How COVID-19 is Reshaping the Region’s Housing Crisis
The severity of California’s housing crisis is well-documented, as is its impact on the state’s economic development and livability. The lack of housing supply, coupled with the resulting detriment to quality of life, is a consistent and pressing threat that the region has faced in the last decade. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates this problem, and adds a new sense of urgency to the ongoing struggle of ensuring that every person has access to this most basic need.
From a housing crisis perspective, there are two things to consider. First, there is the immediate fallout: How can homeless individuals protect themselves without ready access to shelter and sanitation? How can people self-isolate if their living situation is an overcrowded apartment?
Then, of course, there are the medium and longer-term implications. In the economic recession that is likely to follow — one that many experts predict will be even worse than the 2008 downturn — will California be able to meet its goal of 180,000 new homes each year? Even before the pandemic, the state was falling far short of this, only averaging about 80,000 a year, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
The Immediate Fallout
On March 18th, Governor Newsom, signed an Executive Order that released emergency funding and granted local flexibility on spending and building shelters. “People experiencing homelessness are among the most vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19,” he said. “California is deploying massive resources to get these vulnerable residents safely into shelter, removing regulatory barriers and securing trailers and hotels to provide immediate housing options.” On April 3rd, he announced that nearly 900 homeless Californians had been placed into hotels and motels. While this swiftness of action is admirable, there is still much work to be done to address the needs of most of the homeless population in California.
It’s not just the homeless population whose increased susceptibility to COVID-19 is a direct result of the state’s housing crisis. California has the country’s highest rate of crowding within its renter-occupied housing units, the result of low housing supply and high costs. Those living in overcrowded households are simply unable to comply with many of the Center for Disease Control’s recommendations, such as self-isolation, which says that individuals showing symptoms should separate themselves from other members of their household “by staying in a specific ‘sick’ bedroom or space and using a different bathroom (if possible).”
A State of Emergency in California was declared on March 4th. The shelter-in-place orders that followed across numerous counties and cities meant that many businesses were forced to temporarily close their doors or scale back operations could no longer pay their employees’ wages. Approximately 1.6 million people statewide have filed unemployment claims since March 13. Individuals who are unable to make rent payments face the threat of eviction, especially in California, where more than 3 million households — a majority of renters — pay more than 30 percent of their income toward rent, and more than 1.5 million households pay more than 50 percent toward their rent. To address this, Governor Newsom issued an Executive Order declaring a moratorium on evictions. The moratorium only applies, however, if the tenant can prove that their inability to make rent is due to reasons related to COVID-19, such as a loss or reduction of income from reduced hours or being laid off. Under this moratorium, evictions not covered by its grounds can still be carried out, and there are concerns among tenant advocates that the wording of the Executive Order makes its protections unclear and insufficient. California’s courts have taken it a step further: the Judicial Council suspended eviction and foreclosure proceedings statewide until 90 days after the COVID-19 State of Emergency is lifted.
Medium and Longer-Term Implications
When the dust settles from the worst weeks of the pandemic, the economic recession that follows will impact housing policy and priorities, although what that looks like remains to be seen.
On the one hand, the urgency of the COVID-19 response could create some momentum for more aggressive and effective housing action in the medium and long-term. On the other hand, the economic fallout and anticipated recession could slow construction, stalling efforts to increase supply and further driving up costs. If that’s the case, those already suffering the most from housing unaffordability will become even more cost-burdened.
One takeaway from the last recession is that, when the economy begins to recover, housing construction and funding for low-income housing programs cannot be left behind. If this is the case, the result is “the housing crisis we were living in before COVID-19 hit: sky-high rents, declining homeownership, widespread gentrification and displacement and rising homelessness.”
