We Prosper Together Awards $5 Million to Advance 11 High-Impact Projects in the Capital Region

This marks the first of two rounds of funding aimed at catalyzing economic resilience in the eight-county region

MEDIA CONTACT – Sabina Li (valleyvision@wearerally.com)

SACRAMENTO, CA — March 6, 2024 — We Prosper Together is investing $5 million in 11 transformative initiatives across the Capital Region to advance economic resilience and create high-quality jobs. Spanning a diversity of sectors—including biotech, clean energy, food and agriculture, and precision manufacturing—these projects are poised to strengthen key industries, foster innovation, and expand economic opportunities for residents across all eight counties.

“We’re creating a pipeline of transformative projects that address our region’s economic challenges, leverage promising industry sectors, and create equitable economic growth. This funding is just the beginning. We’re excited to continue supporting high-impact projects that will help residents earn a living wage and build a more secure future for themselves and their families,” said Evan Schmidt, CEO of Valley Vision.

The funding represents the first round of investments in the Catalyst Phase, a critical step in enacting the strategies outlined in We Prosper Together’s Regional Plan: Strategies for a Thriving and Inclusive Economy. The Catalyst Phase funding is designed to get projects and ideas ready for full implementation and position them to compete effectively for future federal, state, or private funding. The second round of Catalyst Phase funding will open within the next three months and distribute an additional $4 million to projects across the region.

The selected projects tackle critical regional challenges from multiple angles, including expanding workforce training programs to address labor shortages, building opportunities in future-ready jobs, strengthening the local agricultural ecosystem through food hubs and incubators, and providing students with hands-on learning opportunities in high-demand careers.

“We Prosper Together is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring communities together to chart the future of good jobs in our region. This funding lets us take our workforce development programs into eight counties and work with community members of all ages to introduce them to jobs available now and the jobs that are coming up next,” said Orville Thomas, CEO of the California Mobility Center.

The full list of funding recipients is as follows:

• Building a Healthcare Talent Pipeline: Quality Jobs for Stronger Communities, Los Rios Community College District
• Capitol Region Biotech Talent Partnership, Sacramento Employment and Training Agency
• Cultivating Resilient Rural Food Ecosystems, Sierra Commons
• District Ranch Agritourism and Workforce Pilot, Nevada Joint Union High School District
• EPIC on the Road, Cal EPIC [California Energy, Power, and Innovation Collaborative], formerly the California Mobility Center
• Forest Biomass Business Center – Feasibility Study and Business Planning, Camptonville Community Partnership
• Greater Sacramento TPM Manufacturing Collaborative: Digital Tools Initiative, Roseville Area Chamber of Commerce
• Growing Quality Working Lands Jobs: Last-Mile Development of the Yolo Food Hub to Benefit Rural Agricultural Workers, Small Farms and Food Businesses, New Season Community Development Corporation
• Skilled Trades Workforce Pipeline Project, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
• The Plant Food and Agriculture Innovation Center Pre-Development Project, University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources
• Yuba Sutter Food Hub Feasibility Study, Yuba Sutter Food Bank

The work of We Prosper Together is supported by the statewide initiative California Jobs First and builds on the newly released California Jobs First Economic Blueprint.

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About We Prosper Together

Representing eight counties in the Capital Region, over 150 organizations, and hundreds of community leaders and residents, We Prosper Together is driving a community-led approach to building a stronger regional economy. We Prosper Together is working to elevate diverse voices, encourage investments, amplify local solutions, and create living-wage jobs for families in Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, and Yuba counties. Visit weprospertogether.org to learn more and get involved.

Community Innovator, We Prosper Together, Shares Strategies Primed to Increase Economic Growth in the Capital Region

The Regional Plan: Strategies for a Thriving and Inclusive Economy charts a bold path to a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future
 
SACRAMENTO, CA — October 28, 2024 — We Prosper Together unveiled its Regional Plan: Strategies for a Thriving and Inclusive Economy, a community-driven framework providing the blueprint for a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable economy for the Capital Region. This strategic plan—the result of a two-year-long collaboration—identifies key priorities that will shape future investments, including those supported by We Prosper Together through California’s Regional Investment Initiative.

“The completion of We Prosper Together’s Regional Plan is another step towards building an equitable and sustainable regional economy,” said Evan Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Valley Vision. “Shaped by economic research and input from communities across our region, this economic framework will create more quality jobs by helping to move innovative ideas to fruition, bring projects to life, and accelerate the region toward a future where all families can thrive.”

