Connor Kinder-Ebersberger Project Associate

Connor Joined Valley Vision 2024 as a Project Associate in the Leadership and Civic Engagement impact area.

Alan Lange COO

I want the Sacramento region to be a place of proactive planning. Let’s address the upstream challenges so that we don’t spend the next several decades living with the consequences.

Jessica Lara Project Manager

Jessica joined Valley Vision in 2022 as a Project Manager, supporting the Listos California Emergency Preparedness campaign. Prior to joining Valley Vision, Jessica worked in early childhood education as an administrator in her hometown of Stockton, California.  Professional Experience Jessica began working in the nonprofit sector as a teenage volunteer supporting local  organizations with outreach, […]

Ethan Mermell Project Coordinator

Ethan joined Valley Vision in October 2024 as a Project Coordinator to support the Food andAgriculture and Clean Air and Climate impact areas. Ethan’s professional and academic careershave shown him the importance of supporting community-led initiatives to produce lastingchange. Professional Experience Ethan began working in garden-based education during his undergraduate degree, which washis entry point […]

Angelina Olweny Project Coordinator

Angelina joined Valley Vision in 2021 as a Project Associate in the 21st Century Workforce Impact Area. She previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Sacramento Promise Zone, a Federal place-based initiative that seeks to address inequities in the most distressed areas in urban and rural areas across the nation. Professional Experience Angelina promoted […]

Adrian Rehn Senior Project Manager

Adrian joined Valley Vision in 2014 as an Intern, supporting projects to deploy broadband to the underserved, advance an equitable food system, and align workforce development and jobs programs. Today he manages Valley Vision’s ‘Clean Air & Climate’ portfolio, which includes the Cleaner Air Partnership, an initiative that has existed since 1986 to improve air […]

Kathy Saechou Project Coordinator

Kathy’s ethnicity is Mien-American, and her family’s history is deeply rooted in Northern Laos. She was born and raised here in Oak Park, Sacramento, and her family, background and community are the core reasons why she chose an educational and career path in planning. Community is a very important aspect in Kathy’s life and is […]

Evan Schmidt CEO

Evan Schmidt joined Valley Vision in 2014 and became CEO on July 1, 2020. Evan has a long record of success developing community inspired solutions across Valley Vision’s many initiatives – including leading Valley Vision’s research, such as regional polling and future of work; supporting Valley Vision’s impact areas advancing prosperity, equity, and sustainability; and […]

Laurel Smith Project Coordinator

Laurel joined Valley Vision in August 2022, and serves as Project Coordinator for the Listos California Emergency Preparedness Campaign. She has over 4.5 years of experience working in nonprofit settings dedicated to improving healthy communities in the Sacramento Region. Professional Experience Laurel, a local of the Sacramento region, began her career working in nonprofits following […]

Hilary Tellesen Director

Impact Area For nearly a decade, Hilary’s career has been in workforce development, managing clean energy job training programs in the North Valley region. Through this work, she built strong partnerships with job training organizations, employers, and educational institutions. Hilary looks forward to focusing on new economic sectors and innovative career pathways to improve the livability of […]