EMPLOYMENT & STAFFING
Amid federal pushback, North Bay agencies still breathing life into diversity, equity and inclusion Is DEI DOA?
Inside: With addiction at a crisis point, Center Point DAAC looks to take its recovery model statewide
Employment and Staffing Issue 2025
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November 2025 • Volume 50 • Number 11 CONTENTS
50 YEARS OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
22
LEAD STORY 22 DEI TKO’d? Jane Hodges Young
WORK/LIFE 15 Desks 16 Shopping FEATURE STORIES 30 Welcome to the Machine Jessica Zimmer
How is the North Bay responding to the federal crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion
SPECIAL SPONSORED SECTION 39 Keeping Recovery from Rock Bottom Can Center Point DAAC’s treatment model change the course of the opioid crisis?
How AI-powered software is changing the job-hiring landscape 48 Special Report: Sonoma State—after the dust settles Jean Saylor Doppenberg After months of budget cuts, windfalls and speculation—here’s where SSU stands today
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 5
56
21
65
58
DEPARTMENTS 12 The 707
COLUMNS 11
Editor's Note Jason Walsh Lux mentis? SSU trying to keep the lights on Econ 101 Robert Eyler Is a ‘stablecoin’ the solution to rising federal deficits?
The latest news from Sonoma and Napa counties
13
18
The 415 The latest news from Marin County
17
21
The Month In Numbers A look at the key figures shaping life in the North Bay
Only In Marin Bill Meagher When politics becomes a business brand
56
29
Great Tastes Alexandra Russell Domaine Chandon in Yountville
Napa Insider Christina Julian Napa Valley Vintners grants support mental health
58
38
Dine Wise Jason Walsh Slanted Door Napa
Tech Talk Michael E. Duffy AI-generated video is the future Vine Wise Adam Lee Michelin Guide sets its sights on wine
60
47
On the Move Comings, goings on the local business scene
61
What’s Happening Upcoming North Bay events
65
BiZ Scene Mill Valley Film Festival
66
Beyond the Boardroom Rosie Padilla Eli Weinzveg, executive director of Career Technical Education Foundation
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6 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
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November 2025
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Simpson Sheet Metal is proud to be a sponsor of Read On Sonoma Read On Sonoma had our most successful school year yet, with over 1,460 students participating in 7 schools! We are expanding to twelve schools and 3,300 children. Our students read more than 630 million words — That’s 49,180 books, or 34 books per student! Keep up the great work! — Barbie Simpson, Owner and President
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Celebrating more than 40 years as a family owned business. Our team is here to meet all of your HVAC needs. 707-576-150 • www.simpsonsheetmetal.com • Santa Rosa, CA
Editor's Note
SSU, remain in light
Jason Walsh, editor in chief
S onoma State a smattering of leased buildings for classes and a mission to bring higher education and increased opportunity to the post-GI Bill North Bay. SSU has grown many times over throughout the years—both in students College opened in Rohnert Park in 1961 with 274 students,
highly welcome but, despite what some had hoped, such funds are doubtful to resuscitate loss-leading programs or support faculty numbers reflective of enrollment from a decade ago. In our special report, “Sonoma State—After the Dust Settles,” writer Jean Saylor Doppenberg looks at the university’s plan moving forward, and speaks to former stakeholders still holding a sour taste in their mouths over what many viewed as a lack of transparency in the years and months leading up to the cuts. Sonoma State’s school motto is "lux mentis, lux orbis"—Latin for “light of the mind, light of the world.” Where the light leads SSU in the coming semesters and
and area; its East Cotati Avenue footprint is now 269 acres—thanks to gaining university status in 1978 and fostering a local reputation for
quality education, while becoming an indelible part of the fabric of life in the North Bay—both socially and economically. If you, yourself never attended Sonoma State—or its similarly source-of-local-pride Santa Rosa Junior College—you doubtlessly have friends, relatives or work colleagues who did. The degrees of separation between people in the North Bay and SSU is typically a 1 or 2, tops. Following its first half-century in operation, the university continued to roll—hitting a peak enrollment of 9,408 students in 2015. But a decade hence of wildfires and pandemic have taken their toll— enrollment has plummeted 38% in the past 10 years— and SSU leadership hasn’t effectively mitigated the loss that has led to a nearly $24 million budget deficit. Since announcing austere (and highly unpopular) program cuts last January—eliminating various departments, majors, faculty and Division II athletics—SSU is taking its first steps toward rebranding and rebuilding. A pair of one-time revenue infusions from the state were
