Jessica Laskey is the special sections editor for Comstock’s, a freelance writer and professional actress. Her work can be seen in Inside Publications — for which she also wrote the book, Inside Sacramento: The Most Interesting Neighborhood Places in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, now in its second edition — as well as Sacramento Magazine, Sactown magazine and The Sacramento Bee. Jessica is also the founding co-publisher of Indomita Press, an independent local publishing company she runs with her husband. Find out more at jessicalaskey.com.
By this person
![H is for health care. (Digital illustration by Kelly Barr)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/unnamed_35.jpg?1607455579)
Vaccination Anticipation
UC Davis researchers join the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine
UC Davis is participating in a global clinical trial being run by Pfizer — one of the most promising vaccine trials to date.
![The SAFE Credit Union Convention and Performing Arts Center is scheduled to host events in 2021. (Photo courtesy of SAFE Credit Union/Image Outfitters Photography)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1120_blog_qa_visitsacramento1.jpg?1604088092)
Encouraging Signs
Visit Sacramento’s Kari Miskit on how the organization is helping the tourism and hospitality industry stay afloat
In a world where travel is suddenly not only difficult but also potentially dangerous, a group dedicated to increasing tourism in the Capital Region has to be creative.
![(Illustration by Marissa Lewis; elements from Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_dept_buzzword_shutterstock.png?1595869881)
Buzzwords: Unpack
To analyze something in detail by breaking it down into its constituent parts
You’ve probably heard a professor or other erudite colleague suggest “unpacking” something, though they probably don’t mean unzipping a suitcase.
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![A visitor explores Angora Lake in El Dorado County. Photo courtesy of the City of Placerville](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_ss_goldenopportunity_courtesyofthecityofplacerville_lead.jpg?1595881745)
Golden Opportunity
Business tourism activities abound in Gold Country
Tourism might be the last thing on our minds in 2020. But as California slowly starts to open up again from the shelter-in-place orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, getting out of Dodge for a day or two into the beauty of the Sierra foothills Gold Country — for business as well as pleasure — can provide a much-needed breath of fresh air.
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![Photo Caption: The Murieta Inn & Spa in Rancho Murieta has a number of amenities for business retreats. Photo courtesy of the Murieta Inn & Spa](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_ss_retreat_courtesyofthemurietainnspa_lead.jpg?1594838688)
Retreat!
Corporate team building in the Sierra foothills
As businesses in Northern California navigate the changing restrictions ordered by the state due to the coronavirus pandemic, reconnecting with our colleagues could be more crucial than ever.
![Kevin Phan is founder, president and CEO of the Capital Asian American Professional Society and CAAPS Foundation. (Photo by Terence Duffy)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_feat_youngprofessionals_kevinphan_terenceduffy.jpg?1594259036)
Emerging Leaders: Kevin Phan
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
In 2016, Kevin Phan founded the Capital Asian American Professional Society, which provides resources, educational programming and events around civic leadership and business development.
![The Lavender Courtyard has experienced some delays and now construction on the housing development is expected to begin before the end of the year. (Rendering courtesy of Mogavero Architects)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0720_blog_statuscheck_lavendar_lead.jpg?1593705927)
Status Check: Sacramento’s Lavender Courtyard
The city’s first affordable housing project for LGBTQ older adults should break ground later this year
The vacant lot at 16th and F streets in Sacramento — the future site of Lavender Courtyard, the city’s first LGBTQ-friendly affordable housing for older adults — is still empty, but it won’t be for long.
![Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program fellows are organizing task forces to help create positive systemic changes in the Sacramento region. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1736459849.jpg?1592422725)
Up to the Task
Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program founder Scott Syphax on how emerging leaders can help achieve social justice
In June, the Sacramento-based Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program addressed the recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Stephon Clark and other Black people at the hands of the police in an open letter to the greater Sacramento community.
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![Solano Community College’s Bachelor of Science degree program in biomanufacturing started in 2017, the same year the school’s Vacaville campus opened its state-of-the-art $34.5-million Biotechnology and Science building that houses its biotechnology training facility. (Photo by Bruce Damonte, courtesy of Solano Community College)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0620_feat_buildingabiotechhub_photobybrucedamonte_courtesyofsolanocommunitycollege_lead.jpg?1591826256)
Building a Biotech Hub
Available land and an educated workforce has made Vacaville an attractive place for biotechnology companies
Since its founding in the 1800s, Vacaville has been known for its rich soil and agricultural production. But another kind of production has made Vacaville an internationally recognized hot spot in recent decades: biotechnology.
