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!
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.
Leadership Is a Team Sport: My Time with CSN
“Leadership is a team sport.” This expression resonated as I sped down the hill toward Fresno. I turned the wheel of my trusty 2006 Honda Odyssey to match the curvature of the country road before me. “Sometimes success is a change in the tenor of a conversation.”
I’d just spent two days in the foothills below Kings Canyon participating in the Orientation of the California Stewardship Network’s new Leadership Program. The California Stewardship Network (CSN) is an alliance of fifteen unique regional organizations committed to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of our regions and our state (the “triple bottom line”). Notably, CSN collaborates with California Forward to host the annual California Economic Summit (set to be held in Fresno on November 7-8). Valley Vision represents the 6-county Sacramento region and serves as the backbone organization and fiscal agent for CSN.
As I reflected on the groundbreaking and brilliantly subversive lessons of the past 48 hours, I can’t help but be eager for the continuation of this program – a series of upcoming exchanges over the coming year where my “cohort” of 19 young leaders will grow and collaborate on creative solutions to the challenges our State faces. Valley Vision CEO Bill Mueller left me with a key nugget of wisdom prior to my departure, which I also shared with the other participants: “it is really hard to build a statewide network through a conventional career. This is your chance to do exactly that while better connecting our diverse regions to one another.”
The Orientation kicked off with a storytelling session, where each participant was tasked with telling their “origin story,” including why we are dedicated to advancing triple bottom line approaches to persistent problems. I was able to connect my upbringing in rural Mendocino County to my current work at Valley Vision on issues like wildfire resilience, rural broadband, air quality, and so much more. It was quite an icebreaker! Then, we took part in a very comprehensive Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 session with Gallup Certified Strengths Coach Adrian Ruiz, where we identified our talents and those of others in our cohort. We also dug into how sometimes our strengths can translate as weaknesses in certain circumstances (for example, an “Includer” needs to be mindful that at times they might be seen as too deferential to others). Strengths are like muscles, and it takes the intentional ‘exercise’ of talents combined with skills and knowledge to create a true “strength.” I had no idea that my unique ‘DNA’ of five talents – Strategic-Maximizer-Adaptability-Developer-Includer – is shared by only one in every 33 Million people. Crazy!
In the second half of the program, Micah Weinberg of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute and Kriselda Bautista of the Local Government Commission put our strengths and knowledge to work. We tackled a tough case study out of West Oakland where a new housing development was being considered for development (replete with NIMBY opposition group, cerebral city planners, et al), and we had to balance equity, economy, and environment in determining how to move the project forward. Our considerations ranged from the right number of affordable units, to design of a human-centered community engagement process, to the proper means of evaluating our entire effort.
Finally, we learned how to de-escalate difficult situations by appealing to emotion. Doug Noll, a former trial lawyer who has dedicated himself to peacemaking and conflict resolution, led our group through a science-based journey into human brain chemistry and cutting-edge psychology. Doug Co-Founded a nonprofit called Prison of Peace, which since 2010 has helped inmates develop peacemaking skills to reduce violence and promote problem-solving within their prison community. We learned how our society regularly invalidates emotional expression, which is manifested in how so many of us say “It’s OK” and attempt to problem-solve when another person is experiencing difficulties. This is actually a selfish act, and a form of self-soothing that is hurtful to the person we are trying to comfort. If you really want to help people who are angry or sad, you need to learn and practice affect labeling – essentially “lending them your prefrontal cortex” and helping them process their emotions through a specific set of actions. This simple yet effective process is detailed in Noll’s book, De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less, and I’m happy to share more if you send me an email! This tool stood out to me in a world that desperately needs more healers.
I want to thank Joanna Wessman, the Network Coordinator for CSN, Kathy Moxon, CSN’s Past Chair and Director of Redwood Coast Rural Action, and Deb Nankivell, CEO of the Fresno Business Council, for introducing us to this awesome network and guiding us through such an impactful and thought-provoking 48 hours. Thanks also to Bank of America for sponsoring. Of course, I’d also like to thank Bill Mueller for nominating me for this program, and my fantastic cohort – I so look forward to seeing you all again in May! I’ll continue to share my experiences as I learn how to apply triple bottom line outcomes and work to elevate California’s diverse region’s to build a stronger and more equitable California. Stay tuned!
Adrian Rehn is a Valley Vision Project Manager overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s online communications.
Our Predictions for 2019
“Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future.” – Ashleigh Brilliant
In this final post of 2018, I wanted to write to you about some predictions we have for the coming year, and our hopes for you and our communities at the holidays.
