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Open House Draws Over 200 Attendees

Thumping bass. Great drinks. The best food trucks. Hundreds of people.

Valley Vision’s Open House on September 13th brought over 200 community members to meet, eat, and tour our new digs in Sacramento’s historic Oak Park neighborhood. In planning an event that would showcase our new space,  it was a no brainer that we reach out to Maritza and Roshaun Davis of Unseen Heroes and arrange to hold it during the GATHER: Oak Park neighborhood block party, which takes place literally on our doorstep.

Since moving to Oak Park, we have immersed ourselves in the community. CEO Bill Mueller took time to walk the neighborhood and personally invite business owners, nonprofit leaders, and community members to our Open House. Project Manager Adrian Rehn enthusiastically shared it with his friends and neighbors through the Oak Park Neighborhood Association (OPNA). Staff also invited family, partners and clients. We had an outreach plan that was neighborhood and people-centric, that I’m proud at how well we executed our vision. People quickly registered for the event, while the committee developed informational boards and talking points for each of Valley Vision’s impact areas, as well as fun activities for attendees.

On the day of the Open House, staff enthusiastically showed guests the office and introduced them to other team members, many of whom challenging each other over a game of ping-pong or two on our state-of-the-art table. Guests munched on a spread of peach tarts, fresh veggies and flatbread pizza made using locally-grown ingredients by our own Emma Koefoed and Chloe Pan, and responded to deep questions about where our region should go in the future. While residents are pleased with our public amenities, the friendliness of other community members, and the food and beer scene, they still want to see improved public transportation and a MLS soccer team!

While board members, staff, and friends of Valley Vision mingled throughout the space, it became apparent that the Open House had done precisely what we intended. It brought our partners, staff, and new friends together  in a way that made people want to discuss air quality and transportation projects while catching up with one another. Valley Vision benefited greatly from partnering with Unseen Heroes in making our Open House a success, as the energy that is created each month with GATHER amplified everything about our event. We look forward to a continued partnership with Unseen Heroes in the weeks and months to come!

The final GATHER: Oak Park of 2018 is taking place next month, on October 11th right outside our office at 3400 3rd Avenue in Sacramento. We hope to hang out with you then!

To keep up with Valley Vision’s work to advance livability in the Sacramento region, subscribe to our Vantage Point email newsletter!

A Fantastic Board Is Getting Better

One of the compliments Valley Vision is often paid is the strength of our volunteer board.  You will find chancellors, college presidents, top business leaders, and leading foundation and nonprofit executives who are all committed to making the region more prosperous, just, and sustainable.  These volunteers set our direction and hold Valley Vision to a tough performance standard.

Today we are announcing the addition of five new directors to the board, bringing the count to 33.  We have so many board members because Valley Vision covers such a large area – 3.8 million people spread across eight Sacramento Valley counties.  Our directors serve not just as fiduciaries but, more importantly, as regional trustees looking out for current and future generations and getting our region “future ready.”

We are particularly excited about this new group of leaders as Valley Vision heads into 2019 and our 25th year of operation.  So just who are they?

Trish Rodriguez is the senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente in South Sacramento and Elk Grove.  She oversees integrated health plan and hospital operations, which includes a Level II trauma center.  Trish is responsible for the provision of health care to more than 247,000 Kaiser Permanente members in the South Sacramento County area. Kaiser Permanente insures over 50 percent of the South Sacramento County population and employs approximately 3,400 staff members and nearly 400 physicians.  She is a health care professional with more than 28 years of experience in health care operations and strategic planning in a variety of leadership positions.  She has been with Kaiser Permanente for more than 26 years. Her career spans from Alberta, Canada to Hawaii to California.  Trish is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program, completed her master’s in public health at the University of Hawaii, and holds a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada.  She has been heavily involved in community and business organizations over the past 5 years.

Scott Sanford is the vice president of customer service for PG&E. Scott leads the teams responsible for the entire “meter to payment handling” process, including meter specification, purchase, testing, installation and maintenance, along with customer billing, payment processing, collections, and credit policy.  He joined PG&E in 2012, bringing over 25 years of operational experience from within the wireless telecommunications and cable industries. He has held various senior leadership positions with McCaw Cellular, AT&T, and Comcast.  Scott holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota, and an MBA from Regis University of Colorado. A graduate of California Chamber of Commerce Civic Leadership program, Scott now serves on the Roseville City Board of Appeals.  He is the only PG&E corporate officer based outside San Francisco.