years remains to be seen. But it goes without saying North Bay residents are looking for it to navigate a path toward financial stability—for the benefit of its students and workforce who look to SSU for education and opportunity in these increasingly challenging times. Speaking of challenging times, the opioid crisis continues to cast its shadow in the North Bay, with crippling addiction and fentanyl overdoses ruining lives. Our sponsored special section focused on Santa Rosa’s Center Point DAAC and its innovative recovery models homes in on how medication-assisted methods, mobile-treatment units and broader networking can play key roles in saving and restoring lives. Lastly, our lead feature, “Is DEI DOA?” by Jane Hodges Young, casts a spotlight on how North Bay businesses that embrace diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are holding true to their principles in the midst of political pushback from Washington D.C. Are people really against the values of DEI, or just the acronym? g
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 11
The 707
Rohnert Park plastic recycler to relocate out of state Resynergi, the innovative plastics-recycling company in Rohnert Park, announced this fall its intentions to move operations out of state. Resynergi has been vying for city permission to conduct a new process for converting plastics to pyrolysis oil at its site at SOMO Village, a mixed-use campus shared by a school, an events center and various other businesses along a residential tract in the southeast part of the city. The “microwave assisted pyrolysis” process uses high temperatures in an oxygen-free environment to break down plastics—a process that has raised alarms among some nearby residents and other SOMO Village businesses such as Credo High School, which contend a manufacturing plant is out of place in the neighborhood. The company didn’t specify where its new location would be, but described seeking a better “community fit” in an industrially zoned area with the proper infrastructure for advanced plastics recycling. Resynergi also cited a friendlier regulatory environment and tax incentives as further reasons for moving out of state.
Brian Bauer, CEO of Resynergi, credited the “innovative spirit of California” as being a critical component of the company’s research and development. "Our time in Sonoma County allowed us to develop, refine and validate our technology,” Bauer said in the announcement. “We are deeply grateful to Sonoma County, SOMO Village and our local partners for their support during our critical R&D phase." Rohnert Park city staff approved Resynergi’s permit in December of 2024. But community opposition has continued to be voiced at city council meetings and other public forums. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued three permit-violation notices to the company in August, and the county Environmental Health Division and state agency CalRecycle informed Resynergi Sept. 16 it may need a solid-waste facility permit. Resynergi contends its process is a safe and clean way to “transform hard-to-recycle plastics,” diverting such materials from landfills and oceans. “(Our) technology reduces fossil-based dependency by converting plastic waste into clean, reusable liquid hydrocarbons and creates a circular future for plastics,” the company said. —JW
Farm Bureau reports alleged embezzlement The Sonoma County Farm Bureau says it’s been a victim of employee embezzlement. The local agriculture-industry group announced Oct. 3 that a former employee is suspected of embezzling about $375,000. The news was first reported by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat . The bureau says the individual acted alone and was fired when the suspected embezzlement first came to light. The case was reported to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.— NBb
4,000 foster-youth care packages on the way from RCU volunteers
Nearly 4,000 care bags and birthday boxes will bring smiles to the faces of local foster youth, as Redwood Credit Union last month wrapped up its latest employee-volunteer Day of Impact. On Oct. 13, around 1,000 RCU employees took part in the credit union’s biennial day of community give-back, in which staff assembled enough care packages to distribute among all foster youth in the San Francisco and North Bay counties it serves. RCU is partnering with nonprofit Foster Love in this year’s DOI project. In an announcement of the foster packages, RCU stressed that the gifts are “more than supplies.”