There are lessons to be learned in every crisis. In the housing space, the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need for action informed by data. An inaccurate homelessness count makes it difficult to put together an adequate plan of action in an emergency situation. There’s also no consensus on exactly how many new housing units are needed statewide to address the supply gap, and conflicting assertions can muddle a strategy for how to most efficiently and appropriately use resources, especially in a recession. The HCD — responsible for determining the regional housing needs assessment for each region — estimates that approximately 1.8 million new housing units are needed by 2025, taking into account projected population and household growth. However, other analyses from organizations such as the Embarcadero Institute and the McKinsey Global Institute have noted a range of 1.5 million to 3.5 million new housing units.
Housing the people of California must remain a high priority throughout this health crisis. This pandemic is a reminder of how closely housing and healthcare are intertwined, and that the latter cannot exist when the former is not accessible and affordable.
Isa Avanceña is a Valley Vision Project Associate supporting the Board of Directors, and the Innovation & Infrastructure and Leadership and Civic Engagement Impact areas.
Study Shows Sacramento Workforce Before Coronavirus – and Challenges Ahead
Valley Vision in the Time of COVID-19
Like so many in the Capital Region and around our nation and world, the Valley Vision team is making the necessary changes and working diligently to respond to the rapidly-shifting COVID-19 situation. Our fundamental purpose as an organization is to help make our communities the most livable in the nation. That has been the case since our inception 25+ years ago, and it will remain unchanged in this current situation.
Staying true to our purpose, we are pivoting and adapting our existing work in a host of ways, to best serve and support the region, and will continue to do so as the next weeks unfold.
- In our Food and Ag work, Valley Vision works to create healthy food systems in the region. On Friday this week, we’re launching a brand-new weekly webinar focused on the food and agriculture sectors’ wide range of responses and impacts of COVID-19.
- In Innovation and Infrastructure, Valley Vision has long played a leadership role in efforts to improve access to broadband – the importance of which has been greatly magnified in the context of COVID-19. Our broadband team is in close contact with State leadership, where we’ve provided our existing maps of regional broadband network coverage.
- Our 21st Century Workforce efforts support a talent pipeline for our region. Right now, we’re creating a virtual regional convening to assess how Information and Communication Technology can best support business continuity during this time.
- In our Clean Economy work, we’re active in the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC), with its quarterly (virtual) workshop recently shifted to focus on how the economic impacts of COVID-19 will affect climate change adaptation actions and resources.
- We are also supporting the capacity of others to respond, as a fiscal sponsor to select efforts, including the regional World Economic Forum Global Shapers chapter, which is stepping up to provide handwashing stations outside local grocery stores and for homeless populations.
In the midst of our work, we’re also taking time to respect that we are all also people with complete lives, and each of us only human. We’re acknowledging that the degree of change, of uncertainty, and of worry in all of our lives is unprecedented, and we’re doubling-down on the need to treat ourselves, each other, and all those with whom we work with patience, kindness, and care.
Practicing this, our staff is checking in face-to-face by Zoom every morning to stay in touch in a time when we might feel disconnected or isolated. Commiserating and laughing together as we all blend home life with work life has been helpful. We’re sharing articles that hit home for each of us, such as this from the Harvard Business Review, or this about how to hold a great virtual meeting; we’re sharing fun things to do, such as virtual trivia competitions, Monterey Bay Aquarium livecams, and watching penguins wander through a museum.
Be well, be safe, and we will carry on through this together.
Meg Arnold is Interim CEO of Valley Vision.
One-Third of Sacramentans Depend on the Gig Economy, Recent Poll Finds
An Integrated Approach to Innovation
On January 22, 2020, The City of Woodland, along with partners representing Food and Ag innovation, including Valley Vision, University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) and UC Davis, presented its second Ag Innovation Forum – Ag, Food & Health: An Integrated Approach to Innovation. This event highlighted Woodland, and the Greater Sacramento Region’s, critical role in integrating food and Ag entrepreneurship, industry, academia, and policy for a healthy and sustainable future.