The Regional Plan outlines actionable strategies to achieve more high-quality jobs, lower barriers to access, and foster more equitable outcomes for local families. The plan identifies two primary strategies:

• Target Sector Strategies: Strategies focusing on investments in four high-growth sectors with the greatest potential for quality job creation. These sectors include Business Services, Precision Manufacturing, Working Lands, and Research & Development.
• Economic Mobility Strategies: Approaches connecting disinvested communities with existing high-quality job opportunities ensuring future economic growth results in equitable outcomes for the region’s residents. These approaches include workforce development, outreach and awareness, transportation, childcare, and housing.

Developed through robust community feedback, stakeholder interviews, surveys, and comprehensive research conducted by Brookings Institute-affiliated Cities GPS, the Regional Plan takes into account the distinct needs, strengths, and opportunities across the region to create a collective vision for the future. 

“The Regional Plan not only exemplifies the strength and opportunity of cross-regional collaboration but also sets us up to make targeted investments that can transform our region,” said James Corless, Executive Director of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. “Only by coming together can we create a local economy that works for everyone and ensures all have access to the resources they need to prosper.”

The Regional Plan: Strategies for a Thriving and Inclusive Economy serves as a unifying roadmap cultivating a resilient, sustainable, and equitable economy empowering all local residents. The Regional Plan builds upon July 2023’s Capital Region Economic Assessment, a holistic assessment of the Capital Region’s economic, climate, and public health as part of the California Jobs First program. The Regional Plan concludes a two-year planning phase that included establishing We Prosper Together’s Collaborative, extensive community engagement, and the development of a shared regional strategy. We Prosper Together will now transition from planning to implementation, leveraging existing strategies and subregional efforts to drive progress.

The full Regional Plan can be found at https://www.weprospertogether.org/our-regional-plan.  

The Global Shapers Sacramento Hub Aims to Erase Millions of Dollars in Medical Debt Through “Shred the Debt” Campaign

This Youth-led Effort Aims to Eliminate Medical Debt for Thousands of Residents in the Greater Sacramento Region for Pennies on the Dollar

Sacramento, California November 4th – Today, The Global Shapers Sacramento Hub announces the launch of Shred the Debt, a project aimed at erasing medical debt across the Greater Sacramento Region. Through this initiative, the Global Shapers Sacramento Hub aims to purchase and eliminate millions of dollars in medical debt, focusing on those disproportionately burdened by medical debt. 

“Our goal is to alleviate some of the financial stress that medical debt imposes on our neighbors,” said Gustavo Garcia, Curator of the Global Shapers Sacramento Hub. “Through Shred the Debt, we’re not just erasing numbers on a balance sheet—we’re giving people a fresh start and lifting a heavy burden that affects health, families, and futures. We have an ambitious goal to buy a medical debt portfolio worth $3.7 million, and are confident that our region will come together to tackle this.”

Shred the Debt is made possible through a partnership with Undue Medical Debt, which specializes in purchasing medical debt at a fraction of its original cost. Through this partnership, a donation of just $1 has the power to erase over $200 of medical debt, amplifying the impact of each contribution. 

The Global Shapers Sacramento Hub will be collecting donations through the middle of February, and will match the first $500 donated – eliminating over $100,000 worth of medical debt for our neighbors, families, and communities in the Greater Sacramento Region. For more information, and to sponsor our efforts, please contact David Sievers at sacramento@globalshapers.org.

For more information on how our project works or to make a donation, please visit our donation page.

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

Valley Vision Helps Showcase Sacramento As Co-Host of California Economic Summit

Valley Vision helped co-host this year’s California Economic Summit, organized by California Forward and held for the first time in Sacramento since 2016. Held October 8-10, 2024, the latest iteration of the annual Summit proved to be an incredible showcase for the Sacramento region’s leadership on inclusive economic development, workforce, innovation, and more.

Valley Vision organized a set of regional tours on the first day of the Summit, which gave participants an on-the-ground perspective of how local communities are tackling some of our biggest economic and environmental challenges. By showcasing everything from sustainable food systems to novel workforce training programs, these tours highlighted the solutions that are helping to build a more resilient, inclusive future for California. See below for photos highlighting the tours:

The welcome reception followed the tours, and served as a kickoff for both the California Economic Summit and the Growth Factory’s GFX Summit. In addition to showcasing our region’s topline facility for advancing clean mobility, attendees could taste several gourmet foods created with plant-based, lab grown meat alternatives. Innovative!