Ryan Montoya is the chief technology officer for the Sacramento Kings.  His responsibilities include providing direction and managing the Sacramento Kings’ new technology and innovation strategies to enhance the fan experience and improve the team’s performance.  Additionally, he oversees all technology for Sacramento’s downtown entertainment and sports complex, Golden 1 Center. The new arena is the world’s most technologically-advanced professional sports and entertainment venue.  Throughout his career, Ryan has advised, invested, and served at all levels of early-stage technology companies.  A native of Colorado, Ryan received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree from the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, and an MBA from California State University, Sacramento.

Stephanie Bray is the president and CEO of United Way, California Capital Region.  She is a nonprofit professional with 25 years of experience in fund development and volunteer management for local, regional, and national organizations.  Prior to taking this position she was the Executive Director of the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, a supporting organization for San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Stephanie also previously served as Assistant Dean for Health Sciences Advancement at UC Davis Health System, overseeing fundraising for the School of Medicine, the Medical Center, the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing and several other centers of medical excellence on UC Davis’s Sacramento Campus.  She has served in fundraising leadership positions with the American Cancer Society, UNCF/The College Fund, Learning Ally, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  Stephanie is a graduate of Douglass College, Rutgers University, and was a participant in Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management in July 2012.

Cate Dyer is the chief executive and founder of StemExpress, a company founded in 2010 to accelerate the speed at which biospecimens can be used for research, and, ultimately, to create new cures and treatments.  Since then, the company has expanded globally and has bi-coastal facilities, cutting edge laboratories, and stem cell collection centers, with a proven record of supporting clinical trials and accelerating R&D. StemExpress isolates primary cells and stem cells from human blood-derived products using highly developed protocols. StemExpress has increased cellular recovery in the collection of bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cord blood products for researchers. These innovations support Cate’s goal of directly impacting and improving patient care.  Cate serves on the Board for Capital Public Radio, the UC Davis Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and is an active member of Vistage, a worldwide peer-to-peer membership for CEO’s.

With leadership like this, Valley Vision’s future as the region’s trusted convener, collaborative problem solver, and independent researcher will only get stronger and more impactful in the years ahead.  To learn how you can get involved, please call us or visit www.valleyvision.org.

Bill Mueller was Chief Executive of Valley Vision.

Valley Vision Goes Back to School

It’s that time of year again, as summer comes to an end and leaves start to turn familiar colors of brown and red, that excited parents and eager children return through the front doors of their elementary school for “Back to School Night.”

Valley Vision was excited to participate in Back to School Night at both Martin Luther King, Jr. Technology Academy and Leataata Floyd Elementary School as they welcomed  their students back for a new academic year. Students and parents learned about programs and events happening at the schools, and were also able to meet and interact with teachers and staff. There were plenty of games and activities for everyone as both schools actively showcased what makes their institution special. Martin Luther King Jr. Technology Academy was especially lucky to have both Senator Richard Pan and Assemblymember Kevin McCarty as part of the welcoming committee. Both elected officials gave welcoming speeches and announced each student would receive a free backpack for attending the evening’s event.  While Valley Vision was at Leataata Floyd Elementary School, project associate Emma Koefoed interacted with parents to collect data on Internet accessibility as a way to gauge how families are responding to the low-cost Internet programs. As a thank you, Valley Vision was excited to give away $25 dollar gift cards to four lucky winners who participated in the survey.

As part of our Connected Communities Initiative, Valley Vision, in partnership with services providers such as AT&T and Comcast, has been working to help provide information on low-cost Internet services that are currently available to families in low-income neighborhoods, including the communities near Leataata Floyd Elementary School and Martin Luther King, Jr. Technology Academy. By meeting certain requirements such as having a child in the SNAP/CalFresh program, be a recipient of SSI, or a HUD Housing residents, can qualify a home for Internet connectivity at speeds up to 10 megabits per second, for $10 per month.

Access to the Internet is an economic gateway, providing life-altering opportunities for people of all ages. In 2015, Wired Magazine quoted a study by Pew Research that found “15 percent of Americans don’t have access to the Internet at all, most notably senior citizens, adults without a high school education, and low-income families.” In 2016, the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) found that although Internet connectivity had increased overall for California households, mostly due to increased use of smartphones, “lower-income Californians remain less likely to have access.” CETF found that only 68 percent of people who make less than $22,000 annually reported being able to get online at home.

Being able to access the Internet means many things. For students, it provides a chance to perform research relating to school work, obtain higher education, access online tutoring tools, and boosts their capacity for learning and educational attainment. Availability of low-cost Internet solutions provides opportunities for parents and guardians as well who are part of that 68% of low-income Californias without access to the internet. With reliable any-time Internet access at home and not having to depend on public libraries, employment offices, or local restaurants for free WiFi the chance for social and economic mobility become possible.  At Valley Vision, we will continue our work to close the digital divide in the Sacramento region, and we invite you to get involved!