The discussion focused on the Region’s opportunity to align and mobilize its world-class assets to build a state-of-the-art Research & Technology Park. The planned site will become an epicenter for research, as well as a Global Ag, Food & Health Center – a proposed public-private partnership integrating science and technology innovation for agriculture, food, and health, similar to proven models in Texas, New York, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Situated close to the University of California Davis and complementary to the planned Aggie Square development in Sacramento, Woodland is recognized for its agricultural innovation, food and plant science, food processing, as well as its investments in startup ecosystems. Its unique geographical location has made Woodland the perfect candidate for this endeavor. Secretary Karen Ross spoke to the importance of Woodland and its agricultural assets and contributions to the state’s economy. With the effects of climate change becoming more prevalent, especially in agriculture, innovation for our regional food and farming industries is critical.
The Secretary, and Lenny Mendonca, Chief Economic and Business Advisor at the State of California, both agreed that adaptation and investing in resiliency across agricultural production to adjust these major disruptors (i.e. floods, droughts, fires), is imperative. They also affirmed that research and development in new technologies that enable farmers can address these changes must be a top state priority. Furthermore, aligning the Region’s industry goals will allow the right capital and the right people the chance to work together to lead us on the path to “durable, equitable, profitable solutions.”
A moderated panel discussion led by Lon Hatamiya, The Hatamiya Group, continued the discussion with leaders supporting initiatives for our food and agricultural industries. Santana Diaz, Executive Chef, UC Davis Health, Trish Kelly, Managing Director, Valley Vision, Gabriel Youtsey, University of California Ag and Natural Resources, and Adam Englehardt, Englehardt Agricultural Services, and Tim Schaedler, Panattoni Development, all echoed the importance of expanding region’s innovation ecosystem through investments like the Woodland Research Technology Park, institutional procurement, and comprehensive financing programs, to uplift our regional food and ag economy.
Extending the Table
On February 24th, WomenUp Network, Uptown Studios, and Slow Food Sacramento hosted “Extending the Table” a discussion with local women leaders in the farm-to-fork movement. These inspiring women spoke on the exciting developments in the local food scene, their careers, challenges they had faced and shared advice on what it is like to lead a woman in this industry. Jodie Chavious, Slow Food Board Member, Charmaine Magale, Legado Spirits, Gerine Williams, Neighborworks/Oak Park Farmers Market, and Rachel Wallace, Echo and Rig, all participated in the wildly exciting and informative discussion. Tina Reynolds, from Uptown Studios, moderated the discussion.
The evening kicked off at Uptown Studios, with a wonderful spread of local foods prepared by Brenda Ruiz and Jodie Chavious, Chefs and Slow Food board members. Citrus shrimp ceviche, braised meatballs, fresh rye bread from Faria Bakery, cheese, and charcuterie, KC Kombucha, and other cocktails from Drinks by Dru were all on the menu. Truly delicious.
The panel discussion, lead by Renyolds, focused on the highlights and challenges these women faced as they journeyed through their careers. Each speaker addressing how she had chosen to balance or blow past the barriers placed in front of them.
In September 2018, Charmaine Mageale and her partners founded Legado Sprits, a “ bold new American whiskey crafted to deliver incredible flavor, developed by the female palate.” Magale revealed that many times she found her passion, knowledge, and business partners being questioned simply for not being “white, a man, and old.” But she refused to be deterred from the nay-sayers and skeptics, setting aside society’s expectations of a whiskey connoisseur, and instead became obsessed with creating a phenomenal product.
Touching on her life-long experiences as a chef, Jodie Charious came up the ranks, rather unscathed by many of the stories we see across headlines today, but very aware of the existence of unfair and sexist practices. Charious noted, “I was very fortunate” but her career did not come without struggle, admitting “Today, I don’t have any shame in asking for help, reaching for something on the top shelf, cutting through a bone of animal I’m breaking down.” The need for thick skin in this industry is imperative; being emotionally tough is a basic requirement, but with the leadership from chefs like Chef Charious, culinary communities are stepping into a new era.