The main days of the Summit (October 9 and 10) featured plenary sessions, action-packed workshops, networking events, and more. See below for a few highlights:

Finally, the Summit ended with a “handoff” from Valley Vision’s Evan Schmidt to leaders in Stockton, California, which is hosting next year’s Summit the week of October 20th, 2025. We wish Stockton the best and look forward to learning how they are building a vibrant economy. Subscribe to California Forward’s email newsletter for more updates! Thank you to California Forward, its staff, and partners for a fantastic showcase of Sacramento.

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Adrian Rehn is a Senior Project Manager overseeing air quality and environmental projects as well as Valley Vision’s communications.

Valley Vision Takes On Longstanding Regional Climate Collaborative

We are thrilled to announce that the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative (CRC) has officially transitioned from CivicWell to Valley Vision. CRC was established in 2014 to improve collaboration and coordination between government, business, and community as it relates to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Valley Vision joined the Collaborative in 2015 and has had leadership roles in the Collaborative since.

This transition marks a new and exciting chapter for CRC, as Valley Vision is already working to advance climate resilience and collaboration in the greater Sacramento region through several programs such as the Cleaner Air Partnership and We Prosper Together, a California Jobs First Initiative.

As CRC’s new home, Valley Vision will continue to facilitate regional conversations to improve coordination and take action on climate adaptation and mitigation. The Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative has long been a crucial platform for bringing together a diverse set of stakeholders, including local governments, businesses, nonprofits, and community groups, to address climate challenges facing the region, such as warming air and water temperatures, risk of wildfire, more extreme heat waves, variable precipitation and seasonal shifts, and loss of ecosystem habitat, to name a few. Now, with Valley Vision’s leadership, we are positioned to build on these efforts and bring even greater capacity to support regional resilience and collaboration.

We invite Valley Vision’s partners to learn more about the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative and consider joining the Collaborative as a member. Whether you are a business leader, government agency, academic institution, or community organization, your participation will help strengthen our collective ability to build a climate-resilient future for all.

Upcoming Events You Don’t Want to Miss

To kick off this new chapter, we’re excited to host/cohost a series of events designed to engage our community and provide opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.

November 20th, 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM, Biomass Workshop, Folsom Community Center 

• Join for an in-depth workshop focused on the role of biomass in climate resilience. This event is in collaboration with the Cleaner Air Partnership, the Los Rios Community College District, and CRC. With over 100 attendees expected, this workshop will establish a shared understanding of biomass utilization, explore the future of forest management and agricultural careers in our region, and mobilize leaders and decision-makers for action. It’s an incredible opportunity to connect with regional experts, researchers, and policymakers.  Registration link.

December 12, 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM – CRC Members-Only Meeting, Sierra 2 Center – 2791 24th Street, Sacramento CA 95818 (Room 10) 

• This meeting, exclusively for CRC members, will feature presentations on the state of climate adaptation in the Capital Region. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in roundtable discussions, identify collaboration opportunities, and explore how CRC can better support members’ efforts in addressing climate challenges. If you are already a member, this is your chance to help shape the future of climate action in the region. If not, consider joining to be part of this important conversation! Registration link 

Join the Capital Region Climate Readiness Collaborative

There has never been a more critical time to take action on climate resilience. CRC is a diverse and growing collaborative, and with Valley Vision’s leadership, we are ready to take CRC’s impact to the next level. We invite you to join us as a member and be part of the solution as we work together to create a more climate-resilient Capital Region.

To learn more about membership opportunities, visit https://climatereadiness.info/about-us/join-the-collaborative or contact Grace.Kaufman@valleyvision.org.

Navigating the Waves: Insights from the Water Careers Event

The Energy, Construction, and Utilities (ECU) Advisory event offered a view of water-related career opportunities within the region, delivering valuable perspectives for program development in the field. The event highlighted the opportunities and the challenges of an imminent skill shortage.

Ramzi Mahmood, Director of the Office of Water Programs (OWP) at Sacramento State, and Patrice McElroy, Deputy Administrative Officer from Valley Water, were keynote speakers and shared impactful presentations on the landscape of workforce development in the region, the Labor Market Data presented by the Center of Excellence showed signs of growth, with estimates of an increase from 7,150 positions in 2022 to an anticipated 8,003 by 2027, marking a notable 12% expansion in the region.