To learn more about AT&T ACCESS click here. To learn more about Comcast Essentials click here. To keep up with Valley Vision’s work to advance livability in the Sacramento region, subscribe to our Vantage Point email newsletter!

Emma Koefoed is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the 21st Century Workforce and Healthy Communities impact areas. 

Interview: Aizik “Aik” Brown, Wide Open Walls Muralist

Aizik “Aik” Brown proudly describes himself as an Artist and Educator committed to improving the lives of those around him, particularly in Oak Park. Over the past two weeks, Valley Vision has been fortunate enough to have Aizik paint a stunning mural on the outside wall of our new office building as part of Sacramento’s Wide Open Walls mural festival, in partnership with St. HOPE.

As a product of nearby Sacramento Charter High School and Student Life Coordinator for College Track, his commitment to the Oak Park neighborhood is deeply rooted and unwavering. He was one of 33 artists selected to participate in this year’s Wide Open Walls mural festival, which each year connects artists with empty wall space around Sacramento. The piece celebrates his Mexican American and Black heritage, and juxtaposes the skulls and art associated with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with bright colors and intricate designs to bring the mural to life. He explains the bright colors throughout the mural as reflecting the happiness and pride that he feels while in the neighborhood.

When asked how it felt to have his work featured so publicly in Oak Park, Aizik was initially at a loss for words, before sharing that he’s simultaneously proud and overwhelmed. Reflecting on the effort and countless hours spent fine tuning his craft, he declared, “It’s crazy to think this actually happened.” When people walked by his mural or snapped photos during its development, he was eager to strike up conversations and engage with community members. The importance of human interaction and connection was a point that he emphasized throughout our conversation, at one point saying, “I want to be approached by people. I want them to say hello if they see me. I want them to tell me what they think of my art. Human connection and interaction is key.”

Regarding Wide Open Walls, Aizik says it’s a great platform to celebrate the talented visual artists that Sacramento has always had. He looks forward to seeing how the annual mural festival develops over the years, and hopes it maintains the local feel while also remaining dedicated to its slogan: “Art for All”. He hopes that the festival continues to place art in all of Sacramento’s neighborhoods while inviting more artists of color to participate as artists.

Engaging communities and incorporating arts is how he plans to grow as an artist and as a person who thrives off human interaction. Aizik invites everyone to visit his website: aikbrown.com – and keep up with him on Instagram @AikBrown and Twitter @AikBrownX.

Valley Vision invites you to check out Aizik’s mural at our upcoming Open House on Thursday September 13th! We are excited to be partnering with Unseen Heroes during GATHER: Oak Park to welcome you to our new space. RSVP now!

Ruben Moody was Valley Vision’s Communications Intern.

Community to Embrace Farm-to-fork Pride

Sacramento, Calif. – Restaurants, auto shops, and hair salons. Software engineers, yoga instructors, and baristas. These are just a few of the people and places that the Farm-to-Fork Steering Committee includes in its new “We Are Farm-to-Fork” campaign, designed to encourage inclusivity and community pride around the region’s farm-to-fork identity.

In 2015, Visit Sacramento formed the Farm-to-Fork Steering Committee to provide expert guidance in shaping its America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital program. Now led by the non-profit Valley Vision, the committee is comprised of chefs, farmers, restaurateurs, suppliers and representatives from grocery, government, non-profits and more. Together, the group has established connections between many of the organizations in the greater Sacramento region that are working in the farm-to-fork space. The committee also continues to look for ways to expand the reach of farm-to-fork across the region and beyond Visit Sacramento’s special events and marketing efforts. The idea behind “We Are Farm-to-Fork” was born out of the growing enthusiasm around the farm-to-fork concept from people and organizations outside of related industries.

“The Sacramento region has been farm-to-fork since long before the America’s Farm to Fork Capital initiative,” said Valley Vision Chief Executive Bill Mueller. “This is the region’s heritage, and everyone here is a part of it, from farmers and farmworkers in our rural communities, to mechanics, bank tellers, small businesses, and workers in our urban core. We are Farm-to-Fork shows our pride in that heritage.”

“Over the last six years, we’ve seen interest in farm-to-fork go well beyond local restaurants,” said Visit Sacramento CEO Mike Testa. “From trade associations to accounting firms, people are looking to be a part of the farm-to-fork effort. But the truth is, they were always a part of what has been building here. This new campaign highlights the fact that if you’re a part of our community, you’re a part of farm-to-fork.”