Gerine Williams, spoke to the trends of Sacramento’s food and culinary community and the importance of supporting new, small, and entrepreneurial business. She emphasized that smaller producers need to be empowered to get their businesses off the ground. For too long, “the same people seem to get the same shot, over and over.” The result, the same business owners, the same style of foods, and the same price points, continue to pop up. This means communities lose out on having a diverse range of options. Williams followed up asking “How many places in Sacramento can you get a Fried Chicken Sandwich? Let’s get real”. Putting her words into action, Williams tries her best to provide opportunities through the Oak Park farmers market and in her personal life – going as far as purchasing food from smaller homemakers off Facebook Marketplace as a way to support entrepreneurs in her community.
After being pushed into a pastry position early in her career, like many women in the culinary space, Rachel Wallace dedicated herself to breaking through that traditional position where women often find themselves. “It’s typical to place women in Pastry, which isn’t a bad thing. There are some badass women pastry chefs out there” but it’s not where she saw herself staying. Wallace was determined to break out of that space and prove her skills as a chef. Today Wallace is the Chef de Cuisine at Echo and Rig, working alongside a team that promotes and advocates for a healthy workspace for everyone. “Be confident, own your space, and don’t let people say you don’t belong” were some of the characteristics she believes are imperative for women if they are going to enter the culinary workforce.
This event was supported by Slow Food Sacramento, WomenUp Network, Uptown Studios, SMUD, Tri-Counties Bank, Rani Pettis, Charles Vincent McDonald Photography, Crooked Lane Brewery, Drinks By Dru, Faria bakery, GoldLineBrands, Haarmeyer Estates, KC Kombucha, Legado spirits, Macy’s, Real Pie Company, Revolutions Wine, and Sacramento Natural Food Co-Op.
Valley Vision continues to support Farm to Fork efforts, and work being done to uplift the Sacramento Region’s namesake as America’s Farm to Fork Capital. We are excited to see events like “Extending the Table” taking place and being well-attended and supported by local businesses.
Subscribe to Valley Vision’s Food For Thought Newsletter to learn more about Food and Ag events and stay up to date about other work happening in our region!
Valley Vision Leaders Win Half of the Metro Chamber Annual Awards This Year
In a show of regional unity and strength, four of the eight major achievements handed out by the Sacramento Metro Chamber at its 125th Annual Dinner in January went to people who have been part of Valley Vision’s leadership in recent years.
Trish Rodriguez was recognized as Businesswoman of the Year for her passion in delivering high quality healthcare as Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president and area manager, and her engagement in many community organizations and change efforts. She is on Valley Vision’s executive committee and will be Chairwoman in 2022.
James Beckwith was recognized as Businessman of the Year for the success at Five Star Bank as its long-time CEO, his volunteer leadership roles with various nonprofits, including serving as Chairman of the Board for Valley Vision, and the local banks’ generosity in philanthropic causes that build wealth and create opportunity.
This year the small business of the year award went to the boutique creative agency Honey, led by Valley Vision board member Meghan Phillips, who is a driving force helping nonprofits grow stronger and is one of the region’s biggest promoters our farm-to-table heritage.
Bill Mueller won the Peter McCuen Award for Civic Entrepreneurs for the economic, social, and environmental change efforts he championed with others and sometimes led while Valley Vision’s CEO over the past decade.
“We are so proud of each of these leaders and how each of them, in their own way, continue to collaborate with others to build a better future for our communities, especially those most in need,” said Meg Arnold, Valley Vision’s Interim CEO. “We were thrilled to have our volunteer and executive leadership so well represented this year.” To learn more about the awards, visit www.metrochamber.org.
Photo Credit: Tia Gemmell
Stepping In
At the beginning of this month, I moved into the role of Interim CEO for Valley Vision, as the inestimable Bill Mueller moved on. It’s an honor and a pleasure to serve in this capacity for the period of time until the next permanent CEO of the organization is identified by our Board of Directors – and it’s also been a relatively easy transition, for four important reasons.
Most significantly, because of the Valley Vision team, all of whom show up every day with focus, energy, integrity, compassion, and great teamwork, delivering on our purpose of helping our communities become the most livable in the nation.