However, amidst this positive outlook of job growth, tackling the worker shortage was a predominant theme. Mahmood spoke on the forthcoming wave of retirements over the next 5-10 years, compounded by a nationwide hiring squeeze, presenting challenges in filling critical positions. The keynote stressed the inadequacy of relying solely on chance to attract students to water-related careers. Instead, Mahmood advocated for a comprehensive strategy encompassing early education, specialized training programs, hands-on experiences, recognized certifications, and pathways to successful career attainment. The employer panel echoed similar sentiments. Specifically, Samantha Blackwood from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) explained that one in ten DWR employees are currently eligible for retirement, and in five years the numbers will jump to 20 percent, or one in five, and in 10 years roughly one of three DWR employees are eligible for retirement.

In response to this anticipated shortage, panelists advocated for strategic investments in internships and grant programs. Additionally, training institutions and employer agencies can collaborate to provide practical experience and financial support to prospective employment candidates, laying the groundwork for a skilled future workforce.

As the dynamics of the regional water job market evolve, a focus on planning, education, and investment becomes imperative. Insights gathered from events like this advisory serve as an opportunity to share strategies and networks to navigate this shifting industry landscape. Additional information including the full event recording and presentation materials can be found here.

Air Quality and “Exceptional Events” – A Primer

For more than 35 years, the Cleaner Air Partnership (CAP) has been the Sacramento region’s most prominent voice focused on advancing partnerships between local government, industry, and environmental groups to improve air quality. Key to our mission is the identification of win-win-win opportunities for collaboration between these sectors.

Some of our coalition “wins” have included successful advocacy for legislation in 1997 to require the Bay Area to implement NOx reduction in their smog check program (which was disproportionately impacting our region), establishing a permanent CARB Board seat for a Sacramento region representative in 2012, and the designation of South Sacramento-Florin as a first-round AB 617 environmental justice community in 2018.

Public education is particularly important as we think about issues that impact public health – simplifying complex air quality topics is a core Cleaner Air Partnership activity as part of our quarterly Luncheons, Technical Advisory Committee meetings, and related efforts.

Last month, our region’s largest public radio station, Capital Public Radio, published several pieces related to the “exceptional events rule” utilized by air quality regulators across the nation:

• Insight: Loophole Lets Air Regulators Wipe Pollution From Records
• What is the exceptional events rule? The loophole letting US regulators wipe air pollution from the record
• Revealed: how a little-known pollution rule keeps the air dirty for millions of Americans

The best definition of “exceptional events” comes from the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD): “Exceptional events are unusual or naturally occurring events that can affect air quality but are not reasonably controllable using techniques that tribal, state or local air agencies may implement in order to attain and maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Exceptional events may include wildfires, high wind dust events, fireworks, prescribed fires, stratospheric ozone intrusions, and volcanic and seismic activities.”

All of the news articles question the value of the exceptional events rule to public health, purporting that the rule “wipes air pollution from the record.” Put simply, this is inaccurate information that mixes up different air agency activities, resulting in a false characterization of what the rule actually does. These processes are described below:

• Activity #1: Air Quality Management: At its core, air quality management in the United States means implementation of the Clean Air Act, “the comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources.” The Act sets policy interventions such as emission standards for anticipated and controllable sources of pollution. By definition, an “exceptional” event is unanticipated and not amenable to policy controls.
• Activity #2: Federal Air Quality Monitoring: The purpose of air agencies conducting Federal air quality monitoring is to track the progress of regulatory actions and pollution reduction measures taken by federal, state, or local authorities for emission sources under their control (such as permitted facilities). However, “exceptional events” are outside the control of air agencies. For example, when there’s a wildfire in Paradise that creates toxic air pollution in Sacramento, there isn’t a policy mechanism at the local government level to do anything about it beyond exposure reduction. To say that pollution from wildfires is being “erased from regulatory consideration” isn’t accurate, considering the jurisdictional ownership over the issue.
• Activity #3: Data Management: All Federal air quality monitoring data, whether it is collected during an exceptional event or not, is always available to the public and is never deleted. It is critical that the air monitoring results, which are collected and reported by air agencies on an hourly basis, are made available in a transparent and easily accessible manner.
• Activity #4: Public Health Communications: Air agencies are also tasked with communicating air quality conditions to the public, via tools like our local Spare The Air. These important tools help communities decide how and when to protect themselves from exposure to any air pollution throughout their day. Contrary to the reporting cited above, air quality data from exceptional events *is* indeed included in all public health-related communications from air agencies, including Spare The Air, and public health agency records.

