The biggest challenge of his job? “It never turns off,” says Sheriff Cooper. “It’s always on. My phone rings at all hours of the day and night.” The good news is that he’s wired for this. “I enjoy what I do,” says the sheriff. “I’m not a type-A personality. I’m a type-AAA personality. I can go. I don’t have an off switch.” 

Helping students is in Cardoza’s bones. She calls her philosophy “Students first,” and this informs everything she does at ARC, which serves over 30,000 students, making it the sixth largest public two-year college in the nation.

“When I’m in Sacramento,” she says, “people stop me on the street wondering about the impact something will have on their lives. I respond to every inquiry, but that doesn’t mean I’m able to go down every rabbit hole.” She smiles. “I always stand firm on what my constituents want. They first put me here and have put me back here every two years.”

One of the Capital Region’s more forward-looking, fashionable restaurants, Midtown Sacramento’s Beast + Bounty, announced today it will permanently close its doors as of January 1.

His trick for handling this responsibility? It starts with a coop full of chickens.

“I’ve been here more than half my life,” says Sac City President Albert Garcia. “I love the history of this college. It gives everything we do here a richer context. Don’t forget, for many years, as far as colleges in the area, we were it. Just as we began by being part of a high school campus.”

Under Director Harjinder K. Shergill-Chima’s watch, the lottery (which is self-funded) has an “unheard of” administrative budget that’s just 4 percent of revenue.

Michael J. Facenda oversees 1,600 employees, 14 food outlets, 82 table games and 2,100 slot machines — and don’t forget the pastry shop. 

The prisoners made makeshift knives, or shivs, and used stolen razors during their siege. One prison guard died, and two were injured.

On paper it’s a dream job of nonstop travel, but the reality is that most days she’s stuck in her office until 7 p.m. Thankfully she has a secret weapon: white space.

Thien Ho oversees 180 attorneys and a budget of $129 million with a purview of prosecuting all misdemeanors and felonies in the county. He starts his day with lots of water. 

His days are wildly different, depending on the sport and the season. So we’ll unpack his favorite and his busiest: Fridays covering high school football. 

Dennis Mangers, who says, “I’ve had eight careers in 83 years,” is known for unimpeachable credibility.

Lial Jones, who is the Mort and Marcy Friedman director and CEO for the museum, announced recently that she’ll retire at the end of this year. In her tenure, she’s overseen the expansion of both Crocker’s collection and the museum itself.

His trick for listening to all those voices? He starts every day in the middle of the night.

Pacini-Hauch’s secret? “I answer the phone,” she says, adding that clients are routinely surprised that she always picks up or calls them back immediately, no matter when.

The roughly 900-employee, 106-bed hospital has gotten really good thanks in large part to Hausmann’s tireless work ethic, something she calls the “protected hour,” and a box of cookies.

Being the CEO of UC Davis Health isn’t easy. But that’s only half of Dr. David Lubarsky’s job as he is also the school’s vice chancellor of human health sciences. Here’s how he makes it all work. 

Will it rain this weekend? For over 30 years, the man Sacramento trusts for that answer is Mark Finan, chief meteorologist at KCRA. 

Since 2020, the global economy has been mired in uncertainty. On Oct. 5, 2023, investors and entrepreneurs convened at the Roebbelen Center @The Grounds in Roseville to address certain questions regarding business in the Capital Region.

Dr. John Jackson grew up as a pastor’s kid, but he didn’t see that as his calling. “I told God in my own way, ‘I’ll do anything you want, except I’ll never be a missionary, and I’ll never be a pastor,’” says Jackson. So of course he became a pastor.

Vanessa Van Vleck keeps a wall of shame at Superbum Plant Company, identifying people suspected of stealing from her East Sacramento store. It’s one of the few things Van Vleck and her husband, Dylan Van Vleck, who opened their business in 2021, can do to deal with a burgeoning problem in California.

It’s a job just like any other job, except with responsibility for the safety of an entire city. No pressure. When Kathy Lester was sworn in as chief of the Sacramento Police Department in December 2021, she joined a new executive team with fresh eyes, and they surveyed the many challenges.

When you’re the managing partner of a blue chip law firm it’s kind of like being a CEO, but in some ways it’s far more complex. Just ask Melissa Jones, managing partner at Stoel Rives, a firm known for its expertise in renewable energy and natural resources. 

Michael Hargis has always been entrepreneurial; as a fifth-grader he sold condoms to the upperclassmen. He would later produce parties, raves and music events like Sacramento’s 2012 Electronic Dance Festival. Then came food. 

Think CEOs have crazy schedules? Try being a member of Congress. The most carefully planned itinerary can be scrambled — or even scuttled — thanks to a call from the White House, an emergency vote, or urgent negotiations across the aisle. “We have to be flexible, and everyone else has to be flexible. That’s what’s different from being a CEO and running a company,” says Congresswoman Doris Matsui.

Eric Lam didn’t care for college. In 2018, as a freshman at UC Davis studying managerial economics, he decided to drop out. “I knew I wanted to do something in business, and I knew that I could probably learn that off YouTube,” says Lam. A friend suggested real estate.

For over 15 years, Sacramento has turned to Kelly Brothers for making sense of Wall Street and the economy, where he serves as a frequent contributor to KCRA-TV and News Radio KFBK. But that’s only part of his story.

COVID-19 exposed the stark realities of the precarious economic state of the theater industry, but even regular theatergoers may not look past the glamour and drama of live theater to the grit, sweat and dollars that go into it. 

Fire engines, medical calls, protests, academic policy, a $400 million budget, COVID-19 challenges, donor relations — this is all in a day’s work for the president of a 33,000-student and 2,000-faculty university.

Jeanne Reaves works with CEOs on both personal growth and operational improvements. Her secret for pulling it off? She’s been in their shoes.

The most recent election for West Sacramento City Council has marked a move toward equity — particularly when it comes to female representation. For the first time in history, West Sacramento has an all-female city council and mayor, who are also all women of color. 

Stan Van Vleck is head of the 12,000 acre Van Vleck ranch, a family business that dates back to 1856.

Ken Endelman, who began his career as a furniture designer, never expected to become the CEO of the largest Pilates manufacturer in the world. Here’s how he tackles his day. 

Business economists are reporting several warning signs about the national economy. But on a local level, things are looking up. We consider all the factors that will help the Capital Region be able to ride out a recession.

Many business leaders say they’re busy “putting out fires.” For Cindy Nichol this is not a metaphor.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

California’s aerospace, aviation and defense industries support more than 511,000 high-paying jobs and generate more than $66 billion in annual economic activity, larger than the agriculture and entertainment industry combined. We checked in with industry players in the Capital Region.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Yolo County’s most photogenic crop is facing a barrage of challenges, including supply issues related to the war in Ukraine, global currency volatility and drought.  

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Savvy advertising won’t help a business if its core values aren’t consistent on every level. In today’s marketing landscape, authentic messaging aimed toward building trust and engagement is critical. 

Preservation projects are being embraced in the Capital Region in an effort to preserve history and protect the environment.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Winemakers are challenged with the consistent threat of wildfires and their aftermath, plus drought conditions and complex water realities.

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.

Although the hot housing marketing has made it a great time to be a builder in California, it’s also uniquely challenging as supply chain issues create pricing volatility, delays and decreased margins. 

Each issue, we dig into the working habits of a top executive in the Capital Region, providing insight into how they get things done.