Our regional economy will grow by another $5 billion next year. It’s been growing at that clip for the past four years, and despite global head winds, it’s likely to happen again, raising our total Regional GDP to about $130 billion annually. If you didn’t already know, we have one of the nation’s biggest economies – we are in the top 10% of all regional economies in the US today in terms of economic output.
While the regional economy will grow larger, inequity will get worse. Middle-wage jobs are more scarce these days, while jobs at the top and bottom of the scale and bottom are growing. If you have a good education and workplace skills, you’ll earn a good livable wage. If you are entry level, or lack the skills or training for the increasingly technical or digital jobs available, then service jobs will be your best (and maybe only) option. For most people, this needs to be the start of their careers, not the end of their economic fortunes. That’s why we at Valley Vision are so focused on helping students, employers, universities, workforce boards and schools prepare for this new future of work, creating a talent pipeline that includes everyone. Nearly one-third of our work directly relates to this purpose.
In 2019, a bunch of really important decisions affecting the lives of you and your family will be made. If you live in Sacramento, the people at city hall, with input from various communities, will decide the priorities for a long-term jobs strategy, how to spend millions from the Measure U tax increase, and how best to help under-represented school kids dealing with the potential bankruptcy facing the Sacramento City Unified School District. Regionally, big choices are coming for what type of housing, growth, and mobility investments we will make for the next generation. Being plugged into these decisions is important to your wellbeing. Valley Vision will be more than watching; we’ll be directly engaged with our region’s leadership, advocating for solutions that balance equity, economy, and environmental sustainability.
Harder to predict, but still inevitable, are the ways that coming shifts in mobility and new technologies will affect how we live, and the form and shape our communities will take. We are going to see more autonomous vehicles on our streets and universities’ campuses, new electric fleets, more bikes and scooters, and new applications that can help us get where we need to go easily and without a huge price tag.
In so many ways, the headquarters for the State of California is the likeliest place in the world to test the latest innovations that are transforming our buildings and streets, how we get our food, our sources of energy, and transportation. This is not only because California is setting the pace globally on these issues with new policies and technologies, but also because we have vast sections of our cities in the Capital Region that can be re-built – often from scratch – with the latest technologies and cutting-edge materials, as well as break-through designs and modern conveniences geared for the future.
For our part, Valley Vision is doing what we can to champion this region’s ability to serve as a “test bed” and incubator for new technologies and applications aimed at solving urban problems – as a fiscal sponsor for local governments, businesses, and utilities for new cutting-edge mobility enterprises; as a project manager driving changes in policy that focus on future needs; and as an independent researcher and catalyst.
2018 has been a formative year. Strong foundations have been laid and things feel more certain (or at least known). The region’s business, government, education, and community groups seem to be coming together, sharing effort, trusting each other more versus going it alone. New leaders are settling into their posts and getting things sorted out. More seasoned leaders in our neighborhoods, governments, and businesses are actively working with others to fulfill their promises. 2019 will put it all to the test as these decisions come up and the stakes rise. We are at a turning point.
Our wish for you? Participate: the voices of those whose lives are directly impacted need to be heard now more than ever in boardrooms and council chambers. Encourage: tell those who represent you that you expect them to work collaboratively with others, including people with whom they don’t instantly agree, because we are better together. Hold them to account for this. Remember, they work for you, not the other way around. Last, love always: love your family and your community. Be involved. This is most important and what no one can do but you. Throughout time, positive change has always begun here.
The future remains bright, if we make it together.
Happy holidays from the team at Valley Vision! To keep up with Valley Vision’s work to advance livability in the Sacramento region, subscribe to our Vantage Point email newsletter!
Bill Mueller was Valley Vision’s Chief Executive.
My Valley Vison Experience in One Word
I am grateful to have been Valley Vision’s Communications Intern since January 2018. Grateful to work alongside people dedicated to their work. Grateful to deepen my appreciation and love of my region. Grateful to grow my skillset with a nonprofit whose mission is aligned with my own. Grateful that I’m now prepared for my next step in life.
The team guided me and shaped me: Understanding that Adrian adds an exclamation point to make anything more exciting, and that Robyn will catch any spelling or grammar error that I threw at her, assured me that I was in a space where we took care of business. Days of having dogs in the office, the steady stream of Philz Coffee, and being offered helpings of Yzabelle and Sonia’s food kept my heart and stomach full.
Chloe was patient with me when I struggled with program design, showing me that others will help me, but I need to help myself first. Alan’s quiet confidence and one-liner jokes was something I tried so hard to emulate. Seeing firsthand how hard everyone worked, but then how willingly we would play along with an office joke or conversation was the balance I needed to keep me motivated.