As you can see, it’s important to understand the role of federal, state, and local air agencies under the Clean Air Act. Data is not gathered for one single purpose, as agencies have multiple obligations to serve the public. While the exceptional events rule is rather technical, it is important for media outlets to understand the nuances of the issue before broadcasting misleading information to the public.

“In partnership with regulatory agencies, environmental health organizations and the public, we have been steadily improving the region’s air quality over the past five decades,” said Jennifer Finton, CEO of Breathe California Sacramento Region. “Exceptional events are merely a designation to account for unforeseen concentrated increases in air pollutants. During these exceptional events and throughout the year, the public can take steps to protect their lung health by following the guidance provided by local health departments and air districts. Individuals can play a critical role in minimizing climate change’s effects on these exceptional events by using active and clean transportation modes, among other behavior changes.”

In a world without the exceptional events rule, our region would have a lot of problems: (1) legally-binding air quality attainment (whether we meet specific air quality goals set by the Clean Air Act) by air agencies would not be possible,  (2) As a consequence, we would lose out on funding for transportation and land use projects, and (3) air agencies would not be able to actually do anything to address the sources of the exceptional events, because they lack the regulatory authority.

”The exceptional events rule is a critical tool in understanding the progress the region is making in continuing to reduce emissions from our local sources,” said Erik White, Director of the Placer County Air Pollution Control District. “Without it, we would not be able to craft effective local strategies to continue reducing emissions, especially for our most vulnerable citizens.”

The Cleaner Air Partnership is committed to simplifying and successfully communicating these complex topics to our communities. As with the “exceptional events rule,” we will continue to ensure that accurate information about air quality is disseminated as a resource for the public. To keep up with the Cleaner Air Partnership, sign up for our “Cleaner Air News” email newsletter here (select ‘Clean Economy’).

Agricultural Biomass: Putting the Pieces Together

California’s progress on biomass utilization is like putting together a puzzle – we have the edges in place, but we are still figuring out how everything connects in the middle. Biomass is an enormous opportunity to address our energy and agricultural/forest management needs, but there are significant barriers to scalable use of the abundant resource – or waste stream, depending on how you view it.

Source: Fruit tree orchard in Winters, CA (Yolo County)

On October 5th, 2023, Valley Vision staff had the opportunity to visit the City of Winters in Yolo County for a two-day conference on the opportunities and challenges of agricultural biomass. The conference was hosted by the Sacramento Valley Basinwide Air Pollution Control Council, who brought together a group of local and state stakeholders including agricultural businesses, regulators, policymakers and researchers. At the conference, stakeholders zeroed in on the current landscape of agricultural biomass, and fueled discussions around opportunities for agricultural biomass utilization. 

We were able to hear from business and research experts in the biomass space, discuss benefits of alternative uses of agricultural biomass, and learn from agricultural producers about their experiences with agricultural biomass applications.

The Current Landscape of Agricultural Biomass

Source: Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (2014)

There are three primary sources of biomass – biomass derived from municipal waste, biomass derived from agriculture, and biomass derived from forests. Agricultural biomass is agricultural waste, comprising food scraps, orchard trimmings, nut shells, and livestock waste. In the Central Valley, the agricultural industry is a leading economic driver, resulting in abundant and renewable agricultural biomass from farming operations as a continuously-generated resource. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture in 2022, agriculture accounted for $55 Billion in economic activity, equating to tons of agricultural waste that either ends up in landfills or is discarded in open burning.

Why Ag Biomass?

Adding to the abundance of agricultural biomass present in our local and regional economy, there is an increasing need to sustainably, economically and equitably manage this resource. At the conference in Winters, diverting agricultural biomass for alternative uses and associated benefits was discussed. Below are some key takeaways from the conference:

• Climate change impacts – the largest source of methane gas is from the agricultural sector, followed by landfills and the energy sector
• Open burning of agricultural biomass contributes to poor air quality through increased emissions and prevents our region from meeting state and federal air quality standards
• There is an increasing need for clean, renewable energy and fuel sources 
• Open burn piles endangers residents and wildlife
• Benefits to agriculture include improved soil, plant health and water efficiency from compost and mulching applications

Envisioning a Future for Ag Biomass:

Source: Agricultural Biomass Conference in Winters, CA (Oct. 2023).

