Sena Christian is the managing editor for Comstock’s magazine. As a journalist, she has worked on staff for two newspapers and one newsweekly, and regularly freelanced for national publications. Most recently, she was an environmental journalism fellow at the University of Colorado Boulder. She earned degrees from UC Berkeley and University of Oregon. Read more at www.senachristian.com. On Twitter @SenaCChristian.
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The ‘95630 Experience’
Folsom City Manager Elaine Andersen on the city’s growing opportunities and small-town feel
Comstock’s spoke to Andersen about the Folsom Plan Area, which will add housing, schools, parks, and commercial and office buildings, and bring in an estimated 25,000 new residents.

Our Top Stories of 2020
Look back on 2020 with a list of our top-read stories and our editors’ favorites.

Clear Vision for the Future
VSP Global President and CEO Michael Guyette on overseeing the nation’s only not-for-profit vision benefits company
Michael Guyette became president and CEO of VSP Global, based in Rancho Cordova, in 2018. Comstock’s spoke to Guyette about leading the 65-year-old organization.

Crossing the Finish Line
Saint John’s Program for Real Change CEO Julie Hirota on helping women and children
Comstock’s spoke to Hirota about leading the organization, which has helped more than 30,000 women and children during its 35-year history.

Laying the Groundwork
A widespread effort to achieve environmental justice in Sacramento is gaining momentum
Proponents say environmental justice efforts will only be successful if they are inclusive and equitable.

Care Givers
Family business close-up: All-Cal Insurance Agency in Roseville thrives by providing coverage for nonprofits
Nonprofits make up 97 percent of All-Cal’s clientele, which has
been run by the Esparza family in Roseville for more than 30
years.

Positive Signs in Trying Times
University of the Pacific President Christopher Callahan on leading an educational institution during an unprecedented time
Christopher Callahan, who became president July 1, is overseeing the institution’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Passion Press
The Sacramento Observer President and Publisher Larry Lee on the media and its role in the community
Comstock’s spoke with Lee about his company’s role in the Black community and in advocating for a better future.

Power of Politics
California Center for Civic Participation Executive Director Belen Flores on educating young people about civics
Comstock’s spoke with Belen Flores about how her organization has adapted in recent months and why its mission remains important.

Emerging Leaders: Vanessa Walker
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
Dr. Vanessa Walker is medical director of the Sutter Health Valley Area’s electronic ICU, a telemonitoring program in which doctors and nurses monitor ICU patients through video, remote diagnostic tools and other technologies.

Emerging Leaders: Holly Powers
We honor 10 young professionals who have made a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic
As assistant director of the Placer County Office of Emergency Services, Holly Powers brings together a variety of partners to prepare for, respond to, and lead the recovery from natural or human-made disasters.

App Helps Law Enforcement Deal With Mental Health
Vacaville police officers assess their stress through a customized app
Sacramento app developer Rich Foreman led the development of wellness apps with self-assessment modules and toolkits, including access to peer-support groups and therapists vetted for their expertise with law enforcement.

Help for the Helpers
Crises like the coronavirus pandemic increase stress, especially for first responders, but there are ways to cope
Under the gloom of a pandemic, people on the front lines of the crisis are encountering a level of unprecedented stressors layered onto already challenging jobs.

Going With the Flows
McGeorge School of Law professor Jennifer Harder on water issues, laws and uses
Professor Jennifer Harder is the co-director of the Water & Environmental Law program at McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento. Comstock’s spoke with Harder about water issues affecting the Capital Region and California.

Protecting Our Privacy
Cybersecurity advocate George Usi on how businesses can prepare for an eventual compromise
George Usi founded Rancho Cordova-based Omnistruct in 2019, selling cybersecurity compliance programs to businesses. We spoke with Usi about his mission to educate businesses so they can manage their risk when a cybersecurity breach occurs.

In the Making: Set for Showtime
As soon as a B Street Theatre show closes at The Sofia in Sacramento, the old set is torn down and installation of the next set begins later that same day. Here are shots of the work that went into the set of “Byhalia, Mississippi” before it closed over coronavirus concerns.

In the Making: Bringing Colors Alive
Tonja Wilcox has created a lot of watercolor paintings of trees, mainly birch and aspen, but the exact number is unknown. “I stopped counting after 600,” says the Sacramento-based artist.

