Houses of worship are an important element in Sacramento’s architectural history. From century-old churches to facilities that incorporate modern and sustainable technologies, religious buildings knit together the very fabric of the communities they serve. Here, we feature five local houses of worship, each with its own unique story.

As a business magazine serving the Capital Region, we spend 99 percent of our time looking outward, focusing on the stories of great leaders and companies making strides to improve their outcomes and communities. But every so often we find a reason to commandeer the microphone and tell a great story from within.

The historic Del Paso Country Club will host the 2015 United States Senior Open Championship during the week of June 22. This prestigious United States Golf Association event will be one of the largest and most significant sporting events to ever take place in Sacramento. Without a doubt, it will be Sacramento’s greatest golfing event.  

In March of last year, we highlighted 12 rising leaders in our inaugural  young professionals feature  (“Command and Deliver,” by Russell Nichols, March 2014). Here’s what a few of them have done since: 

My supervisor assigned to me major new responsibilities at work. When I asked to discuss my compensation, he said it could only be addressed as part of my annual review. Now, my compensation will be discussed only after HR signs off on the raise he already proposed. How should I proceed if the pay increase feels too low or if back pay isn’t included?

Every company’s brand collateral begins with the best intentions. There’s usually a business card, maybe some letterhead and envelopes, possibly a brochure. Then it all just gets away from you until one day you find yourself standing in your office’s storage room staring at boxes of mismatched promotional items. Before this spins into a business identity crisis, take charge and detox your branding collateral.

Steven Currall is the Chancellor’s Senior Advisor for Strategic Projects and Initiatives and a management professor at UC Davis, where he is leading campus-wide deliberations about the vision for the university’s long-term future.

Once upon a time, a quarter- century ago, mischievous twins David and Phil Ogilvie and their friend Tom Merwin played on their family farms in bucolic Clarksburg. Time and circumstance eventually led all three back to the family farms and, in March of 2014, they decided to do together what all three had dreamed of separately: open a winery.

Most board members join an organization for the right reasons, but many fail to make a meaningful impact. Meanwhile, executive directors complain their board lacks engagement and makes unreasonable demands. Obviously, a disconnect exists, but this scenario has a solution and can be fixed. Here’s how:

The phrase “wine country” harkens to Napa, Sonoma, Calistoga. But Solano? Not so much. In fact, the Suisun Valley appellation was formed in 1982, less than a year after Napa’s. The local environment boasts much of the same benefits, too.

Every day, thousands of shipping containers come into the United States  and sit idly on docks. Some are illegally dumped into the ocean once they are empty. Rather than let them go to waste, repurposing shipping containers as framing for construction meets a need while decreasing waste and harmful environmental impacts.

Economists refer to it as the agency problem: The incentives of executives are misaligned with the incentives of the company. If you have stock options that vest in five months, who cares what happens in five years?

When asked if the perception of graffiti art has softened over time, artist Anthony Padilla pauses before tentatively responding, “A little bit. Obviously vandalism is wrong, but then there’s also the art side of [graffiti]. I think when you see writing on a wall, it shows that there is life in that city.”