Part of the “We Are Farm-to-Fork” campaign rollout includes a corresponding logo designed by The Honey Agency. The members have committed to utilizing the logo within their own organizations and are excited to share it with others throughout the region.

“As Sacramentans, we are all proud of our region’s strong agricultural heritage,” said Chelsea Minor, Raley’s Corporate Director, Consumer & Public Affairs. “We are Farm-to-Fork is intended to be a badge of honor for all businesses to embrace throughout our six-county region to show our commitment to being America’s Farm to Fork Capital.”

200 Global Leaders Find Their Edge in Sacramento

Shape uncertainty. Lead through ambiguity. Find your edge. Amplify your impact.

These principles guided the four-day SHAPE North America 2018 summit, which brought over 200 young global leaders to Sacramento from August 9-12th.

#SHAPENA18 participants came from 63 city-based “Hubs” in 30 countries, but all were members of the Global Shapers community, which is the youth leadership network of the World Economic Forum. The 27-member Sacramento Hub, to which I belong, won a competitive bid to host this important event – and we created an experience that has been billed by many as the best “SHAPE” event ever, on any continent.

Valley Vision has been fiscal agent for the Global Shapers – Sacramento Hub throughout the production of the SHAPE North America gathering. Through this formal partnership, the Sacramento Hub has access to a high-performing and trusted local nonprofit that manages its finances and records, keeping things running smoothly. For Valley Vision, the Global Shapers bring a unique connection to the global community not found in other young leaders groups, which further boosts VV’s toolset in advancing the livability of the Sacramento region.

From the get-go, our team modeled #SHAPENA18 as an “anti-conference.” The programming was meant to introduce uncertainty into the lives of #SHAPENA18 attendees, give them the tools to navigate that uncertainty, and then celebrate each individual’s ability to grow their leadership acumen and overcome obstacles of all kinds. Tears are not normally shed at conferences, but they were commonplace as Shapers recounted life-altering insights to their peers at key points during our time together.

The four days were modeled after the Hero’s Journey concept popularized by scholar Joseph Campbell, and were highly experiential. This meant that (1.) the lion’s share of “sessions” were led by actual Shapers/attendees, (2.) we were constantly changing physical locations and backdrops, and (3.) there were no “expert” panels to be found. Each day, Shapers were exposed to new means of “Leading Through Ambiguity” and “Finding Their Edge” before a final day of “Amplifying Impact,” in which #SHAPENA18 participants spent their afternoons giving back to the community via service projects in partnership with local organizations.

Highlights included (but certainly were not limited to):

  • Kicking off the anti-conference on the Capitol West Steps with a deeply moving and personal story from Hub Alumni Kelly Rivas.
  • Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs speaking at Golden 1 Center, followed by Shaper-led breakout sessions around the concourse on topics like “Identity, Power, and Privilege,” cryptocurrency, radical storytelling, and more.
  • Setting up 22 separate “Salon Dinners” across the region, providing an opportunity for Shapers to divide into small groups and find their way to meals hosted by community leaders, friends, and family.
  • Organizing a Friday night after-party at The Urban Hive featuring authentic performances in partnership with Sofar Sounds Sacramento.
  • Saturday breakfast in the State Capitol followed by a dynamic workshop on embracing failure as an indicator of success.
  • Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg reflecting on his time at UC Davis Law School – he was a bit of a rabble rouser!
  • Volunteer service projects across the Sacramento region, where Shapers were able to give back to their temporary region of residence.
  • A final dinner at the Stanford Mansion which featured recognition of sponsors, delicious Farm-to-Fork food, and a heartfelt blessing with the Sacramento-based Maquilli Tonatiuh Aztec Dancers.

The Sacramento Hub could not have pulled off this production without the help of our fantastic sponsors: UC Davis Global Affairs, P&G, Sacramento Kings, Balanced Body, UC Davis Health, Statehouse at the Capitol, Sacramento State, UC Davis Dining Services, Blue Shield of California, Sierra Health Foundation, Valley Vision, The Urban Hive, Visit Sacramento, Sacramento Region Community Foundation, University of San Francisco, Capital Public Radio, Uber, California Chamber of Commerce, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Lucas Public Affairs, NextGen America, ACLHIC, and Blanket Marketing Group. You are all awesome!

Our team looks forward to harnessing this momentum, expanding our community partnerships, and doing another mind-blowing thing in the not-too-distant future. I encourage you to learn more about the local Sacramento Hub and the Global Shapers Community at large. You are also free to dig into the final #SHAPENA18 Schedule for more information about the specific components of the 4-day experience. Please email us if you have any Shaper-related questions or ideas!

To keep up with Valley Vision’s work to advance livability in the Sacramento region, subscribe to our Vantage Point email newsletter!