![Jessica Weddle-Cockrell assembles a meal kit for the Family Meal Sacramento program inside Canon in East Sacramento. The idea has spread and is now a statewide effort. (Photo by Debbie Cunningham)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_blog_food_familymeal_debbiecunningham_embed1.jpg?1589828469)
All in the Family
Capital Region restaurants initiate meal delivery programs to help vulnerable populations
Though restaurants are among the businesses hit hardest by the coronavirus, local restaurateurs have pooled their resources to help seniors, low-income families and others access food.
![First used in the 1980s, "rightsizing" is still not as well-known as its scarier cousin “downsizing.” (Illustration by Marissa Lewis; elements from Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0520_dept_buzzwords_elementsshutterstock_designbymarissalewis.png?1588960049)
Buzzwords: Rightsizing
The process of hiring, firing or reassigning employees to help a business run as efficiently as possible
Rightsizing is the Goldilocks of the business world. With the ever-changing economic landscape, organizations are always on the hunt for the perfect balance — retaining a workforce that’s not too big, not too small, but just right.
![Though more than half of U.S. employees hold jobs that could be performed in a “flexible workspace” such as at home, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 7 percent were given the option to do so prior to the outbreak. (Shutterstock photo)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/shutterstock_1657938115.jpg?1587068339)
What Will Telecommuting Look Like After COVID-19?
As a result of the coronavirus stay-at-home orders across most states, workers have been switched to telecommuting at rates that were unthinkable even a few months ago. The question is: Where do we go from here?
![Tina Reynolds is the founder and president of Uptown Studios. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_reynolds_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1584758194)
Follow Her Lead: Tina Reynolds
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Tina Reynolds is the founder and president of Uptown Studios, a multimedia design firm geared towards nonprofits, government entities and other organizations dedicated to social change.
![Melyssa Laughlin became CEO and president of Visit Vacaville in 2007, just as the Great Recession was about to hit. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_laughlin_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1583863161)
Follow Her Lead: Melyssa Laughlin
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Melyssa Laughlin became CEO and president of Visit Vacaville in 2007, just as the Great Recession was about to hit.
![Preet Kuar is CEO and executive recruiter of Pacific Staffing and Pacific ExecSearch. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_kuar_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1583862318)
Follow Her Lead: Preet Kuar
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
If Preet Kuar, CEO and executive recruiter of Pacific Staffing and Pacific ExecSearch, had thought as a college student that one day she would love a job as the CEO of an executive recruitment company, she would have laughed.
![Melissa Jones is managing partner at Stoel Rives, one of the country's largest law firms. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_jones_rachelvalley_lead.jpg?1583857902)
Follow Her Lead: Melissa Jones
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Melissa Jones, managing partner at Stoel Rives, says she is “one of those weird people” who loved law school. She now runs one of the 200 largest law firms in the country.
![Dawn Clayton oversees a team of more than 2,650 people at Thunder Valley Casino Resort. (Photo by Rachel Valley)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0320_feat_leadership_clayton_rachelvalley_lead_1.jpg?1582856554)
Follow Her Lead: Dawn Clayton
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Dawn Clayton, general manager of Thunder Valley Casino Resort, started her casino career dealing craps in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0220_buzzwords_onboarding_marissalewis.png?1580320353)
Buzzwords: Onboarding
The process by which a new employee is integrated into a company, from learning where the bathroom is to understanding the company culture
If you’ve ever started a new job and were told you were going to be “onboarded,” you may have had nightmarish visions of being connected up to the Borg or having your retinas scanned. (No? Just me? Maybe I watch too much science fiction.)
![Daffodil Hill, a popular Amador County tourist attraction, closed in 2019 partly because it had become too popular. (Photo by Devin Powers via Shutterstock)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0120_feat_tourism_shutterstock_lead.jpg?1578941155)
Are Tourist Draws Like Apple Hill and Daffodil Hill Too Popular?
Overtourism at some of the Capital Region’s most popular seasonal destinations is not unfamiliar. But is there such a thing as too much of a good thing when it comes to tourism?
Part of this month’s Rural Living series.
![](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1219_dept_buzzwords_marissalewis.png?1577874530)
Buzzwords: Big Data
Huge amounts of data about consumer preferences that is collected and analyzed to help companies predict future behavior
The term “big data” is practically synonymous these days with the Big Bad Wolf. (Cambridge Analytica ring a bell?) But is big data really that big of a deal?
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A Little Motivation
The perks and pitfalls of wellness incentives in the workplace
In the past three decades, a growing number of businesses have been providing more than just basic benefits to employees. Amid complex health care plans and retirement savings plans, businesses have been adding wellness programs to not only help their employees, but also to bolster their bottom line.
