Nevada California Jobs First (CERF) Roundtable – February 2023
On February 7, 2023, Valley Vision hosted a roundtable on the California Jobs First (CERF) for Nevada County. The session included an overview of the California Jobs First (CERF) Program (slides below) as well as a discussion about the concerns, needs, and opportunities for the county. In addition to the slides below, you may also view the discussion notes and handout.
CAP Luncheon: The 2025 Blueprint (March 2023)
At the Cleaner Air Partnership’s December 2022 Quarterly Luncheon, attendees discussed the Sacramento region’s MTP/SCS strategy, the Blueprint, and the process for achieving a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous region.
CAP events are an opportunity to learn about important air quality topics affecting the Sacramento region. Thank you to the generous contributors to the Cleaner Air Partnership: Sac Metro Air District, Teichert, SMUD, Sutter Health, Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, El Dorado County Air Quality Management District, PG&E, CEMEX, Clarity, and Nikola Motors.
Guest Speakers:
- James Corless, Executive Director, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) (Presentation)
- Kacey Lizon, Deputy Executive Director of Planning & Programs, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG)
Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion (CRCDI) Quarterly Meeting – March 10, 2023
Access the meeting recording HERE.
The Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion’s (CRCDI) Quarterly Meeting took place on Friday, March 10, 2023. The event featured Amanda Bergson-Shilcock from the National Skills Coalition, presenting on “Closing the Digital Skills Divide” – a report which found 92% of jobs in the U.S. labor market require digital skills. The Coalition also provided regional broadband and digital inclusion announcements, and discuss important updates in state and federal funding, along with the state’s digital equity plan.
Register for upcoming CRCDI Quarterly Meetings HERE.
Building A Community-Centered Clean Economy Event Materials
On February 13, 2023, Valley Vision hosted Building A Community-Centered Clean Economy, a hybrid event that acted as both the second Climate, Justice, and Jobs Summit as well as the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) kick-off event.
The event featured a video from CJJ’s Community First Listening Series and a live Community Panel discussion that shared perspectives on effective community engagement and ways to remove barriers to accessing jobs. Our Keynote Speaker, Stewart Knox, Secretary of the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, kicked-off the CERF program by sharing the state’s vision for high road careers in a low-carbon economy and some of the strategies our region can utilize as we begin the planning process. His session concluded with a brief Q&A moderated by Valley Vision’s CEO, Evan Schmidt and transitioned into her presentation on next steps and upcoming opportunities for our region’s CERF efforts.
View the Recording & Slides
Want to follow along with the slides? Please download the event slides here.
Community First Listening Sessions Highlight Video
During the event, a video was shared of previously held Community First Listening sessions across Sacramento, Yolo and Placer counties. The video was a great way to show off the work of the Climate, Justice, and Jobs program as well as set the tone for the community panel that followed.
Community Panel Main Takeaways
Panel members expressed a clear need to meet people where they are. From youth to experienced adults, panel members discussed a lack of understanding of clean economy careers. Targeted outreach, engagement and education strategies need to be developed with specific populations in mind considering verbiage choice and modality of communication. Examples given included youth primarily using online platforms to access resources and information, and older adults benefitting from clearing houses to help them navigate the same. Another description of this disconnect was the lack of education and training provided to incarcerated individuals in the clean economy and other viable industries to prepare them for immediate, gainful employment post-release.
Another clear imperative of the panel was to support organizations already doing the work. Nonprofit and grassroots organizations on the ground, in neighborhoods and working with specific, high barrier populations can reach these individuals more effectively. Additionally, these organizations frequently provide more holistic services, meeting basic needs including housing, transportation and other supports to enable historically underserved community members to take advantage of training and employment opportunities.
The community panel described feeling fatigued and disconnected from making a real impact on decision making. When describing the communities they represented, several panel members used the word resilient. As clarified by Executive Director Kiara Reed of Civic Thread and the panel moderator, “When we say something is resilient, we also have to acknowledge that it has been knocked down and that it’s not sustainable.” The panel gave another clear mandate, to have a genuine seat at the table and influence when decisions are being made that affect them. They do not only want their voices to be heard, but also have them meaningfully considered and result in action.
Acknowledging this fatigue, we are incredibly grateful to our panelists who offered their honest thoughts with us once again.
