Criminal Justice Day was an extremely enlightening day. Lieutenant Pitkin’s and Detective Kvamme’s presentation on Human Trafficking was especially informative exposing an entire culture that surrounds us, almost in secret.
Sergeant Jenny’s presentation on Body Warn Cameras (BWC) was interesting in that I had assumed that all police have been using the cameras for years but come to find out that the technology is still relatively new and being refined to more efficiently meet the needs of the police force.
Learning about the Re-entry Program and facility was very intriguing. Just the concept of this program shows the forward thinking of our leaders in Napa County.
Submitted by Tammy Manning, participant in LNV Class 32.
I was not expecting LNV Planning Day to be as enjoyable as it was. Lucky Class #32 was ensconced in a cozy room at the Westin Verasa where we were treated to the expertise of a dozen enthusiastic, dynamic and diverse individuals involved in Napa city planning. From transportation to waterways to housing to economics, we learned the basics of how city projects go from idea to reality (or not).
After a healthy and delicious fall lunch by Chef Ken Frank at the hotel’s La Toque restaurant (did I mention lucky?), we broke into small groups and ventured into the late autumn sunshine to check out the former Cinedome and skate park sites. Each group used what we had learned in the morning about site restrictions and the needs of the community to brainstorm a project to present to Gordon Heuther, Jeri Hansen and Terry Scott, our “Planning Commission” for the afternoon.
Listening to each group’s pitch was entertaining and enlightening. Although there were a lot of similarities in the plans (underground parking, multi-story buildings, residential units) there were significant differences too. One group gave dog owner’s lots of consideration with a dog park and restaurants with outdoor seating. Another had roof top gardens as part of its plan. And another featured an art alley with roll up doors into artist live/work spaces that looked onto the historic stone buildings across the way.
The “Planning Commissioners” offered thoughtful and positive comments, pointing out items that wouldn’t fly with a real planning commission as well as ideas they thought were creative and solved the problems of the site in an original way. The entire day was a terrific blend of education and play. Personally I came away feeling like I had an enormously improved understanding of how city planning works.
Submitted by Angela Hoxsey, a participant in LNV Class 32.
I took a lot away from our Health and Human Services Day in November. I went with Michele and Krystal from ALDEA Children & Family Services. We toured the wellness center at Harvest Middle School. It was heartbreaking to see that so many of our children carry so much stress with them on a daily basis. While sad it was wonderful to see that kids today are open about their stress and active in caring for their mental health. There is no stigma attached to asking for help for oneself or a friend. Michele and Krystal were incredible guides through this process. Their caring and knowledge is amazing. The amount of care needed and given by ALDEA was overwhelming. - Adam Ghisletta
As inspiring as my tour with ALDEA was the rest of the day was outstanding. The panelists really stood out to me. Their talks were inspirational. I was especially moved by Molly from Waste Not Napa. Last year after Bottlerock I volunteered at the Table feeding the less fortunate. Waste Not Napa brought food left over from Bottlerock for lunch. I didn’t know who brought the food at the time, but thought it was a terrific idea. When I found out during our class that this was a project done by former Leadership students I was blown away. Our class and I have big shoes to fill. The entire day was something I will never forget. - Rina Faletti
One experience will always stand out from the Health and Human Services Day, and this was meeting Celine Regalia, Director of Operations at Collabria Care (formerly known as Napa Valley Hospice). That day, my 83-year-old mother was in the hospital for the third time in a few months. I had been told to visit Collabria Care, which I knew nothing about. Suddenly at the LNV morning coffee chat there stood Celine and Collabria Care. After listening to my mom’s story, Celine encouraged me to make an appointment. Yet, later that day, she touched my elbow during the closing session, saying she would wait at her Collabria office until after Leadership ended.
We met in the empty after-hours building, talking about my mother’s worsening condition and options for comfort care. It was an enlightening experience, because she knew what I did not yet know: that my mother’s time had come. By chance, Collabria ended up providing the hospice care my mother received inpatient at the Queen, and she died just a week from that Leadership day.
Celine demonstrated that it is the alignment of personal with professional vision that feeds true leadership. That meeting changed my perspective, and in doing so it changed my life, because my new perspective allowed me to accept my mother’s unexpected death, and to help my mother to accept it as well. This in turn affected my entire family – down to my 10-year-old daughter, who was so close to her grandmother. During one amazing moment at my mother’s bedside I calmly observed the miracle of my mother explaining her acceptance of her own death in a way her 10-year-old granddaughter could also accept, even if through a veil of tears.