Equally importantly, because of the support and confidence of the regional leaders on the Valley Vision Board, who represent both themselves and the organizations that they lead, and provide guidance, strategic direction, and oversight to our work.
Also, because I’m fortunate that Valley Vision is so familiar to me. I’ve worked with, or around, or for Valley Vision since 2005, beginning back in my days at the UC Davis Office of Research, to my first consulting stint here in 2009 managing Valley Vision’s Green Capital Alliance work, through my tenure as CEO at SARTA as a co-lead on the Next Economy project, and finally to my last five years as a consultant here primarily focused on our Clean Economy work.
And, of course, because Bill was just as thoughtful and thorough as you’d expect him to be, in the way that he managed his transition out after twelve years of leadership and fifteen years overall at Valley Vision. He prepared the ground well, and I’m benefiting from his advance work.
In closing, I want to share the best advice I’ve received from the Board thus far, which was “don’t act like an interim.” That seems an important commitment to make out loud: I will not act like an interim for the time that I’m here. You’ll see Valley Vision continue in all that we do – focusing on livable, inclusive, and resilient communities, engaging with our many partners across the region, and moving ahead with our entire range of work – so that my own hand-off to the new Valley Vision CEO will be as well-executed as was Bill’s hand-off to me.
Meg Arnold is Interim CEO of Valley Vision.
Continued Investment in College Facilities Urged by Valley Vision Board
Valley Vision’s 30-member Board of Directors urged support for Measure E on the March 3rd ballot which, if approved by 55% of voters, will authorize $650 million in funds to repair and upgrade classrooms, labs, and other educational facilities throughout the Los Rios Community College District.
“After the Board considered the demands for continued investment for higher education, the safeguards the measure has in place, and the importance of having labs and proper classrooms for the type of job training and workforce preparation we need in the Sacramento area, the vote was unanimous,” reported Trish Rodriguez of Kaiser Permanente, Vice Chairwoman of the Board who led the discussion.
Los Rios Community College District is the region’s largest and most important provider of job training to adults of all ages. However, the District Board believes that state funding is not enough to maintain and improve these facilities. Measure E provides these funds to improve classrooms and labs at four college campuses and their support facilities, benefiting more than 70,000 students per year.
“This is a no-tax-increase bond measure,” said Valley Vision CEO Bill Mueller when presenting the issue to the board, adding it faces no organized opposition. “Measure E has been designed to maintain current tax rates and could only be used for facility expenditures. A citizens’ oversight committee and annual audits would ensure funds are spent as promised.”
Incoming Interim CEO Meg Arnold underscored the importance of the bond issue to the achievement of initiatives Valley Vision is undertaking to prepare a 21st century workforce. And Garry Maisel, CEO of Western Health Advantage, said that the bond would also advance the region’s push for the California Mobility Center, a global center for new clean technologies that will train and employ local residents in new facilities.
Valley Vision’s purpose is to advance a more prosperous, just and sustainable region and state. To learn more about the bond, please visit www.losrios.edu/measure-e.
Bill Mueller was Valley Vision’s Chief Executive through January 31st, 2020.
Newsom and First Partner to Support Farm to School Programs
Governor Newsom has proposed a $600 million dollar budget that includes funding support for initiatives that will enhance student nutrition and school meal programs.
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who has been engaged in supporting Farm to School programs, will be championing these efforts. Most recently, Ms. Siebel Newsom, with coordination from CDFA, Valley Vision, Woodland Community College, and other partners, toured Farm to School Programs in Yolo County and Career programs hosted at Woodland Community College. The purpose of the visit to Woodland Community College was intended to show the connection between eating locally grown healthy foods at school and the potential for opportunities in food and ag career pathways
Late last year, Mrs. Siebel Newsom toured Yolo County and other areas to learn more about the thriving Farm to School programs led by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and Secretary Karen Ross, and food and ag career education programs. Nick Anicich, Farm to School Program Lead, CDFA Office of Farm to Fork, Valley Vision’s Managing Director Trish Kelly, and Carrie Peterson, Regional Director, Agriculture, Water, and Environmental Technology, coordinated the First Partner’s visit to Woodland Community College. This was an opportunity to showcase how food and ag career education programs are providing pathways for local students in this important regional industry, building on Farm to School programs in K-2. Faculty, Students, and College District Leaders hosted the First Partner as she toured the Greenhouse and other facilities, discussing programs and topics like Ag-tech, regenerative agriculture, and growing healthy foods. Valley Vision supports these career pathway efforts as part of the Community College’s Strong Workforce Programs.