Panelist Bios
(from left to right in recording/photo appearance):
Farmer Alfred Melbourne is owner and operator of Three Sisters Gardens and a longtime resident of West Sacramento. Their mission is to teach at-risk youth how to grow, harvest, and distribute organic vegetables and get the community involved in supporting the at-risk youth population in Yolo County.
Roy Ballard is an Advocacy Fellow at the Center for Employment Opportunities, where he dedicates himself to finding employment and ministry opportunities for individuals impacted by the justice system. He developed a passion for serving others during his incarceration, where he spent 10 years volunteering in faith-based prison recovery programs.
Richard Falcon is a talented local artist who established Teatro Nagual, a group of artists that promote civic engagement utilizing various forms of art. He values community involvement and expresses it through his role as Lead Organizer at United Latinos and has been recognized as one of Sacramento’s Top 25 Latino Change Makers.
James Mayle is a retired law enforcement professional who was born and raised in Sacramento. As a lifelong resident, James is dedicated to encouraging young people to get involved in their communities and become informed citizens.
Janie Rankins-Mayle is also a retired law enforcement professional who was born and raised in Sacramento. Throughout her career, Janie has been actively involved with the local school district and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to being an active member of their community.
Tommy DeLuna is a Life Coach for the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, a nonprofit that supports formerly incarcerated individuals and advocates for criminal justice reform. Tommy also has experience working in construction. He is dedicated to raising the level of success with each employer and employee that he works for.
Anna Maria Thomas is a student at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento and is part of the Zero Carbon Champion Program, a youth-led climate ambassador program. Leveraging her passion for building a better community by promoting legislation that addresses the needs of our environment, Anna Maria is actively involved in Student Government and Environmental Club, in addition to other clubs at her high school.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to Kiara Reed who facilitated the panel. Kiara is the Executive Director for Civic Thread, a nonprofit planning and advocacy organization focused on achieving health equity in the built environment. Kiara brings over eight years of community engagement and leadership experience and has strong community connections and a vast network across multiple sectors. She leverages her own lived experiences as she works to build equitable outcomes by empowering marginalized voices and championing community-led solutions.
Live Polling Results
As part of the event, Valley Vision used a live polling website called mentimeter in order to gauge perspectives on two important questions to help establish a common vision as we enter the CERF planning process. Highlights from the two questions are below and the full results are available here.
What does it look like to be community-centered?
- Organized and transparent decision-making that allows time for people to understand and the issue and voice their opinions
- Meeting people where they are because each community has varied needs
- When the visible development of a neighborhood reflects the desires, needs, and identity of the people that live and work there
What do you envision for our region when you think about a clean economy?
- Economy focused on and using renewable resources where employees earn livable wages, healthy working conditions, and have opportunities for growth
- Looking throughout the region for reliable long-term solutions. This includes understanding existing partnerships
- Reduced climate impacts with a particular focus on communities and individuals most vulnerable to these impacts
What Comes Next?
We’re looking forward to continuing this work through the Community Economic Resilience Fund. If you are already a part of the coalition, keep an eye out for information as we begin to convene our subregional roundtables. If you haven’t but are interested, please fill out our CERF Interest Form. We also plan to release multiple RFPs to bring in additional partners over the coming months, including:
- Data & Research Lead
- Community Engagement & Tribal Leads
- Capacity Building Lead
- Business and Labor Engagement Leads
- Communications Lead
California Jobs First (CERF) Application Workshops
Backbone Support & Governance Meetings
In July of 2022, Valley Vision hosted a series of meetings to develop our proposed governance structure for our region’s application.
Committee Application Workshops
In July of 2022, Valley Vision hosted a series of workshops to help inform our region’s application. These committees were formed based on the areas of activity that will take place during the planning phase.
Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion (CRCDI) Quarterly Meeting – December 9, 2022
Access the meeting recording HERE.
The Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion’s (CRCDI) Quarterly Meeting took place on Friday, December 9, 2022. The event featured a Year-in-Review reflection of the Coalition and focused on Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), featuring enrollment data for the Capital Region and several guest speakers offering insight on best practices and methods for helping communities get enrolled in ACP.
Register for upcoming CRCDI Quarterly Meetings HERE.