Notably, we are in the middle of a clean energy transition and biomass utilization plays a key role in this transition. Agricultural biomass utilization is a multi-benefit approach to managing agricultural waste and mitigating climate change impacts. It is a viable strategy that strengthens rural-urban connections and public-private partnerships, which is what we need in order to solve our region’s most pressing issues. Agricultural biomass should be branded as a value-added resource and not just waste that ends up in landfills or burned in open piles. 

Currently, there is a high demand for renewable fuel sources as our state moves towards carbon neutrality and more modernized biomass facilities are much needed in our region. Modernized facilities are an opportunity for the agricultural industry, including local and regional governments and private sector interests to manage agricultural waste efficiently and sustainably, as well as provide valuable and marketable resources that support other sectors, too. The time to act is now as massive federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are coming our way. If we envision a more sustainable and resilient future, we must collectively get behind a solution and the opportunities for agricultural biomass must be put on the table. 

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Kathy Saechou is a Valley Vision Project Coordinator staffing the Clean Economy and Food & Agriculture Impact Areas.

West Coast’s Young Leaders Visit Farm-to-Fork Capital

Flashback to Project Leader Adrian Rehn’s blog from five years ago: “Our team looks forward to harnessing this momentum, expanding our community partnerships, and doing another mind-blowing thing in the not-too-distant future.”

Five years and one pandemic later, the Sacramento Hub of the Global Shapers – the youth leadership network of the World Economic Forum – has done it again! From September 22-24^th, Sacramento Hub members hosted young leaders from San Francisco, Oakland, and Phoenix for a weekend full of connection, impactful dialogue, and challenging preconceived notions while showcasing the best of Sacramento’s arts and culture.

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

Sacramento: More than Just a Capital

The 2023 Global Shapers West Coast Retreat, as it was billed, was a revelation for many in that it shattered preconceived notions about Sacramento. While often seen only as just the capital of California, Sacramento proved to be much more. As Amy Vatcha, a San Francisco Global Shaper, put it: 

“From the innovations in indoor farming & microgreens, to the art walks/art exhibitions/murals, to the salsa and bachata night at Dance on the Edge on the waterfront, I experienced the depth and variety of what Sacramento has to offer.”

Members of the Sacramento Hub were encouraged to shape the retreat based on their own connections to the city and their interests, including but not limited to:

• Guided tours of Sacramento’s many murals and art installations
• A private tour of the California State Capitol building
• A meet-and-greet with local urban agriculture leaders and entrepreneurs
• Salsa dancing lessons on the Old Sacramento Waterfront
• Leadership development sessions and cross-Hub skill-building

Connecting Young Leaders Beyond Boundaries

Beyond its role in showcasing Sacramento’s vibrant culture, the retreat emphasized the importance of connecting young leaders outside of their existing networks to think globally, and act locally. Adam Shipley, the Phoenix Hub’s curator, noted:

“Understanding perspectives across industries, demographics, and geographies helps us all create and maximize our community impact. [The] Sacramento Hub took the first proactive step in launching new dialogues.”

With this emphasis, the retreat underscored the significance of breaking down barriers and fostering a more holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our communities. It demonstrated that when young leaders unite with open hearts and minds, they can collectively address pressing issues and create a more interconnected, prosperous world.

Authentic Fellowship and Community Connection 

Throughout the retreat, Shapers experienced the commitment to authenticity that has made the Sacramento Hub a long-lasting group. As Raphaël Tshitoko, San Francisco’s Vice Curator, put it:

“I can see how they’ve carefully nurtured their connection within their Hub, leading to genuine enjoyment of each other’s company, to how they’ve nurtured their connection to their community, intentionally creating spaces of togetherness but also being connectors by associating with and supporting leadership in their own neighborhood.”

Sacramento Hub members emphasized the importance of deep camaraderie rooted in shared values and experiences, where members actively nurture relationships within their group while also engaging passionately with their local community. This authentic bond goes beyond networking, fostering lasting connections and a sense of trust, unity, and shared purpose among its members.

Ultimately, the West Coast Retreat was a resounding success, leaving participants feeling optimistic and energized for their future involvement with their communities. The Sacramento Hub could not have pulled off this production without the help of our fantastic sponsors: Balanced Body, UC Davis Graduate School of Management, Councilmember Karina Talamantes, Revolution Winery, and our longstanding fiscal agent, Valley Vision.

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

Building Our Inclusive and Prosperous Economy

Our region has a tremendous opportunity in front of us with the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) to build an inclusive and prosperous economy for our region. Valley Vision, as the CERF Regional Convener, is leading a $5M planning process over the next year to grow a regional coalition that will identify, build, and advance equity-centered economic development opportunities in our eight-county region including Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, and Yuba counties. 