Photo top: Jennifer Siebel Newsom tours Greenhouse at Woodland Community College (WCC)
Photo above: Yuba Community College District Chancellor and Board of Trustees, Woodland Community College President, and Faculty, Valley Vision, and California Department of Food and Agriculture, with First Partner.
Regional Broadband Consortia Powers up for Three More Years
In November 2019, Valley Vision was awarded funding to manage the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortia (CCABC) for the next three years, working alongside other regional consortia to achieve 98% broadband access within each region – its third grant from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) since 2012.
The CCABC is tasked to facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure throughout the four-county CCABC region (Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties), working with local municipalities, Internet service providers (ISPs), anchor institutions, community partners, and the State, among others to close the Digital Divide and improve access for the next three years. In this new phase of funding, the CCABC plans to use a reverse RFP approach, which will place a thorough case for investment in the hands of providers. The intent is to generate a more active response from providers by fulfilling as much of the planning work as possible and promoting competition.
Although there was a hiatus in CPUC funding in 2019 for most regional consortia, the CCABC was able to engage multiple stakeholders through several initiatives to improve broadband access, adoption and deployment. In February 2019, Valley Vision helped host a Digital Inclusion Summit, alongside the Sacramento Public Library and the City of Sacramento’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development, bringing together more than 100 participants, to facilitate collaboration among organizations and initiatives working to bridge the digital divide. This summit led to the development of the Sacramento Coalition for Digital Inclusion and the Digital Inclusion Week resolution passed in the City of Sacramento. In March 2019, Valley Vision hosted FCC Chairman, Ajit Pai, to discuss rural broadband infrastructure and connectivity issues related to lack of eligibility for federal funding due to rural definitions, among other challenges. Chairman Pai visited two farms which are piloting ag technologies and the AgStart incubator in Woodland, and met with local and state policy leaders. The CCABC continues to work with the Chairman’s office and other Commissioners to address funding, mapping and other infrastructure challenges, along with federal agencies including NTIA, EDA and USDA and congressional representatives to advance regional broadband priorities. This work will continue as part of the 2020 Cap-to-Cap trip in April.
Through funding from the Delta Protection Commission, Valley Vision developed a broadband action plan for five legacy communities along the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, all facing rural broadband infrastructure and funding challenges. As a lead partner in developing the Capital Region Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), with support from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, Valley Vision incorporated broadband infrastructure and access priorities into both the infrastructure and workforce/digital skills strategies. Additionally, with support from the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), Valley Vision manages the Strategic Broadband Corridors Project, a statewide effort to coordinate the network of broadband consortia with CalTrans to conduct joint use/dig once projects along priority corridors/highways.
To get updates on the Connected Capital Area Broadband Consortium and the Sacramento Coalition for Digital Inclusion, subscribe to our broadband newsletter today!
Yzabelle Dela Cruz is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the Innovation & Infrastructure and 21st Century Workforce impact areas.
Valley Vision’s Trish Kelly also contributed to the writing of this blog.
The Three Truths of Change
I’m not really sure how fifteen years went by so quickly. That’s a lot of years spent listening to people in our communities, learning and becoming more familiar with how we humans and our institutions cope with the forces of change, much of it outside our control, and either resist or embrace it.
