As a visual artist, Melissa Arendt is in a constant state of creation, whether through painting, illustration or graphic design. Her illustrative work is characterized by organized clusters of colorful cells juxtaposed with technically lined pencil drawings. Her clients include: 20th Century Fox, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Ruhstaller, Comstock’s Magazine, Edible Magazine, City College of San Francisco, Fandango and many more. Melissa studied graphic design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and currently resides in Auburn, California. You can find more of her work at http://www.melissaarendt.com/
Photo by Lux, NovaXF
By this person
Under Pressure
Fighting tight regulations and stiff competition, young community banks turn to well-established banks to turn profits
In 2018, Golden Pacific Bank is an anomaly, one of the few remaining community banks in the Capital Region to emerge in the past 10 years and not be acquired by a larger entity.
Seeds of Innovation
Important work happening in the Capital Region is transforming the future of vegetables
Eight of the world’s 10 largest vegetable seed companies are located near UC Davis, a world leader in plant science and agricultural research. The Capital Region is home to a vast ecosystem at the forefront of advancing food production — here’s how all the pieces come together.
Bridging the Gap
Navigating the generational divide is essential to preparing for a solid succession
The generational divide can wreak havoc on financial management, succession planning and operations. And regardless of where the tension arises, the root of the issue remains the same: control.
Now Hiring
A dwindling immigrant workforce will have significant impacts on industry vitality and wages — the question is to what extent
The departure of long-established but undocumented Mexicans from California is a signal — along with other government data from the southwest border — that the flow of unauthorized immigration is shifting direction, perhaps dramatically.
Fortress of Solvency
For families taking care of a special-needs child or adult, solid financial and legal planning gives a measure of control over an expensive future
The day that Jenny and Bob had their son Justin in 1994, they set foot in a new world. Jenny went into labor four weeks early, and her baby presented in the wrong direction — feet first. So he was delivered through emergency C-section. Once he was born, his heart rate dropped instead of rising, as it should have. For weeks it wasn’t clear whether he’d survive.
Tricky Moves
Changing regulations and confusing compliance metrics have HR managers tied up in knots
AB 908 increases the amount of paid family leave (PFL) benefits an employee can receive from 55 percent of earnings to either 60 percent or 70 percent of earnings, depending on the employee’s income,” effective Jan. 1, 2018? (Mark your calendars.)
In Whom We Trust
A new federal rule is about to shake up the business of retirement financial advice
For a sense of how fungible the label “financial adviser” has become, talk to Mike Chamberlain of Chamberlain Financial Planning & Wealth Management, which has an office in Sacramento. “’Financial services industry’ is a very broad term,” he says, “and I don’t like being included in it.
Raised for Glory
Youth sports have become big business — but at what cost?
More youth are participating in competitive (tryout-based), travel teams that practice more often and play additional games, often year-round, as parents shell out thousands of dollars per child, per sport, per year. The stakes are high. Or so they seem, as college scholarships or professional careers beckon at the finish line.
The Case For New Practices
Bridging the generation gap in the legal field could mean offering more handholding — and more freedom
Among private law firms, a dam is about to break. According to research by two Los Angeles legal marketing experts, 96 percent of leaders at the country’s biggest 100 private practices are baby boomers or older. But many of their clients are younger.
The Macro Problems Caused By Microaggression
Bias isn’t always obvious — but its subtlest forms can hurt productivity and morale
An African-American employee is told that he “doesn’t sound black,” a Jewish employee hears that she “doesn’t look Jewish” and a gay staffer’s supervisor tells him he “doesn’t act gay.”
Those are real-life stories, according to several experts on workplace discrimination.