The Health and Human Services Day went far beyond a sampling of professions and professionals; it became very literally a life-changing experience, thanks to a gifted and experienced leadership style. - Natalie Griffin
From the beginning of our Leadership Napa Valley experience, Class 32 was warned that Health and Human Services Day would be an emotional rollercoaster. “Bring tissues,” everyone advised. However, no amount of advice could prepare us for how inspired we would feel at the end of the day. A mentor was assigned to each class member, who spent the morning showing us what their organization looks like in a given day.
Abode Services is built on the principle of Housing First. Their staff work directly with the homeless to not only find housing, but also to provide services to help them sustain that home. Abode Services manages the two year-round homeless shelters, an Emergency Shelter, and a homeless resource center in Napa. The staff of Abode Services meet their clients where they’re at, whether that be newly homeless, chronically homeless, or those needing a temporary helping hand to get back on their feet. Abode provides critical assistance to community members who find themselves homeless such as transportation services, connection to mental health resources, and assistance with housing-related services like utility assistance programs, communication with property managers/landlords, and programs providing free household goods to fill their new residences.
We are so grateful to the mentors, the speakers, the facilitators, the Health and Human Services Department, and the day’s sponsor, Napa Valley Vintners. As always, thank you to Jill and Holly for their leadership and guidance through this incredible program.
Submitted by Adam Ghisletta, Rina Faletti and Natalie Griffin, participants in LNV Class 32.
Dr. John Glaser, Ed.D, educator, scholar, and specialist in organizational development, conflict resolution, and labor relations spent the morning presenting the topic, Creating a Community of Problem Solvers.
A significant handout was presented to the class featuring theory, tools, schematic illustrations, and examples communication, negotiation, and problem solving.
John started by discussing single loop and double loop learning and then took us down and up the Ladder of Inference. (Chris Argyis and Donald Schon) He sensitized the class to the key elements of negotiations and problem solving or how we can become better problem solvers and get better outcomes.
In John’s experience, inadequate communication is a significant cause of conflict. The barriers of conflict can be broken down by reframing problems and looking at them in terms of interests rather than positions.
A taxonomy of problem solving and negotiation featured identifying the following:
This content and more was reinforced by audiovisual presentations and group work. All these learning experiences assisted us in applying our newly gained knowledge on problem solving.
We look forward to our practicum groups experiences knowing this content will become invaluable!
To learn more, we encourage you to check out John’s book, Leading Through Collaboration and the work of Fisher and Ury who co-authored Getting to Yes.
Lessons Learned:
Roland Cavanagh, member of LNV, Class 31, presented Tips for the Practicum based on his experience last year. Roland recommended that the practicum groups immediately agree on creating a shared calendar. He mentioned the concept: Tyranny of the Or and Genius of the And from the book Good to Great by Jim Collins and also suggested we do a Google search on Nominal Group Technique.
Roland shared experiences of being assigned to his practicum group, working together many months until the project completion, and the project presentation event. His group was named best project for the class of 31.
Practicum Projects:
Jill Simmons Techel, LNV program coordinator, presented the concept of the Community Development Practicum. Many examples of previous group practicum projects were passed around the class. Jill discussed the opportunities and the rationale of the practicum group experience. Jill’s discussion was also augmented by audiovisual presentations. Not surprisingly, she encouraged us to work outside our comfort box.
We were assigned to our practicum groups and are now on our way!
What a great day for the LNV Class 32!
Submitted by Bonnie Andersen and Ellen Bermingham, participants in LNV Class 32.
Leadership Napa Valley Class 31 was fortunate enough to experience the Agricultural and Wine Industry just a few days shy of the 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve. The implementation of the Agricultural Preserve was monumental for Napa County and it was clear throughout that much of the quality of life we in experience in Napa is a direct result of the vision to protect agriculture as the highest and best use of the land.
Leadership Napa Valley Agricultural/Wine Industry Day 1 was held at Regusci Winery. The class had the opportunity to hear about the Napa Agricultural Preserve directly from Supervisor Diane Dillon and Ren Harris—both have a deep personal connection. Afterwards, and in the pouring rain, the class had the opportunity to take a vineyard walk with the Regusci Family and their staff. The class was particularly impressed with the Regusci’s dedication to good farming practices and their dedication to their industry and how that industry fits in to Napa’s greater community. The day ended with a wine blending session with Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci. It was an incredible opportunity to learn what is required to create the incredible wines produced in the Napa Valley.