Adrian Rehn is a Valley Vision Project Manager overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s online communications.

Ode to the Old Office – 2320 Broadway

As Valley Vision staff box up their belongings and prepare for the big move, we took some time to recall our favorite (and not-so-favorite) memories from the office that we’ve called home for 11 years!

Robyn Krock:

  • Bill Mueller wearing a pink wig and riding a unicorn around the parking lot.
  • I will not miss having to wait for trucks blocking the parking lot to move.

Trish Kelly:

  • I have loved all the times we’ve had meetings with community partners and business leaders; federal, state and local policy and legislative leaders; and others who come together to work on creative, cross-cutting regional solutions and projects. There is magic in the collective community and the place that helps make that happen.
  • On the upside, I don’t have to look at bathroom from the conference room.

Evan Schmidt:

  • Sitting in the kitchen for lunch and socializing, team sessions in the conference room with snacks, white board, computers, beverages, the (few) four square games in the parking lot.
  • The glass grinding might be a Stockholm syndrome thing – I will probably miss it terribly in ways I don’t currently understand.

Alan Lange:

  • The dog from the building next door running into our office to hang out, and not wanting to leave. This proved that our dog friendly policy is well established in the canine community.
  • Responding to the burglar alarm in the middle of the night – expecting a false alarm – only to find that we had been broken into. What was stolen? Our microwave. And nothing else. Apparently that breakfast sandwich just couldn’t wait until sun-up.

Meg Arnold:

  • Thinking positively, the fully-open office set VV apart from others, early-on and distinctively. You could say that we’ve had the co-working vibe since at least five years before the term even existed!
  • On the less positive side, the chronic sound of breaking glass from next door.

Bill Mueller:

  • Funny:  Ping pong matches in the office for fun and team building, and designating a “2 pointer” if you were able to hit the ball off Robyn and keep the ball in “play.”  She was a great sport.
  • Poignant:  Taking walk breaks around the neighborhood and passing through the nearby cemetery on Broadway and frequently being reminded of the saying attributed to the Buddha that “The problem is that you think you have time.”

Adrian Rehn:

  • I will never forget being asked to lift Valley Vision’s office dog, Adonis, into Robyn’s car in the parking lot. I squatted down to get my arms underneath him, and my pants promptly split. This would have been bearable if Trish, Evan, and I weren’t at the office until after 9:00 PM that evening to submit our application for the AgPlus IMCP designation!
  • I will not miss the white specks that fall from the ceiling every day. What is that stuff?

We are excited to continue our work in North Oak Park. As of July 9th, Valley Vision will be located at 3400 3rd Avenue in Oak Park. The 2320 Broadway location will be closed from July 4th through the 6th as we move all of our stuff.

Building Stronger Leaders and Regions

“Regional stewards are integrators who cross boundaries of jurisdiction, sector and discipline to address complex regional issues such as sprawl, equity, education and economic development. They see the connections between economic, environmental and social concerns and know how to “connect the dots” to improve their regions.”

 – Alliance for Regional Stewardship, 2006

Regional stewards provide important leadership by pursuing triple bottom line values, including economic prosperity, environmental sustainability, and social equity. The California Stewardship Network (CSN) brings together regional stewards, like Valley Vision, from across California to seed collaborations, share stories, challenges, accomplishments, and, yes, dinners and drinks. These quarterly exchanges have been occurring for nearly 10 years and have created important relationships and collaborations that set the stage for a united vision of triple bottom line values across California.

In early 2017, the group of fifteen regions decided to widen the net, build leadership capacity, and invite a group of young leaders to join a brand new Leadership Fellows program hosted by CSN. I was fortunate to be invited to participate as a Sacramento region representative, along with Maritza Davis of Unseen Heroes, Leah Moehle of California Forward, and Patrick Guild of Sacramento Metro Chamber Foundation. We joined about 25 other Fellows to participate in the exchanges in addition to a leadership program uniquely focused on steward, or service-based leadership.