In late June, we kicked off our summer-of-learning together for the coalition featuring Professor Manuel Pastor as our guest speaker for our first coalition-wide meeting. Professor Pastor encouraged us to follow three main guiding principles:

1. Stop talking about “the economy” and start talking about “our economy”: We have ownership over many aspects of our regional economy and this is expressed in how we invest in people, education, communities, and more. Our economic conditions are built by us and we have the ability to build a human-centered economy. 

2. Treat people fairly and our economy will prosper – economies that reduce income, racial, and geographic divide disparities are able to sustain more economic growth and prosperity over time. Creating equitable opportunities for diverse people is not just morally right, it captures more talent and creates more prosperity and a better quality of life for all.

3. To effectively disrupt the existing systems of power, we must expand the circle of belonging and invite those in who have been excluded. Doing this will surface tension and potential conflict – we can’t be afraid to face challenging conversations and social dynamics and need to build effective skills and systems within our coalition that will enable us to navigate these challenges. 

The lessons that he imparted to us, as well as his walk-through of our region’s demographic and economic data that reflect opportunity and challenge areas for us, sets the stage for our regional coalition to understand and advance principles and approaches to inclusive economic development in the scope of the CERF process. You can find the recording and Professor Pastor’s slides here. 

This webinar was the first in a monthly series that will bring in people and examples of inclusive and sustainable economy-building that can help inform and support our coalition as we get deeper into planning and working together as a coalition. Our next learning session is July 27th from 3-5 pm; stay tuned! 

A Federal Advocacy Agenda

Right now is a critical time to be engaged with the Federal government. There are once-in-a-generation resources available for the “big play” investments that our region needs to grow and thrive. Valley Vision has a long history of participating in our region’s annual Cap-to-Cap trip hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber.

This year we had leadership, or Co-Chair roles, on four teams (Air Quality, Economic Development, Food & Ag, and Workforce), and Trish Kelly, our Managing Director, served as Honorary Chair of the trip in recognition of her role in the region as a policy expert as well as her many years of Cap-to-Cap leadership. Our five Valley Vision staff who attended advanced our region’s sophisticated advocacy agendas; read about their experiences below.

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Adrian Rehn

Each year, the Sacramento Metro Chamber puts together an excellent and well-regarded “Capitol-to-Capitol” Federal advocacy program – the biggest of any Chamber-led effort in the country. Attending the program is an enormous honor and privilege, with 407 participants this year, including 100+ freshmen and 100+ elected officials, and a whole lot of others with important leadership roles in our region. This year was no exception – the Chamber absolutely nailed the look and feel of the 2023 program.

Grace Kaufman & Trish Kelly

Each year, Valley Vision’s participation in the Capitol to Capitol provides us an opportunity to advocate for the needs of the Sacramento Region on a national level. This year, the Food and Agriculture team was particularly impactful in highlighting the importance of the food system and the agricultural industry to the region’s economy and overall well-being. The team focused on the importance of supporting local food farms. ranches, food producers, nonprofits, food banks, restaurants, local governments, schools, hospitals, and businesses across the supply chain to ensure access to healthy, locally-sourced food for all. We advocated for improvements in the 2023 Farm Bill that would ensure access to critical programs that address food insecurity – a major challenge in our region – such as CalFresh. The discussions with our congressional delegation and agencies such as USDA and EDA provided the opportunity to highlight several of the region’s food and ag projects, focus on food as medicine, learn about new resources, and elevate our region as a place where all things food and ag are coming together through innovative and collaborative partnerships. 

Over the course of five days, the program was an invaluable opportunity to engage with policymakers and advocate for programs that would benefit the region’s agricultural industry and ensure that everyone has access to healthy, nutritious, and local food. Meeting with congressional and administration leaders who are advancing the National Strategy on Hunger Nutrition and Health led to commitments to continue working together this coming year.

To read more about food and ag in the Sacramento region, check out our website at wearefarmtofork.org.

Renee John

Participating in the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Cap to Cap program provides a well-orchestrated vehicle for regional leaders to advocate in unison on important policy issues. In the area of workforce development, major federal legislation is currently in the reauthorization process. This includes the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which provides the most significant federal investment in workforce education and training programs. Additionally, the National Apprenticeship Act, which has not been reauthorized since 1937, is being shaped and expanded. Participating in meetings with congressional leaders and committees that design these and other legislation brings an opportunity to express what works well, and what is in need of adjustment from the folks doing the work on the ground.