Follow Her Lead: Cindy Messer
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Cindy Messer was sworn in as chief deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources the day after the Oroville Dam crisis began in February 2017, when damage to both the main and emergency spillways forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 residents.

Follow Her Lead: Celia Esposito-Noy
As the country celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we profile 19 leaders in the Capital Region
Celia Esposito-Noy, superintendent and president of Solano Community College, sees higher education institutions as responsible for serving much more than just their students.

Wealth of Wisdom
California Center President and CEO Margaret Wong on the importance of the China market
Margaret Wong founded the Sacramento-based California Center in 2012 to facilitate business opportunities between California and China. Comstock’s spoke with Wong about expanding to the China market.

Unfinished Business, 100 Years Later
In celebration of the centennial of the 19th Amendment, Comstock’s is honoring 19 regional leaders for our annual tribute to women in leadership. Our managing editor shares her thoughts on the occasion.

Building for the Future
California Manufacturers & Technology Association President Lance Hastings on the myriad challenges faced by the industry
Lance Hastings became president and CEO of the California Manufacturers & Technology Association in November 2018. Comstock’s spoke with Hastings about challenges faced by manufacturers and how CMTA works to improve the business climate.

A Survivor’s Tale
TSI Semiconductors in Roseville is flourishing again, bucking a trend of diminished manufacturing in California and the U.S.
The last remaining microchip plant in Northern California has found ways to thrive in a challenging market.

In the Making: Stoked for Skateboards
Corey Sholes, a self-described skateboard fanatic, was 18 years old when he cut his first skateboard. Eventually, he started pressing his own boards using a vacuum press system, and making handcrafted boards became his full-time job and his business, Legend Skateboards, in 1994.

Marshall Medical Center CEO Discusses Health Care for Rural Residents
Comstock’s spoke to Marshall Medical Center CEO Siri Nelson about her organization’s efforts to provide quality health care services to residents of El Dorado County.

Risk Management
HaneyBiz CEO Mark Haney on advice for investors and entrepreneurs
Mark Haney, the entrepreneur, angel investor, radio host and CEO of Rocklin-based HaneyBiz, says investors should look for startup founders who work well together and are committed to the product.

Comstock’s Talks: Shouldering the Burden
PODCAST: A growing movement of farmers is focused on agricultural practices that can mitigate or adapt to an uncertain future brought by climate change.

Shouldering the Burden
Progressive-minded farmers in the Capital Region undertake steps to battle and adapt to climate change
A growing movement of farmers is focused on agricultural practices that can mitigate or adapt to an uncertain future brought by climate change.
Part of this month’s Innovation issue

In the Making: Fancy Fabrications
Merle Axelrad says she fell into the medium of fabric collage 27 years ago when she was nine months pregnant, on maternity leave from her job as an architect, and made a baby quilt. Now, most of her works are public art, corporate and private commissions.

The Defenders of Small Business
John Kabateck on the myriad challenges facing Main Street, USA
John Kabateck of the National Federation of Independent Business speaks to Comstock’s about tax issues affecting business in California and his organization’s position on Assembly Bill 5.

Taste Makers
Yolanda Vega is the driving force behind the family’s expanding food brand
At 11 years old, Yolanda Vega started selling buñuelos and other local foods at street festivals around Michoacán. When she relocated to Sacramento in 1996, she did the same thing, driving around town and growing her clientele.

Dream Weavers
The husband-and-wife team of Ryan and Kat Huston has Huston Textile Company humming along
During summer months, 6-year-old Hazel keeps busy playing in the office of Huston Textile Company. It’s fitting that she should feel at home here — she is, after all, the inspiration for her parents’ textile milling business.

In the Making: Signs of the Times
When Simon and Kelly Holland launched the Etsy shop for their business, Sassy Squirrel Ink, in March 2015, they had about a half-dozen sign designs available to print photos on slate. They’ve been expanding their product line ever since.

Bridging Health Care Gaps
WellSpace Health CEO Jonathan Porteus on serving the underserved in our communities
WellSpace has operated since 1953 and provides a range of health care services across nearly three dozen sites in Sacramento, Placer and Amador counties. Comstock’s spoke with CEO Jonathan Porteus about how his organization works to achieve regional health.

Chamber Challenge
El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce CEO on issues facing businesses in its rural communities
Comstock’s spoke with Laurel Brent-Bumb, CEO of the El Dorado County Chamber of Commerce, about efforts to make this largely rural region a desirable place to do business.