Day 2 began at the Mondavi Farmworker Center where the class had the opportunity to learn how the agricultural community and vineyard owners support farmworkers by providing safe and clean living facilities. The class then met with the Farmworker Foundation and learned more about the industry’s commitment to the safety and wellbeing of farmworkers. We were particularly impressed by Armando Hurtado, the first recipient of a scholarship from the Farmworker Foundation to provide educational opportunities for the children of Napa County’s critical agricultural workforce. We were also surprised to learn that women are emerging as leaders in vineyard and farming operations and we had the opportunity to hear firsthand experiences from three women breaking down that barrier.
Day 2 ended at Connolly Ranch where Class 31 experienced life on a working farm that also offers outdoor education to children and families. Connolly Ranch is housed in Napa’s beautiful Browns Valley neighborhood and is equipped with a pond, hiking trails, a beautiful garden, chickens, pigs, and other farm animals. This majestic place supports summer camps, birthday parties, an outdoor playschool for children and public events such as movies under the stars and nature walks. The staff is friendly, sharp, and is incredibly passionate about Connolly Ranch and how it fits in with Napa and the outdoors.
Overall, Agricultural and Wine day was an absolute hit for the Class 31 as it brought us even closer to Napa’s origin and all that it has accomplished as the premier wine growing region of the world.
Submitted by Wes Salter and Molly Rattigan, participants in LNV Class 31.
Education Day began at the Elks Club with the State of Schools presentation from the District. Patrick Sweeney, the NVUSD Superintendent, gave a report and shared success stories on the four academic goals of NVUSD.
Goal #1: Increase rates of college and career readiness Goal #2: Provide equitable access and opportunities to all Goal #3: Expand access to 21st century skills Goal #4: Develop educational programs that support healthy lifestyles
We then had a chance to observe a class at Redwood Middle School and I chose 7th grade math. It was fascinating to see inquiry-based learning in action. The strategy works by giving the students a real-world problem and allowing them to ask questions in order to come to a conclusion – rather than teaching the content first. The classroom was full of activity and students seemed very engaged.
In the afternoon, we met the new Director of Food Services, Brandy Dreibelbis. She told us about the positive changes she’s made to school meals in 2018. Some of the new things include: fresh fruit and vegetables at lunch every day, local 1% milk at all schools, a vegetarian option every day, salad bars at all schools, homemade granola and many main course dishes being made from scratch. Unfortunately, out of the 8,868 NVUSD students that qualify for free or reduced lunch, only 20% of them are eating the meals (so shocking!).
After lunch, we had the opportunity to visit one Career Technical Education (CTE) class at Vintage High School. CTE pathways allow students to explore their interests and hopefully find a potential career path simultaneously. I observed a multimedia production class where most of the students were busy designing video games.
Growing up, my mom was always involved in education, but having attended high school in Ireland, it was great to be exposed to the American secondary school system.
Submitted by participants in LNV Class 31.
Everyone from Leadership Napa Valley Class 31 who attended Health and Human Services Day heard stories: stories of loss and stories of help; stories of fear and stories of hope; stories of regret and stories of redemption. Each class member was assigned to a mentor or mentors, who spent the morning providing us with glimpses into their daily work. We met many people who care greatly about helping everyone in Napa County live healthy. Whether they are involved in Mental Health, Public Health, Child Welfare, Services for Older Adults, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, or Self-Sufficiency, they all work to bring security and help to those in need.
One of the most enthusiastic staffers we saw at the South Napa Shelter was Beta, a therapy dog who works with Reverend Linda Powers at Abode Services. Beta does a great job of bringing comfort and joy to all those that meet her.
Abode is built on the principle of Housing First. They work with the homeless to not only find housing, but also to provide services to help them sustain that home. Assistance may include anything from connecting a person with mental health services to educating them on PG&E programs to help them with their utility bills.
One of the most impressive things to witness is how groups are working together. The Hope Center is a drop-in facility that provides showers, restrooms, mail, phones, and laundry for homeless adults throughout the day. When we walked in with three workers from the Mental Health Division, it was obvious that the HHS staffers are well known because several people came over to say hello. The HHS staffers come to them, providing a “one-stop” place to receive help. Dr. Jennifer from Ole Health visits once a week to address medical and mental health issues. Being able to deliver immediate response and continuous coaching when someone is ready to make a change in their life is valuable to these individuals and to the health and development of Napa County.
During the presentation by Dr. Karen Relucio and the panel, it was clear that we all need to work together to build community capacity and resilience. All of the pieces of the puzzle have to come together so that individuals can be successful and healthy, which helps the entire community. We can all help in ways big and small. Everyone has a story and everyone has value.