I deepened my appreciation for my hometown and heightened awareness of the surrounding counties: I’ve always been proud of being from Sacramento. While living in the Bay Area and Stockton, I proudly reminded people that I was from Sacramento. Curating content for our five monthly newsletters has showed me all of the great work that people are doing to improve the region. Small establishments are making huge impacts, like the Yisrael Family Farm in Oak Park which teach residents about agriculture, and CleanStart, which helps clean technology startups share their work and secure funding.
There are countless other people and organizations who work tirelessly to make sure the region is a place where everyone can live comfortably. The people create the direction for the region, and have spoken loudly. We care about one another.
Valley Vision took a gamble on me, but it paid dividends: When I accepted my role at Valley Vision, I had managed social media accounts for City Year Sacramento, and championed newsletter efforts at St. HOPE – not exactly expansive knowledge of communications. I did not have a degree in Communications, Public Relations, Graphic Design, or a related field. What I did have was a curiosity and unwavering commitment to never stop learning. Those qualities are what helped me overcome what I lacked in formal education. Gratitude and curiosity fueled my first few months as I learned platforms like MailChimp and WordPress, and kicked up our social media activity.
After building proficiency and confidence, and learning the working styles of my teammates, I gained traction. Curating 50+ newsletters, growing our Twitter reach by over 750%, and developing rapport with staff members to create content, I elevated the external awareness of Valley Vision greatly. Taking cues from Bill, Trish, Christine, and Adrian, I found a way to leverage my enthusiasm and turn it into irrefutable growth.
Growth and opportunity: My next step is to be determined. Staying in Sacramento and continuing to make my hometown and the region I love a place where everyone can live and thrive is of the utmost importance to me. Nonprofits do this work. Government agencies do this work. Schools do this work. The private sector does this work. I do this work.
Ruben Moody has been a Valley Vision Communications Intern since January 24th, 2018.
What Are You Thankful for in 2018?
As each year comes to a close, Valley Vision staff reflect on what we have been thankful for over the past year. It’s an annual tradition, and we are excited to share our reflections with you. Thank you for continuing to support and collaborate with us!
- Chloe Pan: I am thankful for community and being able to witness all of the love people have for those around them. As President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Far and away, the best prize that life has to offer is a chance to work hard at work worth doing. And I would add that what makes work worth doing is getting to do it with people that you love.”
- Bill Mueller: I am thankful for the next generation of problem solvers who are tackling our biggest challenges. The future is in great hands, with a growing crowd of people locally who really care about equity, economy and the environment, and are working in our community daily to do something about it.
- Jennifer Romero: “I am thankful for family, friends and loved ones near and far, who continue to support and love me during my very hectic culinary endeavors. I am also thankful for my beautiful wife and all that she does for us, and our furry babies, Max, Marley and Belle!”
- Yzabelle Dela Cruz: There have been many people and experiences throughout this year that have added a wealth of love and insight to my life. I am grateful for the health of my family, friends, and colleagues, and the ability to share these connections and experiences with people who offer such kindness and support.
- Tammy Cronin: Family, friends, good health, prosperity and abundance, kindness and generosity.
- Ruben Moody: I’m thankful for the people around me who continue to drive me forward. They help me create opportunities to evolve and develop as a professional and a person.
- Debbie Aubert: Being cancer free!
- Sonia Duenas: 2018 has been a big year of change. I’m grateful for my expanding family, good health, new friendships, and the opportunities that lay ahead. Change is good.
- Alan Lange: I am thankful to be done with our office hunt. The search was long. The options were many. Very glad we landed in such a great space. And I am also grateful for the many wonderful years spent at the former location.
- Trish Kelly: Grateful for ongoing love and support from friends and work colleagues as my family experienced loss of loved ones this past year; grateful to be part of a community that is responding so deeply to support those experiencing the devastation of the fires; and grateful to do work that is dedicated to a healthy and sustainable future for the region.
- Adrian Rehn: I am thankful for the increasingly small differentiation between friends, family, and colleagues. The people I have collaborated with over the past year are all of the above.
- Evan Schmidt: My family’s health and well-being, good friends and community, and meaningful work that challenges and excites me.
- Meg Arnold: I’m grateful for Valley Vision’s great new office space, which has enhanced the funkiness of the old office’s brick walls by adding many windows and copious natural light! I’m also grateful for Alan’s steady and quiet hand during the moving process, and for the three great colleagues with whom I share our office “pod.”
- Emma Koefoed: Thankful being able to move to Midtown this year. Thankful for having the BEST POD EVER.
- Robyn Krock: There are so many who need a hand right now, I am grateful that I am in a position to be able to help others.
