Metro Chamber. New investment is critical to achieving the goal of a more vital, inclusive economy that works for everyone.
As part of “Valley Vision 3.0” – a board-driven initiative to strengthen Valley Vision and get us ready for what’s next – our volunteer leadership created a process late last year for Valley Vision to evaluate and take stands on important regional issues where our Triple-Bottom-Line voice can add value and vital perspective.
At the end of September, Valley Vision’s Board of Directors voted to endorse both Measure B and Measure U on the November ballot because each holds the promise of helping us all live better, more prosperous, just and sustainable lives – our Triple Bottom Line focus.
The larger message from Valley Vision is that City leaders must keep their compact with voters – a cent given must result in an actual cent of investment in the community. This will require strong community oversight and regularly reporting of the results. Yet more than performance reporting, good government practice ought to compel us all to constantly learn from experience about what’s working and what’s not, and to have the courage to change course based on solid data and widespread community input. Our collective success depends upon it.
Bill Mueller is Valley Vision’s Chief Executive.
Bill Mueller Honored with Distinguished Service Award
On September 27th, Valley Vision CEO Bill Mueller accepted the Distinguished Service Award from Sacramento State. Distinguished Service Awards are given in recognition of professional achievements and community service. Honorees have achieved prominence in their chosen field and brought distinction to the University and/or their community through their accomplishments. Below you will find a transcript of his acceptance speech.
Thank you, Sac State Alumni Association and President Nelsen for this recognition. I also want to thank my dear friend and colleague Christine Ault for submitting my nomination.
My family is here. My sons’ Daniel and Brian, and my sisters’ Debbie, Susie and her husband Gary, and my kid sister Nancy. My dear friend Fredrica is also here. My oldest son Nick is a priest in Boston and he and his wife Deena could not be here, but they are here in spirit. Thank you, all. You honor me by being here.
This award hits home. Not because of how it feels in this moment, but because this recognition is shared with friends, my family and my parents.
My parents are both gone now. My Dad died 16 years ago almost to the day. My Mom died of cancer in January. Her birthday was last Friday. I can still hear her, and feel her.
She and my dad were big believers in education. They knew it opened doors. To good jobs. To a better life. They encouraged it in their kids.
But my Mom in particular was always reading and always asking questions. Education for her was not limited to the classroom. It was a lifelong commitment. She wanted to know. And both my mom and dad taught us kids, not just about the world, but how to be.
As children we were taught never to hate. We may dislike something or somebody, but never, ever hate. That it is not our differences that divide us, but instead the judgments we make about others that do. That 95% of all disagreements sprang from nothing more than missed expectations, poorly communicated, calling us to communicate better.
Our times tell us different. Our times say we should retreat to our tribes and keep to ourselves. That we should not engage people whose views and ideas don’t match our own — not because they are simply different than our view — but because we judge them to be wrong.
I can’t help but wonder what my mom and other moms would say about this. I think she’d encourage us to grow up, not in a mean spirited way, but in a way that lets us know we aren’t living up to our best selves. She would encourage us to be less fearful and more hopeful. More faithful in things bigger than ourselves. To reach out, especially when it is hardest. To have heart that our better days are ahead, as they always have been. That education is our key, because it democratizes hope. This is what I hear from my mom every day.
I want to thank Sac State, and for my teachers like Joe Serna, who was teacher first and Sacramento Mayor second, for being that place of formation and inspiration for me, and for thousands more. You got us ready for this world, as our parents have, to serve in a way that unites us, and brings out our best selves.
Bill Mueller is Chief Executive of Valley Vision.