Many voices.

One vision.

Valley Vision was Thrilled to Host the Livability Summit on October 1, 2025.

The Livability Summit is Valley Vision's collaborative conference for advancing equity, sustainability, and prosperity. This year’s Summit brought together nearly 350 community members, policymakers, business leaders, and partners in Citrus Heights to learn, engage, and act on the issues shaping the future of the Capital Region.

 In 2025, we were proud to partner with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) to align Summit content with the 2025 Blueprint for regional growth. The program was grounded in findings from Valley Vision’s 2025 Livability Poll, which continues to elevate the lived experiences and priorities of residents across the region. This year, we also focused on transportation and land use for the next 20+ years through the launch of SACOG’s 2025 Blueprint.

At the Livability Summit, participants explored the issues that matter most, aligned on shared priorities, and identified clear, actionable steps to create lasting impact. Together, we reflected on what residents are experiencing today—and identified the bold, collaborative steps needed to build a more livable region for all.

Thank you to our 2025 speakers, panelists, and partners who made this event possible.

Read the Full 2025 Livability Summit Recap Report here!

Thank You to Our 2025 Speakers!

Summit Highlights

Key Findings from the 2025 Livability Poll

Valley Vision CEO Evan Schmidt shared the latest data from our 2025 Livability Poll, offering an in-depth look at residents’ priorities—including housing affordability, access to healthcare, livable wages, and education—and how these concerns have shifted since 2023.

Capital Caucus Conversation

California State Senator Roger Niello and Assemblymember Maggy Krell discussed the launch of the new bipartisan Capital Caucus and their shared commitment to strengthening regional infrastructure, healthcare, climate action, economic development, and education.

Radical Collaboration Workshop

Katie McCleary of LQ Listening Intelligence led an energizing workshop on how effective collaboration happens—and breaks down—using her Alignment–Structure–Activation framework to help attendees build skills for taking collective action.

Understanding the 2025 Blueprint

SACOG Executive Director James Corless outlined how the Capital Region is projected to grow by 600,000 people over the next 25 years and shared how the 2025 Blueprint will guide sustainable growth, transportation planning, economic opportunity, and quality of life.

Breakout Sessions on Critical Regional Issues

Attendees participated in interactive breakout sessions and deep-dive conversations on:

  • Federal policy changes and their impacts on local services

  • Strategies for building effective pathways to quality jobs

  • Climate resilience and centering frontline communities

  • Housing affordability, infill development, and ADU expansion

  • The Sunrise Tomorrow redevelopment effort in Citrus Heights

These sessions offered practical insights and clear calls to action for regional leaders.

Networking and Regional Connection

Nearly 350 attendees came together to connect across sectors, strengthen partnerships, and spark new collaborations to advance livability across the Capital Region.

Breakout Sessions: A First for the Summit

For the first time, the 2025 Livability Summit featured breakout sessions that gave participants the chance to dive deeper into the issues that matter most to them. These interactive sessions were designed to spark dialogue, share insights, and build alignment around regional priorities — from housing and climate resilience to workforce pathways and federal policy shifts. Attendees could select the conversations most relevant to their work and interests, connect directly with leaders and peers, and return with actionable ideas to enhance their own efforts and communities! Check them out here.

  • A good job can transform a life, but getting it right takes intention and strategy. This session highlighted successful initiatives that have connected community members to quality jobs, and explored what made those efforts work. Including, the importance of aligning with regional sector strategies, early and sustained employer engagement, and intentional collaboration.

    • Willy Duncan, Superintendent/President, Sierra Community College District

    • Scott Olsen, Director, Human Resources and Administration, Robert Bosch Semiconductor

    • Chris Tillery, Training Director, Sacramento Electrical Training Academy IBEW JATC 340

    • Kimberly Menzel, Senior Vice President and Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente

  • The Federal Administration has made significant policy changes in 2025 that impact our region’s residents. Attendees heard from multisectoral partners discuss their response to funding cuts, immigration policies, and opportunities for radical collaboration to support our diverse communities over the next several years.

  • The community helped define the plan to transform a 50-year-old failing mall into a 21st-century vibrant “Main Street” which will be a premier regional destination and flourishing center of community life where residents and visitors can shop, live, work, and play. We heard from the Citrus Heights planners about how the plan came together and what’s next.