Pathway to the Future
Los Rios Community College District Chancellor Brian King on new opportunities — and new funding
Comstock’s recently spoke with King (who is also a member of our editorial advisory board) about challenges faced by community college students and how Los Rios can help train the workforce of the future.

In the Making: Wall Weavings
Jessica Filip’s favorite weaving projects are the large commissions that take several weeks to complete, such as her 6-foot-by-6-foot wall hanging displayed in South, a restaurant in Sacramento, or an 8-foot-by-12-foot piece for a client’s cabin in Montana. Her larger commissions range from $1,600 to $4,000.

Becoming Mom in Midtown
New birth center gives women an alternative to hospitals or home
After Bethany Sasaki became certified as a lactation consultant about a decade ago, she took a break from her hospital nursing job to earn some cash consulting while caring for her newborn son. She drove all over the Sacramento region to meet with moms struggling to breastfeed. And her phone kept on ringing.

Reviving a Legacy
New owners have Orangevale commercial fruit operation up and running again
Brad Squires and Matt Brunner wondered what would happen to the agricultural land that housed Tom Tomich Orchards — the sole remaining commercial fruit operation in Orangevale — when the business shuttered in 2017. Would that really be the end of an era?

Flying High
Sacramento County Airport System Director Cindy Nichol on rapid growth and planning for the future
Cindy Nichol became director of the Sacramento County Airport System in October 2018, bringing more than 30 years of experience in airport management to the position. Her career includes stints at San Francisco International Airport and the Port of Portland. Comstock’s recently spoke with Nichol about the four-airport system she oversees.

In the Making: Fit for a Spin
While working in a bike shop in the early 1980s, Steve Rex was introduced to custom small-scale bikes.
Using his bachelor’s degree in economics was going to have to wait — Rex wanted to become a frame builder.

Beating the Burn
California’s plan to deal with deadly and devastating wildfires — including controlled burns, thinning and a restoration economy — is ambitious; is the state up to the task?
Past approaches to forest fires have been a misinformed regime of fire suppression: extinguishing all flames quickly. Now California’s forests are overgrown tinderboxes-in-waiting; the approach is changing, but there’s a lot of work to do.

Beating the Burn: How We Got Here
An abbreviated history of firefighting efforts in the Golden State
When lightning sparked fires in the 1850s, they were left to burn, naturally clearing out dry fuels. Just a few decades later, officials started shifting toward a strategy of fire suppression.

Growing Pains
Citrus Heights Mayor Jeannie Bruins on changes since cityhood, including plans to attract more businesses and jobs
Jeannie Bruins knows Citrus Heights; she’s lived there for 35 years and has served on its city council for five terms. She also co-chaired the campaign to give Citrus Heights cityhood in 1996. Comstock’s spoke with Bruins about how the community has changed and what’s in store for the future.

In the Making: Custom Creations
Local potter Joe Triglia of Tufarock Design details his process of making hand-crafted planters and other garden vessels that were inspired by a recent trip overseas.

After the Fire
A muralist and photographer team up to paint and memorialize the ruins of the Camp Fire in Paradise
Artist Shane Grammer knew he had to paint the brick chimney the moment he saw a photo of it — the only part of a friend’s house in Paradise still standing after the Camp Fire devastated the town. The fire started tearing through the area on Nov. 8, 2018, becoming the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history.

A New Era in Ballet
Sacramento Ballet Artistic Director Amy Seiwert on her vision and goals — and taking risks
Amy Seiwert is only the fourth artistic director in the Sacramento Ballet’s 65-year history. Seiwert — who danced with the company from 1991 to 1999 — assumed the role in July 2018. Comstock’s recently spoke with Seiwert about her vision and goals for the ballet.

Keeping It Clean
Jazmine Bonnett, owner of Blossom Bathhouse, works at a brisk pace. If she doesn’t quickly finish her bubble bath bars, the ingredients harden and become unsalvageable. A batch takes 30 minutes to make and yields about 20 individual scoops, which sell for $8.95 each.

A City’s Growth Spurt
City of Lincoln Economic Development Manager Shawn Tillman on growing business and revitalizing downtown
Economic Development Manager for the City of Lincoln Shawn Tillman discusses growth, industry and foreign trade.

Loopholes & Violations
Much of the concern over the loophole that allows a site-based charter school to locate outside of the geographic area of its authorizing district relates to oversight: How can a district provide adequate oversight if the school isn’t located in its own backyard?