Early Childhood Education Careers Conversation (December 2022)
The Early Childhood Education Careers Conversation Webinar took place on December 6, 2022. This event included a presentation of key findings and recommendations from the recently released Early Childhood Education Workforce Needs Assessment published by the Center of Excellence and Valley Vision. This report detailed the current landscape of the industry, upcoming market pressures, and set forth a series of recommendations for further investigation and possible implementation.
Guest Speaker
- Aaron Wilcher, Center of Excellence, Greater Sacramento Regional Director
Panelists
- Denise Lee, Sacramento Employment & Training Agency, Deputy Director of Children and Family Services
- Steven Hicks, Sacramento County Office of Education, Early Learning Coordinator
- Janine Cooper, City of Sacramento, Child Care Project Manager
- Dr. Ana Garcia Nevarez, California State University, Sacramento, State Project Director for Transforming CA ECE Degrees (UP-LIFT CA Grant)
- Heidi Keiser, Child Action, Inc., Public Policy Officer
- Laurie Perry, Sacramento City College, Faculty and Early Learning Childhood Coordinator
CAP Luncheon: Let’s Talk Trucks (December 2022)
At the Cleaner Air Partnership’s December 2022 Quarterly Luncheon, attendees discussed forthcoming regulations for medium and heavy-duty trucks, and how our region is preparing for this transition.
CAP events are an opportunity to learn about important air quality topics affecting the Sacramento region. Thank you to the generous contributors to the Cleaner Air Partnership: Sac Metro Air District, Teichert, SMUD, Sutter Health, Union Pacific, Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, El Dorado County Air Quality Management District, North State Building Industry Association, PG&E, CEMEX, and the Healthy Air Alliance.
Guest Speakers:
- Paul Arneja, Air Resources Engineer, CARB (Presentation)
- David Renschler, Fleet Division Manager, City of Fairfield and MEMA NorCal Chair (Slide)
- Eric Cahill, Senior Strategic Planner, SMUD (Presentation)
CAP Technical Advisory: Air Quality Standards (November 2022)
At the Cleaner Air Partnership’s November 2022 Technical Advisory Committee meeting, participants discussed potential changes to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and what they might mean for the Sacramento region. CAP events are an opportunity to learn about important air quality topics affecting the Sacramento region.
Thank you to the generous contributors to the Cleaner Air Partnership: Sac Metro Air District, Teichert, SMUD, Sutter Health, Union Pacific, Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, Placer County Air Pollution Control District, Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, El Dorado County Air Quality Management District, North State Building Industry Association, PG&E, CEMEX, and the Healthy Air Alliance.
Subject Matter Experts:
- Miles Keogh, National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA)
- Shyamala Rajan, American Lung Association (Presentation)
- Mariela Ruacho, American Lung Association
- Louis Baer, Portland Cement Association
- Erik White, Placer County Air Pollution Control District
Livability Summit 2022 Panelists & Speakers
The Livability Poll: A Wellness Check of the Sacramento Region
by Evan Schmidt, CEO of Valley Vision
Valley Vision fields a quality of life poll that tracks residents’ experiences with issues such as affordability of necessities, access to services, job and career satisfaction, safety and belonging, as well as residents’ perspectives of the Sacramento Region. Evan presents some of the more notable findings from The Livability Poll fielded in the summer of 2022.
You can read the full poll report here.
View a video of the presentation below and download the Powerpoint to follow along here.
Evan Schmidt is the CEO of Valley Vision, a nonprofit organization that leads regional and statewide initiatives to advance livability by supporting social equity, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability. She oversees the organization’s six impact areas of Workforce Development, Clean Economy, Food & Agriculture, Broadband & Digital Equity, Healthy Communities and Leadership & Civic Engagement. She is committed to building communities that are vibrant and sustainable and where every person has the opportunity to meet their potential. Under her leadership, Valley Vision creates the foundation for collaboration, research, and vision that enables us to meet those goals.
Keynote: Building An Equitable Future
Alicia John-Baptiste, CEO of SPUR
View a video of the presentation below and download the Powerpoint to follow along here.
Alicia John-Baptiste is president and CEO of SPUR, the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association. Alicia has over 20 years of experience reimagining systems to create better outcomes for people. Her optimistic vision and practical approach inform SPUR’s efforts to build a Bay Area where all people can thrive. Alicia has a deep commitment to the collective good while serving in leadership roles for the City and County of San Francisco, and as Chief of Staff at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency. Locally and nationally recognized for her public policy expertise, inspirational perspective and creative approach to systems change. Alicia talks about how we build an equitable future in a way that plans for cities and regions that work for everyone.