![A homeless encampment along North B Street in Sacramento. Sacramento County’s most recent point-in-time count reported 5,570 homeless people, an increase of 19 percent since 2017. (Photo by Fred Greaves)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1019_feat_homeless_fredgreaves.jpg?1577874530)
Daunting Dilemma
Homelessness is one of our region’s most pressing concerns — and it’s proving to be one of the most perplexing to solve
Comstock’s asked a panel of experts from across the Capital Region to share their thoughts on the issue of homelessness.
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From Blueprint to Build-Out
Project delivery methods help construction happen
Build it, and they will come — but how should you contract to
build it?
“You can have a great design, but if you don’t have a way to turn
that vision into reality, the whole thing falls apart,” says
Chuck Hack of architecture and engineering firm Lionakis.
“Project delivery methods help a client bring a project to
market.”
![Dawne Franklin has participated in Short Center North’s art program for 17 years. “I love how the paint feels, especially acrylic,” says Franklin, one of the center’s top-selling artists.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0519_feat_outsiderart_debbiecunningham.jpg?1577874530)
Outside’s In
Outsider art continues to captivate collectors in Sacramento and beyond
Defining “outsider art” isn’t easy — the term encompasses work by self-taught artists and the artwork of the developmentally disabled — but its popularity is soaring. In Sacramento, Short Center North’s art program is one example.
![Bob Allison with his grandaughter Sierra and son, Clint, at the new Sutter Health SeniorCare PACE facility in Sacramento.](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0319_dept_crcsuccess_joancusick.jpg?1577874530)
Sutter Health’s PACE Services Help Seniors Age In Place
When Clint Allison’s father had a stroke in 2010, he stepped in to provide the round-the-clock care his father, Bob, required. But not long into his father’s recovery, Allison realized he couldn’t do it alone, even with the help of his wife and children.
![The purpose of the new Midtown Parks will be to bring more activities and people to five local parks, such as yoga classes at Fremont Park. (Photo courtesy Midtown Association)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0219_blog_recreation_parks1.jpg?1577874530)
New Midtown Parks Group to Activate Five Sacramento Parks
It’s where you have a picnic. Play a pick-up soccer game. Do yoga in the fresh air. People-watch. Daydream. Take a breath. The park is a central part of the urban experience as a gathering spot, a green space and a respite from hectic city life.
![Rendering courtesy of Mogavero Architects](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/0119_blog_housing_lgtbq_mogaveroarchitects.jpg?1577874530)
Lavender Courtyard Will Be the Central Valley’s First Affordable Housing Community for LGBTQ Seniors
When Kaye Crawford spoke at the wake of friend Darrin Heiden in 2014, she talked about the fact that Heiden was “another statistic of a gay man who found himself without a home as he grew older.”
![The new Sutter Health SeniorCare PACE facility opened in Sacramento’s River District on Dec. 10. (Photo courtesy Sutter Health)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1218_blog_health_seniors1.jpeg?1577874530)
Allowing Seniors to Age in Place
New senior day center offers increased options for elderly
Sutter Health opened its new state-of-the-art Senior Care PACE medical and recreational complex in the River District on Dec. 10. The 45,000-square-foot space can accommodate a total of 1,000 patients per day.
![Dancers in the Sacramento Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” (Photo courtesy Sacramento Ballet)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1218_blog_education_nutcracker1.jpg?1577874530)
Tradition Refresh
Sacramento Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” gets a new marketing perspective for a fresh take on holiday classic
Sometimes even beloved traditions get an update, like the Sacramento Ballet’s annual holiday production of “The Nutcracker,” which offers a new take on the classic story this year.
![Guests on the “Indigenous Walk” on Deer Creer, which is a guided adventure offered on Outlandish Experiences. (Photo courtesy Arrow Flora)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1118_blog_tourism_outlandish2.jpg?1577874530)
Won’t You Be My Guide?
New adventure tourism platform connects visitors to locals
For a typical day trip to Nevada County, a tourist might visit a few wineries, do some window shopping and then call it a day. But when Robert X Trent launched Outlandish Experiences in August, he wanted to use unique, unforgettable experiences to help visitors fall in love with the area he’s called home for 20 years.
![Recreationists enjoy the American River, near Sunrise, in Rancho Cordova. (Photos courtesy Rancho Cordova Travel & Tourism.)](https://www.comstocksmag.com/sites/main/files/imagecache/tile/main-images/1018_blog_tourism_rancho1.jpg?1577874530)
Getting Personal
Rancho Cordova turns to AI for a more individualized tourism experience
Rancho Cordova’s identity as one of the region’s best-kept secrets frustrates Marc Sapoznik. As executive director of Rancho Cordova Travel & Tourism, his job is to promote the city’s assets tor both out-of-towners and locals alike.