Featured Image Credit: Chantel Elder
Valley Vision Staff Cook Meals for Camp Fire Victims
In the immediate wake of the Camp Fire, several organizations arrived in Butte County to support those facing life with an overwhelming amount of uncertainty. World Central Kitchen, founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, was one of the first organizations on scene providing support. For the last several weeks, chefs around California and beyond have rallied to leverage commercial kitchen spaces in making a difference.
World Central Kitchen (WCK) made headlines previously when disaster hit Haiti and Puerto Rico, as well as during the Mendocino Complex and Carr Fires earlier in the year. They have established a reputation now as the tenacious non-profit known for being the go-to organization to feed thousands in the wake of natural disasters. When it became apparent the Camp Fire was going to be yet another wildfire for the record books, WCK made its way up to Northern California to set up a facility. With Paradise only a short drive away and so many people affected, the staff at Valley Vision immediately wanted to find a way to help. In less than a day Project Associates Sonia Duenas, Yzabelle Dela Cruz, and myself registered as volunteers and made our way to Chico, California the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
We arrived in Chico around 11 am and immediately took notice of the blackened hills and fire lines coming right up to the freeway pavement. The smoke was heavy, and not much could be seen past the few cars in front of us. In both directions we passed more than a dozen Cal Fire Trucks, dusty and grayish-red as they returned back down Highway 99, horse trailers packed with animals being transported to makeshift animal shelters, Red Cross disaster vans, pedestrian vehicles noticeably loaded with supplies, bags of clothing, and food, and regular families probably leaving the only home they’ve known. It was a leveling experience just coming into the area. However, once we arrived at the WCK headquarters, the tone instantly changed. What a few moments ago felt so dire, was replaced with a bustling group of cheerful and smiling WCK volunteers that immediately welcomed us and directed us to a station. The Red Cross had just arrived to pick up what was probably lunch, and there was a line of people loading up cambros and sack lunches into the disaster vans. After a quick tour of the facility and run down of tasks to be completed, we made our way across the parking lot to the kitchen to help prep food for the dinner shift. Chef Dominic Orsini, head chef from Silver Oak Winery, greeted us at the door and immediately led all three of us outside to a table with 5 large boxes of Spanish onions that needed to be sliced up for dinner.
“Can you cut onions?”
Slightly intimidated we each quickly grabbed an onion, rubbed off the outer layer of dried peels, sliced off the nubby little ends, and julienned the little herbaceous plants as fast as we could.
“Great! Get started”. And like that, we were off.
For the rest of the day, we were flying around the kitchen, working alongside the many other World Central Kitchen staff, the Silver Oak Kitchen team and other volunteers. As Kerrie Jacobson, a representative from Chef Tyler Florence’s team, was moving back and forth hastily making chimichurri sauce for the dinner meal and simultaneously making batches of quinoa, several of us were outside braising beef chuck on large paella pans. Time flew by as we shared stories about where we were from and why we had come to participate. We met several amazing people including Carrie, a massage therapist who had driven all the way from Santa Rosa to lend her hands, and Joe, a Red Cross organizer who had flown in from Connecticut to help with the relief efforts. Together we were able to prepare over 2,500 dinner meals for Camp Fire victims.
Returning to the car covered in sweat and kitchen debris, we couldn’t help but feel completely humbled and inspired by our time spent with World Central Kitchen. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we watched as the Red Cross vans departed down the road with the meals for delivery, hopefully to bring some comfort to those in need. The experience was one of a kind, and aside from the unfortunate circumstances, Sonia, Yzabelle, and I were grateful that we were able to participate in something so impactful.
Emma Koefoed is a Valley Vision Project Associate contributing to the 21st Century Workforce and Food and Agriculture impact areas.
What Are the Region’s Five Most Important Transportation Investments?
In January, Valley Vision reported that 93% of local residents said that transportation is of critical importance to business and job growth in the region. The poll result was part of the ongoing survey research of resident attitudes that Valley Vision conducts with the Institute of Social Research at Sac State. Our latest opinion survey is now out on resident attitudes about what it’s like to live and work here.
Local residents overwhelmingly get the jobs-transportation link, knowing that we have to make 21st Century-minded investment decisions that better connect existing job and education centers and provide people choice in how they get around.
In a letter sent this week to the leadership of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG – the body that decides our transportation investments), Valley Vision’s Board made this case drawing from our own transportation research and work, facts and evidence from the Brookings Institute, McKinsey & Company, and regional as well as local economic development organizations and experts.
The letter states that advanced economies are clustered in cities today, large and small. It is in these built-up areas where there is a concentration of firms, investment capital, labor, and schools and universities, working together on technologies, cures, products, and services. Cities are where jobs are located. So it makes the most sense to direct the limited dollars we have in investments where the existing jobs and people are, not to where they aren’t.
