Staff
Valley Vision’s staff is made up of a passionate team of researchers, project managers, strategists and facilitators who are driven to improve lives.

Hilary Tellesen Project Leader![]()
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 […]

Caitlin Blockus Project Manager![]()
Caitlin Blockus began her career at Valley Vision in 2021 as a Project Associate in the Workforce Development Impact Area. She soon worked her way up to a Project Manager position and serves as Coalition Manager for the Capital Region Coalition for Digital Inclusion (CRCDI). Caitlin’s passion for digital inclusion was sparked by her previous […]

Gustavo Garcia Project Associate![]()
Gustavo joined Valley Vision in August 2022 as a Project Associate supporting the 21st Century Workforce area. Professional Experience Born and raised in the Central Valley, Gustavo has always supported organizations that have focused on increasing accessibility to people from disenfranchised communities. His first experience in the nonprofit sector was in outdoor education and leadership, […]

Navreet Hundal Project Associate![]()
Navreet joined Valley Vision in July 2022 as a Project Associate supporting the Innovation and Infrastructure and Healthy Communities impact areas. Raised in California’s Central Valley, Navreet’s firsthand experiences taught her the importance of centering community voices in regional decision making, in order to create equitable change. Professional Experience With a broad academic focus, Navreet’s […]

Renee John Director of Workforce Development![]()
Renee joined Valley Vision in March of 2020 to support efforts in the 21st Century Workforce Impact Area. Prior to Valley Vision, Renee led workforce development projects for ten years as a director with a community based nonprofit. Her work has included Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act projects, administering community block grants, youth employment, refugee […]

Brittnii Johnson Operations & Office Coordinator![]()
Brittnii joined Valley Vision in June of 2021 as an Executive Associate supporting the CEO, Evan Schmidt and office staff administratively. Professional Experience Brittnii comes with a diverse set of skills and experience. Her first career was in early childhood education working with children in a preschool setting. She has also assisted prospective college students […]

Grace Kaufman Project Manager![]()
Grace started as Project Manager at Valley Vision in 2020. She works in the Food and Ag and Clean Economy impact areas by managing the Yolo Food Hub project, the Coordinated Rural Opportunities Plan (CROP), and the Zero Emission Hydrogen Locomotive Project. At Valley Vision, Grace has supported the 2021 Sacramento Region Food System Action […]

Trish Kelly Managing Director![]()
Trish joined Valley Vision in 2014 as managing director after several years as a consultant to the organization. She oversees Valley Vision’s food and ag economy, 21st century workforce, and broadband strategies. Professional Experience Trish’s vast regional and statewide networks greatly contribute to the growth and vitality of the region. An effective grant writer, Trish helped […]

Alan Lange Managing Director![]()
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, […]

Angelina Olweny Project Associate![]()
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 […]

Alana Ramsay Project Associate![]()
Alana joined Valley Vision as a Project Associate in June of 2022. She primarily supports the Leadership & Civic Engagement Impact Area. Professional Experience Prior to joining Valley Vision, Alana worked with CivicWell, a Sacramento-based nonprofit supporting sustainable policies and the leaders and communities that implement them. She began in January 2021 as an Administrative & […]