Some of us were surprised to learn the scope of the homeless and food insecurity issues facing Napa County. Some wondered how people in the community even learn about the services available to them. We all left feeling much better informed about the invaluable role that Health and Human Services and the many area nonprofits with which they partner provide to our most vulnerable citizens. We were humbled by their efforts.
Thank you very much to all of the mentors, the speakers, the facilitators, the Health and Human Services Agency, and the day’s sponsor, Napa Valley Vintners. As always, thank you to Jill and Holly for their leadership of the program through which we learn so much.
Arts Day had a packed agenda and so many great highlights from meeting some key art entrepreneurs to taking a backstage tour of the production Shrek at Napa Valley College. We even got to see Shrek himself. Learning the importance of the Arts through leaders in the Arts community really showed how art truly changes people which in turn helps grow our community.
The second half of the day was just as impactful as the first half. Visiting Vine Village and learning about how their program is helping those with disabilities either live independently or enjoy a day of arts and activities was very touching. That lead to us experiencing learning through music with Marie Butler. We then became our own Arts leaders and had to present an idea to the Arts Council. Finally the day ended with a creative way of approaching a problem – by creating a persona and addressing the problem as this persona.
Eight hours flew by on Friday, Nov. 3, and we were all truly grateful for the subject matter given it was our first time coming together as a group after the fires. This is an amazing group of people and we’re proud to be part of Leadership Napa Valley.
Here is a slideshow of our day: http://bit.ly/2j537XY
Submitted by members of Class 31.
Allowable land use, zoning, development standards, design guidelines, transportation, circulation, parking, housing, economic development – just a few of things that are considered for every project presented to the Planning Commission. It’s a challenge being tasked with keeping all of those things in balance.
Our experience as Planners for a Day gave us a glimpse into those challenges and new respect for commissioners, City and County staff who keep development moving forward. When tackling the Cinedome project we naturally gravitated to the problem or concern that was most relevant and important to us – traffic, parking, more retail, less retail, housing – but, as we discovered, Planners have to juggle those needs and more while thinking about the present as well as the future (an interesting combination of multi-tasking and multiple personalities). All of which means that each decision about each project is unique. The decision to move forward or not DEPENDS on:
D – the Developer. Is the project financially viable. We all agreed that underground parking at the Cinedome site would be a great solution for downtown parking woes but is that really an option given the cost (as Gordon so eloquently pointed out to us).
E – Everyone. Buy-in is key. All stakeholders should have input. On-going conversations will provide everyone the opportunity to see how the project fits into the future vision and plans for the community
P – the Plans. What is the purpose of the project. Who will benefit from the project. Is the goal to provide affordable housing, a sports complex, shopping, parking.
E – the Environment. How does it fit into the existing environment. Does the design complement the existing architecture.
N – the Need. Does the project fulfill a desired need in the community.
D – the Design. Is the project designed with an eye to the future, will it stand the test of time.
S – Sustainability. Is the project financially and environmentally sustainable and does it provide a lasting benefit to the community.
September 22 was the Leadership Seminar for Leadership Napa Valley Class 31. In the morning, John Glaser presented on “Leading Through Collaboration.” This was a great introduction to negotiations and how to use collaborative negotiation strategies to reach an outcome that helps everyone. John advocates focusing on interests, not positions, so that you can get to the heart of what people want and avoid counterproductive posturing. This approach tends to create better outcomes for all parties and helps preserve relationships. John also shared a few “war stories” from his time as Superintendent of the Napa Valley Unified School District, which gave a real world feel to the negotiation theory he was teaching.
The class particularly enjoyed the mock negotiation that John led. In the negotiation, half the students played the role of university administrators and the other half were members of the student government. We had to work together to figure out how to address the dire financial situation of the university’s book store. In the end, there were a number of ideas and it’s safe to say the book store will keep running for years to come! It was great to see the different solutions people discovered when presented with the same problem, and our class definitely found some creative ways to make the bookstore prosper.
What impressed us most about John’s presentation was that he managed to impart so much knowledge, while still keeping things light and entertaining. He had a great feel for when to sprinkle in a cartoon or a clip from Golden Balls. (For those of you who have not seen “Golden Balls,” the British game show/short course in game theory, we highly recommend you watch here.)
After a delicious lunch from Foodshed, Jill introduced us to the practicum program and most of the afternoon was spent learning about the practicum program and getting to know our practicum groups. It was inspiring to see all of the great projects of past classes and Class 31 is ready and willing to carry on this legacy!
Submitted by members of Class 31: Lorna Barker & Quinn Arntsen, Gratitude Ambassadors.
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