To support inclusive job and business growth in the Capital Region, Valley Vision’s Board said unanimously that we must prioritize fixing and maintaining what we have. Next up is increasing mobility access and use by making our different transportation systems work better together across city boundaries with technology and governance improvements. Lastly, we have to make careful and strategic investments that connect existing job and education centers to improve opportunity for all, not just some.
So if there’s only so much taxpayer money to go around and we want a healthy economy that is inclusive and doesn’t leave anyone out, where should we invest? The answer is pretty simple. Valley Vision’s Board came up with what we believe are the “Big Five” priorities.
As numbers one and two, we must find a solution that breaks the traffic gridlock on Highway 50 and Highway 80, which are the backbone that links our region’s largest job centers. We lose millions of dollars in productivity when people are stuck behind the wheel, and we make air quality far worse. Goods movement and commerce are blocked. These conditions impact everyone’s lives, directly and indirectly.
Number three is making transit work for all people – for working professionals and people who do not have any other option but public transit to get to work, school, or services. It makes little sense to have so many transit agencies in our region. Further, it is overly complicated and, in some cases near impossible, to get between cities or across our region by bus, light rail, or bike safely, conveniently, and on time. This is a government efficiency problem as much as an infrastructure investment opportunity that continues to block people from jobs and educational opportunity and slows economic activity. Great strides are being made today by RT and other agency leaders, but an inclusive economy that engages all communities, especially the disadvantaged, requires us to act with urgency.
Number four is improving connectivity between Sacramento and the Bay Area. This will require vision and investment that goes beyond business-as-usual. Commuter train service and bus rapid transit should be actively advanced and expanded, in addition to Highway 80 capacity improvements. Being better connected to the world’s epicenter for technology is a wise, long-term economic investment strategy and provides job and business growth opportunities to existing and new firms important to all communities.
Number five is improving connectivity and public investment in and around Sacramento International Airport. This is our gateway to the world. Look at any other metro and their major airport is the hub of their transportation and job network. Access, opportunity, and growth – core tenants of economic inclusion – are served by public and private investment here.
It’s hard to imagine any issue today getting agreement from 93% of the general public. But the importance of transportation to growing jobs and opportunity here in this region is a no-brainer. Let’s all make sure when the SACOG Board meets next on December 20th that our elected leaders are prioritizing the sort of investments that better link existing job and education centers.
To learn more about this, we hope you take part in the public forums and input sessions for the 2020 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, now in development. Key decisions are coming up in the months ahead and making your voice heard is vital to building a community we all want to live in, both now and in the future.
Bill Mueller was Valley Vision’s Chief Executive.
Featured image credit: Jason A. Knowles
Why Election Results and Facts Matter to the Future of This Region
Last week’s election was another defining moment for California. While electoral votes are not fully counted, we now have a new Governor-elect with an expansion agenda intended to grow social, economic and environmental programs. In addition, new investment commitments were made to increase affordable housing and voters agreed that paying for mobility and road improvements is worth higher gas taxes at the pump.
Closer to home, the election results showed once more that the four-county Sacramento Metro Area is a region divided – a microcosm for the state and nation at large. Two indicators: the vote for governor, and the vote for Proposition 6, the statewide measure to repeal the gas tax.
If the election for governor was up to just Placer and El Dorado County voters, John Cox would have won by a landslide, prevailing over Lt. Gov. Newsom with 59% of the vote in both counties. Yet in Sacramento County voters supported Newsome 55% over 44% for Cox, and in Yolo County, the margin was wider: 66% for Newsom and 34% for Cox.
The vote for Proposition 6 tells a similar story. The gas tax repeal was backed strongly by Placer and El Dorado County voters, with 57% in favor. Yet in Sacramento County voters said “no” to the repeal by a 53% to 46% margin. Yolo County voters were more emphatic, voting 65% against repeal, with just 35% in favor.
Results like these should remind us all that California’s Capital region is diverse; its voters politically distinct in outlook; and that the political divide is not just across the US but, for us, is just a 45-minute drive in any direction. This is important to know for political, government, business, or civic leadership agencies like Valley Vision as we conduct our daily business to make this region more prosperous, just and sustainable.
How do you govern in times of sharp disagreement? You start with facts. For you cannot facilitate understanding or agreement among varied interests if there’s not agreement first upon the nature of the problems that you collectively face.