As the 2017 Fellows program comes to an end, here are some of my take aways from the program and the exchanges that I have participated in:

  • Stewardship is humble leadership that is in service to the greater good, and in this case, to triple bottom line values. This interpretation of leadership resonated with me more than any other that I have heard and has provided an aspirational vision for how to approach work and life.
  • Relationships, relationships, relationships – the key to getting cool things done is building relationships. That’s why dinner and drinks is important – you aren’t surprised are you? The cohort approach helped foster these relationships.
  • Grappling with complexity – in our latest exchange, June 27-29 in Ventura, we were given the time and open format to discuss hard questions. For example, we grappled with how automation will impact the workforce, and meandered from the importance of skill-based job descriptions to preserving the values and qualities that create meaning in people’s lives. This ranging conversation brought about new perspectives for all of us, which in turn created deeper understanding into an important and complex conversation. We need this kind of time and nuance in our age of sound bites and memes.
  • Cross generational dialogue – as a Gen Xer sandwiched between two generations that take up a lot of air in the room (Boomers and Millennials, you know who you are), I know the importance of cross-generational learning. Respectfully, Millennials need to learn and Boomers need to cede some of their power. Just saying. Fortunately, CSN created dialogue and safe space for leaders to explore how to support each other across generations.
  • Regions are where it’s at – It’s easy to get frustrated, or even depressed, about statewide or national policy. Working from the ground-up, sharing successes and failures, and creating spaces, like the CSN exchanges, where leaders share a commitment to stewardship and a vision for the future of California, sets a hopeful path.

CSN has invested in the future leadership of California by bringing new leaders into the fold. Having now spent a year gathering with new and not-as-new leaders through the exchanges, I feel confident that CSN’s investment will seed stewardship values for many years to come. CSN will soon be recruiting new Fellows for next year’s class – I look forward to continuing to work with CSN and to helping usher in a new group of Fellows, strengthening the stewardship network and building new leaders across the state.

Evan Schmidt is Valley Vision’s Director of Strategy and Evaluation working on the Public Opinion Surveying initiative and projects in the Healthy Communities and 21st Century Workforce strategy areas.

Place Matters

Does place matter any more?  It’s a hard question to answer at first.

Research shows that regardless of whether you are rich or poor, virtually everyone has a smart phone today.  It’s today’s essential lifeline.  Having a fast and reliable Internet connection is another matter, but most of us can get online from  almost anywhere.  Anytime.  Day or night.  We are completely mobile and connected, 24×7.  So it really shouldn’t matter where we are, right?

In fact, place matters more than ever.

While technology can make us feel globally connected and empowered in one moment, in the next we live with the consequences of being permanently “tethered,” unable to escape its web.  At once, it is a very connected yet very solitary “place.”  As technology continues to advance and lines blur between “virtual” and “real,” let’s not forget an essential truth.

Where we truly connect is in physical spaces.

Words that describe certain touchstone places like “home,” “office,” or “school” stir up powerful emotions in us.  Some places bring us calm and refuge.  Others we associate with regimen and productivity.  Still others inspire us and connect us to something larger.

As many of you know, Valley Vision just moved into a new “place” this week.  A single story building in Oak Park in the heart of Sacramento and the Greater Sacramento region.  3400 3rd Avenue, to be precise.

After just a few days working from here I can tell you that place absolutely matters.  While we loved our old office on Broadway, this space is even livelier, with better energy and more places to connect.  There are bright colors on the walls.  Light streaming in from long windows.  Views out on homes and businesses and people and bikes and  dogs going by.  And let’s not forget the new Ping-Pong table in the middle of the office.  It has already brought together former Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and Ruben, our communications intern, in a fun match up.

This is what place does.  It creates memorable, one-of-a-kind experiences.  Humanizing connections we all want.  This is pretty important for an organization like Valley Vision that is constantly seeking out ways to unite our region and improve lives.  We are thankful that we have an even better place to do this work from today.

Come by and play a game.  We hope to see you soon.

Bill Mueller was Chief Executive of Valley Vision.

How Does Idaho Innovate?

“So…what is JUMP?” Joe Gagliardi, CEO of the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, spoke for our entire delegation as we stood atop the 6-story monolith in downtown Boise, Idaho.

JUMP – or “Jack’s Urban Meeting Place” – is a bizarre, Jetsons-inspired building built by J.R. Simplot, the billionaire farmer most famous for supplying Idaho and Oregon-grown potatoes for use in McDonald’s fries. The building serves as a towering public hangout spot, tractor museum, classroom, and features a 5-story-tall spiral slide down to the ground floor. I still don’t know what it is, but it’s pretty cool!

For 12 straight years, the El Dorado County and Folsom Chambers of Commerce have collaborated to bring local leaders to pioneering cities and towns across North America. The goal of these “study missions” is to see firsthand new ideas for advancing livability and economic growth, and to take these learnings back to the Sacramento region. In 2018, our group of 24 participants – current and former elected officials, businesspeople, and community leaders – headed north to Boise and the smaller resort town of McCall over four days to see how Idaho is innovating.

