Adrian Rehn
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 quality across the 6-County Sacramento region, and efforts since 2017 to facilitate community-led air protection efforts in North and South Sacramento. Adrian also supports Valley Vision’s communications activities.
Professional Experience
Before joining Valley Vision, Adrian worked on state and local political campaigns, interned with a global nonprofit to help build the next generation of leaders, authored a popular online socioeconomics column, and more.
Adrian is a product of an unconventional upbringing in the quirky ‘State of Jefferson,’ having been born and raised in the rural Mendocino County redwoods and spending his teenage years in Southern Oregon. Growing up on ten acres of dense foliage honed his brush clearing and wood chopping skills, which haven’t (yet) proved useful as a Valley Vision team member.
Affiliations & Awards
- Oak Park Neighborhood Association, Board of Directors (2017-current)
- Sacramento Food Policy Council, Steering Committee (2018-current)
- 40 Under 40, Sacramento Business Journal (2023)
- Climate Reality Leadership Corps (2022)
- California Stewardship Network Leadership Program, graduate (2020)
- Global Shapers – Sacramento Hub, member (2017-2024)
- Sacramento City Management Academy, graduate (2017)
- Oak Park Sol, neighborhood leadership team (2017)
Education
B.A. in Political Science – University of California, Davis; Minor in History
Interests
Pen and ink drawing. Backpacking in the Sierras. Filmmaking in the woods. 1980s horror movies. Road tripping in his Honda Odyssey “art car.” Cooking and eating. Hoppy beer. Multi-day music festivals with friends. Talking to strangers.
Adrian’s Top 5 Strengths
- Strategic – Creates alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, quickly spots the relevant patterns and issues.
- Includer – Accepting of others. Shows awareness of those who feel left out, and make an effort to include them.
- Adaptability – Prefers to “go with the flow. Tends to be “now” people who take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
- Developer – Recognizes and cultivates the potential in others. Spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
- Maximizer – Focuses on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. Seeks to transform something strong into something superb.
CliftonStrengths is a talent assessment tool developed by Gallup to help individuals maximize their unique talents. At Valley Vision, all staff have the opportunity to take this assessment to help better understand their natural strengths and increase our team’s ability for radical collaboration.