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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.