In the week following Thanksgiving, Valley Vision will release the results of our latest scientific opinion poll that reveals resident attitudes about what they value (and not) about our quality of life in the Greater Sacramento area. Working with the Institute of Social Research at Sacramento State, we asked nearly 1,000 local residents how they feel about homelessness, poverty, their chances at upward mobility, education, health care access, and more. We also asked tough questions about whether they feel included in their community or not, and whether we should embrace the present boom in this region, or preserve the lifestyle we have come to value.
We trust that these scientifically-derived results that reflect the voices of local residents – rich and poor, urban and rural, old and young, White, Black, Latino, Asian and more – will arm the elected officials lucky enough to lead us with the knowledge and insights to bring us together to focus on the issues that residents prioritize as most important to their lives and wellbeing.
It’s part of the value proposition that Valley Vision brings to you, and to those governing. We appreciate your support, and all our thoughts and prayers at Valley Vision are with the families confronting the Camp Fire and other catastrophes across California.
Bill Mueller was Valley Vision’s Chief Executive.
SB-1 Is Rebuilding the Sacramento Region
From its very beginnings to the modern day, California has always been a land of opportunity that attracted those with a pioneering spirit. Yet for all of our strength, ambition and innovation, it’s incongruous that 60% of our roads require rehabilitation and that a state that ranks as the world’s 5th largest economic powerhouse can – at the same time – rank 48th in the nation when it comes to the condition of our highways.
SB-1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, helps solve this under-investment by bringing necessary resources to rebuild California’s roads and failing infrastructure. The 12-cent gas tax increase, which went into effect in November 2017, is estimated to provide $54 billion for transportation infrastructure repairs across the state over the next 10 years. In the Sacramento region alone, our cities and counties expect to receive $1.1 billion of these funds for local repairs and improvements, with further investment going to highways, bridges, and other state-operated infrastructure that we use every day.
The state’s under-investment in infrastructure in recent decades was the inevitable result of the fact that the gas tax established in 1990 was not indexed to inflation and has not increased since 1994. In the nearly 25 years since then, the purchasing power of the funds from that tax has diminished, creating a wide gap in investment. Two other factors further stress this situation: first, increases in fuel efficiency mean that vehicles consume (and pay gas tax on) less fuel per mile driven; and second, the state’s population continues to grow, increasing use and wear on our infrastructure. SB-1 effectively addresses the shortfall created by all these factors.
Key regional projects like the Highway 50 corridor enhancements between Sacramento and Placerville, the Highway 65 Interchange in Placer County, and the City of Sacramento’s Grid 3.0 project, have all been made possible because of continued SB-1 funding. The measure also allows for investment in smaller projects that would otherwise be overlooked. Among the SB-1 projects set to benefit Woodland is a much-needed redesign of West Main Street, including new bike lanes, sidewalks, and better access to transit.
The Sacramento Regional Transit District, the region’s largest and most utilized transit service provider, providing over 90% of the ridership in the region, relies on SB-1 investment to introduce new programs, expand routes and improve services that the region’s growing population needs and deserves. The $6 million designated annually to SacRT in formula funds is already expanding the popular SmaRT Ride on-demand microtransit service and boosting frequency of light rail service.
Additionally, SB-1 makes it possible to compete and win grants by filling the funding gap. Most often the state and federal policies require a dollar for dollar local investment match. Earlier this year, Sacramento Regional Transit was awarded $84 million out of $400 million needed to modernize its light rail system, including the purchase of low-floor vehicles, double tracking of light rail line between the Sunrise and Historic Folsom stations, increasing service frequency to 15 minutes between Folsom and downtown Sacramento, and planning for peak time express trains once double-tracking is complete.
Simply put, SB-1 funding is enabling local and statewide improvements, which will enhance regional connectivity and improve quality of life for those who live, work, stay and drive in the Sacramento region. Via Proposition 6 on this year’s ballot, voters will determine whether SB-1 will continue to deliver the transit and road improvements that our communities need. Investing in expanded and innovative transportation programs that reduce road congestion, improve mobility and quality of life, and serve a growing population will allow for cities and regions to compete globally.
Bill Mueller was Chief Executive of Valley Vision.
Valley Vision Cohosts Americas Competitiveness Exchange 10
The tenth Americas Competitiveness Exchange arrived in Sacramento on Thursday, following five days of exploring sites across Northern California representing a broad swathe of the Megaregion’s robust innovation ecosystem.
Before arriving in Sacramento, the delegation of 50 high-level decision makers representing 23 different countries across the Western Hemisphere and beyond, visited multiple sites in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Salinas, Los Banos and Fresno. The purpose of the ACE program is for participants to make connections with the local community and explore opportunities for ongoing partnerships in research, trade, economic development, and more. Valley Vision‘s strong connections to federal partners through AgPlus and other initiatives were key to Northern California being the location of the exchange, with Valley Vision and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources serving as organizers and hosts.