Livable Housing Solutions – Presented by SACOG
Kacey Lizon, Rick Jennings, Bonnie Gore, Roshaun Davis
Housing availability and affordability remain a critical topic among leaders in the Sacramento region. SACOG presents a progress report on how well the six-county region is doing towards meeting its Blueprint housing goals. Learn how transportation, smart policy, and investments can help meet housing needs and contribute to a vibrant and thriving region.
View a video of the panel below and download the Powerpoint to follow along here.
Kacey Lizon (Moderator) oversees SACOG’s planning, funding, and technical assistance programs. She has played an instrumental role in regional planning and smart growth
planning and has led initiatives in land use,
housing, transportation, transit-oriented
development, and environmental and
rural planning. Kacey serves as a board
member of the California Chapter of the American Planning Association and is a member of the California Planning Roundtable.
Rick Jennings (Panelist) has served District 7 on the Sacramento City Council since 2014, representing Greenhaven, Pocket, Little Pocket, Land Park, South Lake Park, Curtis Park, and Z’Berg Park. He represents the City’s interests on the Budget and Audit, Personnel & Public Employees, and Racial Equity Committees. Since 1997, he has served, with distinction, as the CEO of the Center for Fathers and Families, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening families and building communities in Sacramento. Jennings has served on numerous boards and councils representing youth, neighborhoods, libraries, education. He is the current Chair of the SACOG Board of Directors.
Bonnie Gore (Panelist) was elected to the Placer County Board of Supervisors in June 2018 and served on the Roseville City Council from 2012. Her focus is economic development, fiscal sustainability, public safety, and positive collaboration between local jurisdictions. She serves on the Placer Wastewater Authority JPA, Western Placer Waste Management Authority, California State Association of Counties, and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council. She also served as Chair for SACOG in 2021.
Roshaun Davis (Panelist) partners with community-centric organizations, early stage entrepreneurs, corporate companies, and governmental agencies. His talent for community development, strategic focus and program implementation bridges the gap between the built environment and the community that lives within it. Roshaun is a speaker with a dynamic and engaging style. He has a TEDx talk entitled, “How Do You Show Love To Your City.” He is also a well known musical artist performing in places like South by Southwest, Los Angeles, and New York City, where he found his passion for representing the underrepresented. He has been named Top 100 Business Leaders, 40 under 40, Top 25 Changemakers in Sacramento and received the Local Vision Award from the American Planning Association.
Housing the Unhoused: An Action Plan for Change
Jeneba Lahai, Dianna Pogetto, Dr. Jonathan Porteus, Rosario Rodriguez, Angela Upshaw
Introduced by Lisa Bates & Moderated by Evan Schmidt
Livability Poll respondents cited homelessness and affordable housing as the two top issues of concern in our region and among the most pressing challenges to livability that our region faces. Recognizing and taking action to address these issues is critical to support livability in communities across our region. Learn what solutions community leaders and advocates are advancing to address this humanitarian, public health and safety, and business issue.
View a video of the panel below and download the Powerpoint to follow along here.
Lisa Bates (Introducer) is CEO of Sacramento Steps Forward, a leading voice in building a homeless response system and manager of the Sacramento Homeless Continuum of Care. She has led housing policy initiatives including adoption of a statewide housing plan, advancing racial equity strategies, and overseeing deployment of community development funding to communities and affordable housing developers.
Jeneba Lahai (Panelist) is Executive Director of the Yolo County Children’s Alliance, a non-profit that provides wrap-around and direct services to families in need as well as the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Yolo County. She has developed inter-agency collaboration programs to meet the needs of the community. Jeneba serves as board chair of Yolo County’s Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition, member of the Yolo County Health Council, member of the Yolo County’s Head-start policy council and a board member of the West Sacramento Housing Development Corporation.
Dianna Poggetto (Panelist) is Executive Director of the American River Parkway Foundation, ensuring the 23-mile, 4,800- acre parkland and river that runs through the urban core is protected for generations to come. She has been involved with non-profit organizations and public policy in Washington D.C., working with the National Council on Independent Living Centers to help craft the Americans with Disabilities Act and has been actively involved in shaping public policy for homeless initiatives and child welfare.
