These women are driving the future of security, commercial real estate and Sac's Midtown

March is Women in Leadership month at Comstock’s magazine! Our annual showcase of some of the region’s most prominent women in business and nonprofits also features stories on women-led startups, female equestrians and urban design that builds community. Read it now on your computer, phone or tablet.

Inside the historic Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, built in 1927 as a shining hallowed tribute to honor the region’s war dead, music is playing. From the balcony comes the light and airy refrain of a flute; aside the stage, a deep and resonant cello plays; and in the doorway, the rich and mellow tones of a bassoon can be heard.

Once this venerable hall was rocked by such bands as The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, the Eagles and Grateful Dead. But for several days in February, it was filled with music from 10 different musicians playing 10 different instruments from the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera. Each one accompanied a women honored for Comstock’s 2026 Women in Leadership issue. The women, who come from the world of health care, technology, caretaking, public relations and other professions, arrived resplendent in gowns and formal pantsuits. As the music played, they danced, twirled, laughed and smiled.

Photographer Francisco Chavira used the stunning architectural features of the auditorium to capture the glamour of the women. The massive Grecian columns were illuminated in gold and purple to provide a colorful backdrop. Everyone involved had a wonderful time, excited as though they were going to a symphony itself.

“These things are just fun, to partner with such a renowned institution like Comstock’s magazine to do this and celebrate women leadership, flanked by musicians, professional musicians of the Philharmonic & Opera. It’s just fun. We always love kind of getting ourselves out there,” says CEO Giuliano Kornberg.

I’m pleased to introduce this week’s featured Women in Leadership. For the full lineup of honorees, check out our digital edition, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and LinkedIn, where we’ll be sharing their stories throughout this week and the next.

— Judy Farah, editor

Ashlee Cervantes Thomas Is Expanding Her Security Empire With a Tech-Driven Startup

As CEO of Guardian Protection Force and founder of a budding new agency, she has cemented her place as a leader in a male-dominated industry and is actively building the future of security.

Kimberly Follett Is Shaping Commercial Real Estate Across Northern California and Nevada

After nearly two decades at CBRE, Kimberly Follett now oversees brokerage teams across the region.

How Emily Baime Michaels Helped Midtown Sacramento Become a Food and Arts Destination

Emily Baime Michaels calls Midtown an “urban village,” a fading vision of American life that still exists here.

Meet the Sacramento Founder Building a New Kind of Video Game Studio

After years in the esports and gaming industry, Jessica Flor launched Hexwave to create inclusive games and support indie developers.

From our archives: What Life and Work Looks Like for the Former Co-Artistic Directors of the Sacramento Ballet

Sacramento Ballet’s longtime artistic director Ron Cunningham, who led the company for three decades and helped shape Sacramento’s professional dance scene, has died, according to the Sacramento Ballet. Cunningham joined the Sacramento Ballet in 1988 and, alongside his wife and co-artistic director Carinne Binda, led the company for about 30 years, creating dozens of original works and helping transform it into a nationally recognized ballet organization. In 2021, Comstock’s spoke with Cunningham about his life after the Sacramento Ballet for The Next Chapter, a series on late-career moves by prominent Capital Region professionals.

Recommendations From Our Staff

Dakota: One of my favorite podcasts, The Rest Is History, has a new literary-focused spinoff hosted by historian and author Dominic Sandbrook and The Rest Is History producer Tabitha Syrett. In The Book Club, the duo provides well-researched context and their familiar cheeky sarcasm to classics like “Wuthering Heights,” as well as some more contemporary and controversial works, such as Sarah J. Maas’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” Their slogan is that you’ll come away from the podcast feeling like you read the book — enough to lie about it at a dinner party.

Jennifer: It’s fashion week season, and I’m enjoying a lot of the media that’s coming out of it, especially from The New York Times. Even better than their runway coverage, though, is the Style Outside column, focusing on snaps of stylish people in New York and other cities. Maybe we should do something like this for Capital Region towns at Comstock’s?

Comstock's

These women are driving the future of security, commercial real estate and Sac’s Midtown