Upon arriving in Sacramento, the group was hosted by the Sacramento Kings in the Golden 1 Center Assembly room, where they were welcomed by Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Sacramento City Mayor Darrell Steinberg, and President of Business Operations for the Sacramento Kings, John Rinehart. A panel discussion, moderated by Valley Vision’s Chief Executive, Bill Mueller, explored the public-private partnerships involved in building the arena as an anchor asset for community revitalization and economic development. Featured panelists were Arlen Orchard, General Manager and CEO of SMUD; Danielle Casey, a new Executive Vice President with the Greater Sacramento Economic Council; and Louis Stewart, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Sacramento. Each of the speakers and panelists shared their perspectives on why it was important to work together in bringing the arena to downtown Sacramento and how it serves as a regional and community asset. After the panel discussion, participants were treated to a tour of the most technologically advanced and sustainably operated sports arena in the world by Ryan Montoya, Chief Technology Officer for the Sacramento Kings and member of the Valley Vision Board of Directors.
The next stop in Sacramento was the Urban Hive at the Cannery where the participants saw another urban revitalization project in the former cannery transformed into a sleek and creative co-working and event space. A panel discussion of nine women leaders representing various aspects of the Sacramento region’s innovation ecosystem was masterfully moderated by Valley Vision’s Meg Arnold. As noted by Meg, the job of moderating was made easier by the powerhouse of talent serving on the panel including Amanda Blackwood, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce; Cynthia Carrillo, Regional Director for the Greater Sacramento Economic Council; Katherine Cota, Executive Director for the new Carlsen Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at California State University Sacramento; Kathy Kossick, Executive Director with the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency; Debbie Lowe Muramoto, Director of the Women’s Business Center, California Capital Financial Development Corporation; Gina Lujan, Founder and CEO of Hacker Lab; Tracey Schaal, Executive Director for Power Inn Alliance; Dr. Amy Schultz, Dean of Career, Continuing, and Technical Education at Sierra College; and Molly Weber, Founder and CXO of the Urban Hive. Additional speakers included Evan Schmidt, Director of Evaluation and Strategy for Valley Vision, Brooks Ohlson, Director of the Los Rios Community College District Center for International Trade and Development, and Ian Steff, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing with the Department of Commerce International Trade Administration. Local farmer David Ogilvie also warmly welcomed the group to Sacramento and reflected that many of the challenges he faces as a farmer in a small community are similar to the challenges ACE 10 participants face in their own home countries.
After the event at the Urban Hive, ACE 10 participants and local community leaders split into tables of ten at farm-to-fork restaurants in Sacramento for small group discussion dinners. The Dinner Discussion sponsors were the City of Davis, the City of Elk Grove, the City of Sacramento, Los Rios Community College District, Center for International Trade and Development, Sacramento State University, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, Sierra College, and Raley’s. The small group discussion dinners received rave reviews, with many ACE 10 participants commenting that these dinners allowed for in-depth conversations to occur and strong connections to develop – not to mention the best Farm-to-Fork food experience of the entire trip!
Friday morning kicked off with a welcome breakfast hosted by Sacramento State University at the Leland Stanford Mansion, where university President, Dr. Robert Nelsen welcomed the group and shared his pride in Sacramento State. His pride is well placed in the recognition the university received from the American Association of State Colleges for Excellence in Innovation for successful strategies to increase graduation rates and reduce achievement gaps. Following Dr. Nelsen’s remarks, Brian Lenihan, the newly appointed Executive Director for SelectUSA with the U.S. Department of Commerce had an opportunity to address the group and share the importance of building strong trade relationships.
Following the welcome breakfast, the group relocated to the first floor ballroom where Congressman Ami Bera, California’s 7th District, welcomed the ACE 10 participants to Sacramento. The group then had an opportunity to hear an interactive policy dialogue with state and local policy leaders. The discussion was moderated by Assemblymember Aguiar-Curry, California District 4. The panelists were Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture; Awinash Bawle, Deputy Director of International Affairs with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development; and Dr. Alberto Ayala, Executive Director with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. The aim of the panel discussion was to highlight how, by working together, we can address some of the most significant challenges we face globally through embracing the new connections, partnerships, and possibilities.
The welcome breakfast and policy dialogue were following by a full afternoon at UC Davis that will require another entire blog to cover. On the way back to Sacramento from UC Davis the group stopped in West Sacramento for a tour of the Bayer Crop Science facility where they were welcomed by West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon.