Dr. Jonathan Porteus (Panelist) is CEO WellSpace Health, a regional community health system. He leads a team of 1,000 healthcare professionals who provide medical, dental, and behavioral health care to approximately 1,400 people per day, all of whom live in poverty or are from underserved communities, including thousands of people are experiencing homelessness.
Rosario Rodriguez (Panelist) is the Vice Mayor for the City of Folsom, elected to office in November 2020 with an intent on making a difference on the issue of homelessness. She is the owner of Sutter Street Taqueria, a restaurant in Historic Folsom. She lived in Folsom with her 16-year-old grandson Antonio, and her 4-year-old German Shepherd, Cody.
Angela Upshaw (Panelist) is the Director of Programs at Berkeley Food & Housing Project where she oversees programs that support people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Programs include Military Veteran-specific programs: Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Grant and Per Diem, and the Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program across seven Northern California Counties. Angela currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC), Co-Chair of Sacramento CoC’s Racial Equity Committee, and Board member of the East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO).
A Livable Future: Livability in the Eyes of the Next Generation
Tate Chatfield, Skyler Harris, Ariana Thakur, Grace Hadani
Amidst a global pandemic, in a society and economy undergoing unprecedented change, our youth are finding ways to forge their own path and make a positive impact in the world. Hear from the students and members of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments’ (SACOG) Youth Leadership Academy who share their unique perspectives on what livability means to them and the future that they envision for our region.
Livability Summit 2022 Post-Event Materials
Materials from the Livability Summit 2022
Livability Summit Event Recap Summary Report
Panelists & Speakers:
Click here to view the slide presentations, speakers, and videos from the Livability Summit.
Photos
To view the Livability Summit gallery, click here.
The Livability Summit: Virtuous Circle of Connection
Read the Livability Summit blog post here by Valley Vision CEO – Evan Schmidt
North Sacramento Video
Videos produced by KJ2 Productions
Our Livability Summit asked two important questions: What is “livability” and how do we actualize it in our communities? The answers to these questions may be different according to one’s own experiences and interests. Leaders from North Sacramento provide their perspective on livability through the lens of being a part of one of Sacramento’s oldest neighborhoods. They also remind us of the power and inspiration that community pride can create.
Video Participants:
- Daniel Savala, Director of the El Paso Boulevard Partnership
- Larry Lee, President/Publisher of The Sacramento Observer
- Shaun Thao, Director of Hope Community Center
- Mina Perez, CEO/President of The Vida De Oro Foundation
- Julie Lynhiavue, CEO of T&Y Supermarket
- Kevin Dobson, Founder/Executive Director of Capital College and Career Academy
SMUD Sustainable Communities Program &
Resource Priorities Map
The Sustainable Communities program helps bring environmental equity and economic vitality to all communities in our service area, with special attention given to historically underserved neighborhoods.
In order to deploy comprehensive resources for our communities most in need, we must align our region’s investments toward the goal of creating and supporting healthy, vibrant, and economically sustainable neighborhoods.
This interactive map helps analyze current data to indicate the local areas most likely to be underserved or in distress by a lack of community development, income, housing, employment opportunities, transportation, medical treatment, nutrition, education, and a clean environment.
View the Livability Summit presentation for the program and the map below.
Sector Studies: Administration of Justice and Public Safety
Strong Workforce Program (SWP)
The Los Rios Community College District, in partnership with Valley Vision, and in collaboration with Lake Tahoe Community College, Sierra College, and Yuba Community College District, invests Strong Workforce funding to organize and convene Regional Advisories. The objectives of the Regional Advisory meetings are to build strong relationships between employers, educators, and the workforce.
Recordings, presentations, and meeting proceeding reports from the Administration of Justice and Public Safety (ADJ) industry advisories are available here for all workforce development stakeholders.
- Spring 2024 Public Safety Regional Advisory: Dispatchers
- Spring 2023 Public Safety Regional Advisory: Firefighting Careers
- Fall 2021 Administration of Justice Regional Advisory
Valley Vision and partners are working across the region to address the key findings from these Strong Workforce advisories and assessments as part of Developing a Ready Workforce.