    • Kacey Lizon, Deputy Executive Director of Planning & Programs, SACOG

    • Meghan Huber, Economic Development and Community Engagement Director, City of Citrus Heights

    • Casey Kempenaar, Community Development Director, City of Citrus Heights

  • This session explored how climate change intersects with every aspect of our lives, from the economy and housing to public health, infrastructure, and natural systems.  In this breakout session, speakers discussed how the region is deploying innovative strategies to adapt to the increased frequency and intensity of natural hazards. Attendees left with an understanding of climate impacts in the Capital Region and how investing in climate action improves the economy, public health, and quality of life for all residents.

    • Nailah Pope-Harden, Deputy Director, Equity and Tribal Affairs, Caltrans

    • Gary Bardini, P.E., Director of Planning, Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency

    • Ryan Ojakian, Government Affairs Manager, Regional Water Authority

    • Katren Tyler, MD, FACEP, Health Sciences Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine, UC Davis Health

    • Kyle Tyson, Associate Environmental Planner, Climate & Flood Resilience Unit, CA Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, Resilience Branch

  • The Sacramento region continues to grow faster than almost any other place in California, but exactly how the region develops and what kind of quality of life its residents enjoy is up to us. City leaders helped to answer where is new housing built and what kind of homes they will be, along with how we define and uplift the livability and vibrancy of our region. As the City of Sacramento is leading the nation with planning for housing that boosts affordability and livability, attendees heard directly from these regional leaders.

Data-Driven Solutions

At the 2025 Livability Summit, we aligned our work with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments’ (SACOG) 2025 Blueprint, a bold, data-driven vision for the region’s next 25 years. The Blueprint presentation offered important context for discussions about housing, climate resilience, economic opportunity, and mobility, and helped frame how communities across the Capital Region are planning for sustainable and inclusive growth.

The Livability Poll—our annual “wellness check” on quality of life in the Sacramento Capital Region—remained a cornerstone of this work. Insights from the 2025 Livability Poll highlighted continued concerns around housing affordability, access to healthcare, livable wages, and economic security, providing essential data that shaped conversations across the Summit.

Also incorporated into the event were the Inclusive Economy Poll, which highlights the barriers and opportunities residents face in achieving economic security; the regional Broadband for Business Report that advances digital equity across underserved communities; and the Coordinated Rural Opportunities Plan, which identified policies and infrastructure investments that support the region’s agricultural sustainability and long-term economic health and resiliency. Together, these research efforts continue to illuminate challenges and opportunities related to economic mobility, digital equity, agricultural sustainability, and long-term regional resilience.

Explore the research and planning efforts that continue to inform a bold, shared vision for a more equitable, sustainable, and connected region.

2025 Livability Summit Event Recap
2025 Livability Poll Report
We Prosper Together
2025 Blueprint

See the Work in Action

2025 Livability Summit Videos

Across the Capital Region, communities are leading powerful efforts to preserve cultural heritage, grow high-quality jobs, strengthen local businesses, and plan for long-term resilience. At the 2025 Livability Summit, Valley Vision and SACOG shared a series of videos that bring these stories to life—spotlighting local leaders who are transforming their neighborhoods, economies, and future.

UC Davis Bioinnovation Lab & West Sac Green Means Go

This feature highlights how the region is accelerating economic mobility and climate-friendly growth. From building a pipeline of skilled biotechnology talent to supporting sustainable land-use and infill strategies in West Sacramento, these projects demonstrate the power of aligned regional investment.

Future Fire Academy & Downtown Yuba City

From preparing the next generation of firefighters to guiding community-centered redevelopment in Yuba City’s urban core, these projects illustrate how aligned regional strategies can strengthen safety, mobility, and long-term economic vitality.

Marysville Chinatown & Yuba City Playzeum

SACOG and Valley Vision are helping leaders in Yuba and Sutter Counties build community capacity to revitalize a historic downtown and grow high-quality jobs that fill critical workforce gaps.

Roseville & Rancho Cordova Chambers Digital Tools Initiative

The Roseville & Rancho Cordova Chambers are strengthening the local workforce through digital skills training, employing veterans, and boosting precision manufacturing capability in the Capital Region.

Livability Summit Highlight:

Shared Prosperity

Watch Valley Vision's 2023 Livability Summit video highlighting the opportunities and challenges surrounding quality of life in the Sacramento region, and elevating the people moving the needle in big ways.

Thank You to our 2025 Sponsors

Valley Vision is grateful for the many contributors who believe in the power of community collaboration, collective impact, prosperity, equity, and sustainability for all. Through their investments, these partners help make important change happen, and we thank them for their continued support.