ACE 10 culminated with a closing dinner at the California Museum attended by local community partners. Dr. Stacy MacAfee with the University of the Pacific provided closing remarks along with Assistant City Manager, Mike Jasso, with the City of Sacramento. The Honorable Manuel Laboy, Secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce for Puerto Rico was on hand for Puerto Rico to receive the hand-off for ACE 11.
Overall, the ACE 10 event was an opportunity to raise the profile of the Capital region’s innovation ecosystem assets nationally and internationally. This objective was well accomplished, along with making new connections and becoming part of a network of global innovators seeking a brighter, more prosperous future for all. A big shout out to our sponsors for their support in accomplishing this objective. Many thanks to CALED, Los Rios Community College District, Center for International Trade Development, California State University Sacramento, Carlsen Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, SMUD, Power Inn Alliance, Sacramento State University, University of the Pacific and Visit Sacramento for helping us warming welcome our international guests to the Capital region.
To see video highlights from the ACE 10 delegation’s activities in the Capital region, see the videos for Day 5 and Day 6! See also the ACE 10 Website and Trip Book!
Tammy Cronin is a Valley Vision Project Leader working in the 21st Century Workforce and Innovation and Infrastructure strategies.
Keep Manufacturing Close: A Brooklyn Tale
Is manufacturing dead in America? Have all the good “blue collar” jobs been exported to low-cost countries, never to return?
News reports are full of stories about the loss of manufacturing jobs, but the truth today is something different. During the past eight years since the global recession, manufacturing has bounded back strongly, gaining 1.1 million jobs to reach over 12 million today – many based in California. Companies are bringing manufacturing back home for reasons of quality and creative control. According to the Institute for Supply Management, 17 of 18 major manufacturing industries have been in “growth mode” in recent months.
Manufacturing is vital to a healthy economy not just because it has the single highest multiplier of any economic sector, generating $1.81 in output for every dollar invested, or that every direct manufacturing job supports another four. Perhaps even more important for a middle-weight economy like Sacramento’s is that manufacturing occupations pay better than other working-class fields, averaging $57,000 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; are plentiful in our region, and with the right training, people can get on the highway from poverty to opportunity relatively quickly.
World-renowned fashion designer Nanette Lepore made a compelling case for keeping manufacturing close during the 2018 Study Mission program to Brooklyn, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber. Brooklyn is seeing a manufacturing resurgence, chiefly with small, creative enterprises that leverage technology, local supply chains, and modern tools, like 3-D printing, to knock down traditional barriers to entry.
After years in Manhattan, Lepore is now operating from Brooklyn where the city is using their building codes to protect and preserve old warehouses as manufacturing sites and directing infill housing elsewhere. You can’t have all the beauty of fashion, art, or design without making room for the grit that builds it, said Lepore. Developers of the Brooklyn Navy Yard are breaking up massive buildings into smaller 500, 1,000, and 1,500 square-foot individual business sites to match the needs of smaller manufacturing enterprises with great success. Hyper-localized is the new story, we heard.
Keeping manufacturing close allows for improved creative control over the result, Lepore continued. You don’t have to wait days for proofs or early runs to know whether you hit the mark. Quality control is also dramatically increased when cycle times are shortened by hours or thousands of miles, reducing the margin for error. “Speed to market and proximity to suppliers also are big advantages in today’s economy,” Lepore said.
Could we be returning to the past?
Six hundred years ago, humanity finally left the dark ages thanks to the rebirth of the arts, learning, and invention. Historians point to the epicenter being places like Florence, Italy, where small, open-stall shops lined bustling city streets, bringing together clothiers with fine artists, cobblers, metal workers, sculptors, and machinists of all kinds, collaborating and borrowing from each others’ innovations. Those were the days of Leonardo Da Vinci. That close-knit manufacturing community launched the renaissance, and later the scientific revolution that would lead to the discovery of new cures, new frontiers, and improve living standards for millions.
In the greater Sacramento area, manufacturers like Siemens Mobility and Tri Tool have come together to form the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI), with Valley Vision as their host organization. Their aim: to partner with educators to build the talent pipeline for in-demand manufacturing jobs in places like South Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, and Woodland. Research shows the Sacramento Region is home to over 2,700 manufacturing companies – half of which have fewer than five employees – in fields ranging from machine shops, food processors, and breweries to medical device companies whose technologies are being used around the world. There were 10,000 job postings for manufacturing positions in the Sacramento Region in the past 12 months, a massive gap and growing opportunity which area employers are eager to fill.
Brooklyn showed us a glimpse of Sacramento’s future. Let’s build it together. To get involved, please contact SVMI’s Dean Peckam or read more about the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative.
Bill Mueller was Chief Executive of Valley Vision.