A number of people have asked me if I could pass along any important lessons I’ve learned during my time as Valley Vision’s CEO. My answer comes with a big smile and the words: yes, about a million lessons! Change work is often challenging but always humbling. If you are truly open to hearing from the people who are most directly affected, unfiltered, it is absolutely the best education you could ever hope for in your life. So, as space constraints will prevent passing on a million different lessons, I would like to tell you instead about three big patterns or “truths about change,” that I have uncovered over my many years.
The first is simply that change takes time. It’s a hard truth. When we see a celebrated announcement about a new downtown renaissance, a school system back on track, or a politician pat themselves on the back for a major win, it almost never happens overnight, nor by those actually celebrating. In truth and real practice, the conditions for change take many years, not days, and are built on the back of efforts from people who came before us. This heritage is important to recognize, and to respect.
One of my many mentors Jane Hagedorn noticed in her highly effective 30-year nonprofit career that major change efforts took seven years, and there’s much truth in it. That is, several years to get all the stakeholders on board, recognizing that there’s a real issue that deserves their attention and then building a warrant for change. Then, there are still a couple more years with data and hard-nosed meetings to get clear on how to address the issue effectively and to assemble the team and investments necessary to make new things happen. Then, finally, a few more years to pilot, test, fail, adjust, and make the change permanent. Change takes time, and we must embrace it rather than hide it, even though our hurry-up, fix-it-fast culture encourages otherwise. Plan for it. When things look bleak or seem to be taking “too long,” keep the faith; be unwavering. With dedication, time is on your side.
Second is the insight that regions of a million plus people each have distinct leadership models or approaches for how change happens in their communities, but that we do best when political, business, and civic sectors are working together. It’s important to recognize this. For me this truth was brought to light by the many study mission trips I have attended, organized by the Sacramento Metro Chamber and also by the El Dorado County and Folsom Chambers. On these multi-day learning exchanges leaders in Seattle, Austin, Charlotte, Vancouver, Brooklyn, Nashville, Portland, Atlanta, and Indianapolis told us their success stories. After six or seven trips, I came to recognize that leadership could spring from multiple sources to achieve the goals of a city or region.
- Most often, leadership sprang from government when a dynamic mayor (or mayors) held sway over their entire region with a uniting vision and the power and respect to convene and direct regional action and investment.
- Next most seen was a business-led leadership model, where a community with dense corporate headquarters had a few wise leaders who banded together to drive change because they understood the importance of community health to their overall bottom line. Leadership came from the private sector, working with elected officials, with an emphasis on measurable results and a clear return on investment.
- Last was a philanthropic or nonprofit leadership model, where regional leadership emanated from a major foundation or nonprofit CEO or group of CEOs who helped set the regional agenda and the focus of change.
In my 30 years in the Capital Region and now 15 at Valley Vision, I have witnessed the source of leadership in the Capital Region shift from sector to sector and evolve over time, largely reflecting the leader and their skills and whether their vision was large and inclusive enough. Secondary factors have to do with whether our region is on an up or down cycle of the economy, and therefore the presenting challenges that must be confronted, but also the availability of leadership. The lesson I draw from this is that, without question we are at our best and accomplish the most good when political, business, and civic sectors are teamed up. This seems to be happening more and more, which is a good sign.
Third, there is a big new cadre of leaders in top positions across our public, private, and civic institutions in the region just in the past few years, right as our region is coming into its own. There’s always some degree of turn over, but in the last five years we’ve seen virtually a wholesale change of who’s in charge. At Valley Vision we counted more than 30 top positions that had changed hands from one long-serving leader to the next — core business groups, leaders of our top universities, as well as vital government institutions. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge walking out the door. But importantly, we have a big new set of leaders at the helm of our region and its institutions with fresh ideas and emboldened by fresh mandates for change. I am part of this outgoing class. I am leaving the CEO seat in order for the next leader to bring the energy and fresh ideas we need to make a more prosperous, just, and sustainable region, adding their contribution to the groundwork laid by others.
I leave Valley Vision deeply optimistic about our future, and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Bill Mueller was Valley Vision’s Chief Executive through January 31st, 2020.