Evan Schmidt

Cap-to-Cap not only enables our region to connect with federal representatives and agencies, but it also creates a concentrated space to connect with each other. Through team meetings, receptions, mixers, and plenty of informal gatherings our region goes to Washington to get things done in the Sacramento region. Key on my mind during the trip was inclusive economic development. Through the Economic Development team, we advocated for our key priorities from the Prosperity Strategy, timely investments in broadband infrastructure, support to build out our innovative ecosystem of entrepreneurs, and a continued emphasis on international trade that connects our businesses to the global marketplace.

With Valley Vision leading the regional Community Economic Resilience Fund effort, we are well-positioned to hone in on the ways that federal partners can help us leverage this state investment to amplify the impact. Our region is also exploring the ways that new legislation might help support regional economic goals. One example is the CHIPS and Science Act – a recent federal investment in high-tech manufacturing designed to strengthen manufacturing, supply chains, and national security. We found our federal partners to be responsive to our goals and we found many opportunities and alignments with them and among each other as we work to support thriving, equitable, and sustainable communities here at home.

Remembering Jane Hagedorn

On March 14, 2023, longtime Breathe CA Sacramento Region CEO Jane Hagedorn passed away. Jane led the formation of the Cleaner Air Partnership in 1986 and stewarded countless local clean air initiatives for more than three decades.

Jane Hagedorn’s passing leaves a hole in my professional development as Breathe California Sacramento Region’s Acting CEO. While I was able to glean tips from Jane, I certainly felt there was much more to learn from her. Jane hired me after completing her Nonprofit Management Class at UC Davis’ Graduate School of Management in 2003. I was impressed by her confidence yet ability to carefully listen and strategize. She then became a mentor to me as I watched her interact with policymakers, leaders and her staff. She knew how to bring people together, even when it appeared that there wasn’t common ground. The Cleaner Air Partnership is a perfect example of Jane’s vision to make progress in improving air quality by involving a variety of groups and individuals. I appreciated her ability to skillfully delegate tasks and lead by example. She saw our organization through significant structural changes and led the charge to independent and relevant programming in the region. Thank you, Jane, for your leadership and friendship.

Jennifer Finton, Acting CEO of Breathe California Sacramento Region

The Cleaner Air Partnership began in early 1986 when Jane Hagedorn, Executive Director of the American Lung Association of Sacramento-Emigrant Trails (ALASET) approached the President of the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Mike Seward, and the Air Pollution Control Officer of the Sacramento County Air Pollution Control District, Norm Covell, to jointly sponsor a public-private partnership to support air quality improvement in the region. The concept of an economic and environmental alliance was appealing to all of the parties.

One of the reasons I admired Jane was she was willing to listen and respond even if it went a bit against the grain. The best example is the fact that she agreed to put out the report card for air quality improvements to counter the annual Lung Association report on how our region still got an F rating for air quality. We had done so much to reduce the number and severity of exceedances but were still getting hammered by the annual report. She recognized that it was important to give a little credit to the partners that had work so hard to bring our numbers down. A little pat on the back to encourage folks to keep working together to achieve the ever lower standards.

Becky Wood, Fmr. CAP Chair, Teichert Aggregates (retired)

In her many years of civic involvement, Jane was a Leader for various organizations including being the 1st female ever appointed to the Sacramento County Planning Commission and was recognized by the Sacramento Bee as one of the Most Influential Women in Sacramento County. She was also the award recipient of the Sacramento Audubon Society and Environmental Council of Sacramento and a Fellow of the American Leadership Foundation. Her numerous board member positions included the Tahoe Regional Planning Authority; Arden Park Recreation District, California Planning and Conservation League; Sacramento Symphony; Friends of Light Rail; and Valley Vision.

I remember her as a tenacious advocate for the breathing public in the Sacramento Region. In particular it was through her and others’ leadership that we were able to keep strong local programs in California under the Breathe California structure when the American Lung Association national leadership wanted to go another direction. That wasn’t an easy time but turned out OK in the end.

Larry Greene, Fmr. Air Pollution Control Officer, Sac Metro Air District

For more about Jane, read her Obituary and the Cleaner Air Partnership history document on the Valley Vision website. Thank you for taking the time to remember Jane.

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

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Adrian Rehn is a Project Leader overseeing the Cleaner Air Partnership and Valley Vision’s Clean Economy portfolio.