My major takeaways:

  • GROWTH: The Boise Metropolitan Area is the fastest-growing in the entire U.S., currently home to around 700,000 people (half of Idaho’s population).
  • The City of Boise has some great things going for it – it sits in close proximity to mountains and agricultural land with a vibrant riverfront, is home to the second largest Basque population outside of Europe, and has an entire City Department dedicated to Arts & Culture. Boise is the most geographically isolated of all mid-size cities in the contiguous U.S., which has resulted in a burgeoning creative culture (“because there is no other place to go!”) among other unique qualities.
  • HOMELESSNESS: The homeless population in the Boise region is about half that of Sacramento County on a per capita basis, but these folks were nearly invisible downtown and throughout the trip. The police department aggressively arrests those who sleep outdoors, have open containers, or who commit minor infractions. It is unclear what the continuum of care looks like or how many homeless individuals fill Boise’s jails.
  • EDUCATION: Boise State University has a College of Innovation & Design campus downtown, which is building programming around virtual reality (VR), “pop-up majors,” cooperative education, and new ways to make college affordable in partnership with local credit unions.
  • One Stone School in Boise is a tuition-free alternative nonprofit high school that allows students to design their own education. In fact, two-thirds of their Board of Directors are students! Revenue is generated from sponsorships, hosting classes, providing creative services to clients, and other community-facing work that students lead. They have yet to have a graduating class, but are building ad-hoc partnerships with colleges and universities so that students can still be accepted into top-flight schools despite non-standard testing.
  • RURAL-URBAN CONNECTIONS: McCall, Idaho is a 3,000-person mountain town two hours north of Boise that expands to over 10,000 during ski season and peak summer. The town is grappling with a deep housing crisis, with service workers commuting in daily from as far as the Boise suburbs.

Boise and McCall should be commended for innovating despite little to no support from the deeply austere State of Idaho. These municipalities are experimenting with creative approaches to financing, public-private partnerships, securing federal grants, and more to bring housing, broadband, skilled workers, and investment to their areas.

I want to thank the El Dorado County and Folsom Chambers of Commerce for putting this trip together and bringing amazing people along. It’s important to leave our region – physically – to learn how other areas are excelling and sometimes failing within their unique circumstances. The community that is built while doing this important work is an added, awesome bonus.

All things considered, the lessons of Idaho will help the Sacramento area become a more livable place. To keep up with Valley Vision’s work to advance livability in our region, subscribe to our Vantage Point email newsletter!

Adrian Rehn is a Valley Vision Project Manager overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s online communications.

Tesla Model S Makes Meg’s Week

In mid-May I had a birthday. Birthdays aren’t usually something I get all that public about, because it can seem really self-centered, and so I’ve certainly never written a blog about a birthday before. But here’s one! Although it’s not mainly about the birthday itself. It’s mostly about what happened as a result of my birthday: I got to drive a Tesla Model S for an entire week!

If you know me well, you probably know that I have coveted Teslas for years, well before I got to lead Valley Vision’s work in the Clean Economy and was able to get involved with the region’s Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV) Collaborative. So this birthday gift (from an inspired husband and some teenage co-conspirators) was superlative.

I’d driven a Tesla once, briefly, almost exactly four years earlier, in a ride-and-drive event in Napa. But this was an entire week. So, what did I take away from the experience?

  • It accelerates like a bat out of hell. For someone (me) who was trained as a driver in the assertive New Jersey style of driving, this is a dream come true. The acceleration will truly snap your head back if you want it to. (I demo’d that for CEO Bill Mueller one day; he liked it too!)
  • Auto-pilot is really remarkable, and a harbinger of the autonomous future to come. And it performed exceptionally. I used auto-pilot on surface roads in Davis and Sacramento, on our freeways, on the merge onto the Causeway in rush hour, in the rain (yes, rain), in heavy and variable traffic, and on highway 49 up to Grass Valley one day, as the road transitioned from undivided four-lane to a twistier and hillier two-lane.
  • Auto-pilot can even change lanes on the freeway, which was freaky when I discovered it by accident. I turned on my signal for a lane-change before disengaging auto-pilot as I thought was necessary. Feeling the car begin to change lanes on its own was a little more exciting than I was ready for! But after that first surprise, it was just amazing.
  • It will charge when plugged directly into house power overnight. But it will not charge quickly! We’d gain 30-40 miles in a ~10 hour overnight period. If I ever own a Tesla, of course we’ll install the special home chargers to get close to full overnight recharging.
  • Tesla Superchargers are good. And easy. And free. There’s one in Natomas, which I frequented, and also one in Rocklin that I used on the day I went to Grass Valley.
  • “Range anxiety” is a thing, even with a convenient Supercharger. I usually drive a Prius, with 500+ miles between fueling. The Model S would charge to a 200 mile range, but if one drives or accelerates assertively (ahem), that compromises your total range. I’m sure if I owned the car, I’d get accustomed to driving it closer to “empty,” but the relative scarcity of Superchargers and the slowness of charging on a regular outlet made me conservative and a little twitchy whenever my range fell below 75 miles.
  • If you’d like this same experience for yourself, there’s an app for that, of course. It’s called Turo, and it’s just exactly like Airbnb, except with cars rather than homes. We regretfully returned our lovely Tesla to the home of its owner, in the Pocket, on a Saturday morning.
  • There are more of them out there than even I’d noticed. One afternoon I left the parking garage behind the library in downtown Sacramento, and waited at a light to turn left, with one black Tesla Model S behind me, and a second one in the lane to my right. We were like a little Tesla flock.
  • I’m not the only one who stares (and sometimes points) as a Tesla goes by.

Having meetings in Sacramento, Davis, Grass Valley and places in between, I drive significantly more than some. The Tesla enabled me to do that driving with a clearer personal conscience and in tight alignment with my professional life at Valley Vision – including the Cleaner Air Partnership, focused on air quality and transportation emissions, and the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative, focused on climate and impacts. Keep up with Valley Vision’s leadership in these areas by subscribing to our monthly Cleaner Air News email newsletter!

Meg Arnold is Managing Director of Valley Vision, leading the Clean Economy and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Strategies.

Avenues for Equality: Lessons Learned from the Trailnation Summit

Four flight delay notifications, two layovers, and a red-eye flight later, I found myself walking along Lake Michigan on a sunny Tuesday morning. I was already far too late to make it to the first plenary of the Summit, but I was happy to take the time to chug a quick coffee. A pristine walkway took me along the water, with an immense, lush park on the other side. There wasn’t a person in sight. I was the only one enjoying this view and in that moment, I felt so spoiled – to be in this city, in this park, to appreciate this trail and why I was here.

I attended the TrailNation Summit on June 5th-7th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over 150 participants from across North America shared their passion and motivation for trail-building. Their stories inspired me to reflect upon our approach to the EPIC Trail, a project led by Valley Vision and SACOG to connect the Sacramento region via a 100-mile recreational trail.

Several speakers’ messages stood out to me in their discussions on equitable development and a desire for greater inclusivity, not only in the communities in which we build these trails, but also amongst the populations at the forefront of trail activism. By my estimate, at least 80% of the Summit attendees were white and 70% were over the age of 40. Sterling Stone, Executive Director of Gearin’ Up Bicycles in D.C., made powerful statements about race and equity that seemed so obvious and yet, weren’t mentioned earlier in the conference. How are we trying to engage with the local residents as we move forward with this project? Are we patting ourselves on the back for throwing around words like ‘equitable development’ and ‘implicit bias’ without having the tough discussions around how to help underserved communities?

Mr. Stone told a story of a young black man who was stopped by a cop while riding his bike with his friends on a recreational bike trail. He was neither breaking any laws, nor disturbing the peace.

“That kid didn’t say, ‘oh, that road wasn’t equitably developed for me’. No – he said “that cop was racist.”

We have to face these difficult truths and realize that top down strategies to “connect communities” will only get us so far in this process of advocating for equitable development. “It’s great if you all want to do this work forever, but we need to create a new generation of activists that reflect the communities we work for.”

Try as we might to improve connectivity and inclusiveness in our regions, our work needs to go beyond trail mapping, fundraising strategies, and branding. We could stop at recreation and improved tourism, but is that all we’re trying to accomplish with the EPIC Trail?

We tell people that this trail is for regional connectivity, to promote healthy lifestyles, and to improve quality of life. But for whom? Perhaps we could focus more on the disadvantaged communities in our region that have little access to green space. Or maybe, the rural counties that are often forgotten and have little representation among our regional leadership. What about the lower-income population with little time for recreation between working multiple jobs and caring for their children?

While we have really amazing trail groups like the Friends of El Dorado Trail, the Folsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition, and American River Conservancy, our region doesn’t have a unified trail activism group that can meet regularly to improve trail access for these target populations. Many of the inspiring trail groups that I had the honor of meeting in Milwaukee were able to make monumental progress because of their network of other likeminded organizations. Together, they were better able to interact with these persistent community issues at a grassroots level.

It’s with this goal in mind that we continue in our process of fundraising for an alternatives study which will prioritize community engagement and inclusivity. Valley Vision’s purpose is to serve the region and this Summit was a great reminder of the power these trails can have – beyond recreation and connectivity – to making lasting social impacts in our neighborhoods and the Sacramento region at large.

Chloe Pan was Valley Vision’s Executive Assistant to CEO Bill Mueller and Project Lead for the EPIC Trail.