“They provide compassion during one of the most vulnerable moments in these children’s lives,” RCU said in the release, noting that when children enter foster care, they sometimes must quickly pack up their belongings—"often into a provided trash bag”—and begin a stressful transition into unfamiliar surroundings. Over 60% of children in foster care arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs, according to Foster Love, a nonprofit advocate for foster youth. Brett Martinez, president and CEO of Redwood Credit Union, applauded the efforts of RCU employees, highlighting the need to “ensure current and future generations are strong, resilient and continue to thrive.” “This event brings our team together in a shared purpose, connecting each person to something bigger than themselves,” Martinez said. Resources from this year’s Day of Impact will be donated to agencies and nonprofit organizations who will directly place them in the hands of foster children and families in San Francisco, Sonoma, Marin, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties, the announcement detailed. For information, visit redwoodcu.org .— JW
12 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
The 415
No more Novato Narrows: New lanes open at infamous commute bottleneck North Bay commuters’ daily dredge to and from work got a jolt of energy recently when first the new southbound lane of the Novato Narrows opened Sept. 24, followed by a Sept. 29 opening of the northbound lane. For the first time, three lanes both ways ferry drivers from the San Marin/Atherton exit in Novato to north of San Antonio Road near Petaluma, a 16-mile stretch known for decades as the Novato Narrows—where four lanes dropped quickly to two, creating daily bottlenecks and no shortage of stop-and-go drive time for area commuters. The $762 million Marin-Sonoma Narrows widening project has been in various stages of construction for 14 years. While lanes are open to traffic, a final phase of the project is still underway for additional paving, striping and signage, including some overnight closures of northbound Highway 101 to allow for the work.
Meanwhile, as the narrows finds relief, other commute-heavy portions of Highway 101 are absorbing new traffic woes. As the Novato Narrows project comes to completion, Caltrans is extending HOV lane hours to 5 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. in both directions—an increase of between three to four hours throughout Marin and Sonoma counties, which previously enforced slightly different carpool hours. The new HOV hours bring the North Bay into conformity with the rest of the nine-county Bay Area—but have increased morning and afternoon commutes through Santa Rosa and central Marin.— JW
Highway 37 interim project approved Highway 37 is battening down the hatches—thanks to Assembly Bill 697, which was signed into law last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, clearing the path for fortifying a 10-mile stretch along the San Pablo Baylands from Sears Point to Mare Island and widening the lanes in both directions. Caltrans will lead the $500 million project; its first of three phases is planned to begin in late 2026. The project is expected to improve traffic flow between Marin, Sonoma and Solano counties, while keeping rising waters at bay from expected sea-level rise. Meanwhile, long-term plans to raise a full 21 miles of the highway from Novato to Vallejo are still being formalized. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), also calls for replacement of the Tolay Creek Bridge and the creation of a tolled eastbound lane. The highway is used by around 40,000 commuters on a daily basis.— JW
Water, water everywhere—and an albatross! A majestic species of albatross was spotted last month soaring off the coast of Marin, in what some are saying is the first-ever confirmed sighting of the bird in waters of the United States. The waved albatross, typically found in the Galapagos region, was seen by passengers of the New Sea Angler during an ocean birdwatching excursion near the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, several miles west of Point Reyes. Peter Colasanti, tour leader of the Redwood Region Ornithological Society, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat it was the first documented sighting of that species of albatross north of Costa Rica. The birds are distinct for their large wingspan, cream-colored head and neck, brown body and yellow bill. Named for its wavy feathers, the waved albatross is a protected species, its status listed as critically endangered since 2007. Albatrosses are perhaps best known for their mythic role as a harbinger of fortune for sailing ships. In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a seaman brings doom and gloom upon his ship and crewmates when he mindlessly slays a friendly albatross with an arrow.— NBb
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 13
“ NorthBay biz magazine has been a wonderful tool for my business. ”
W hen taking over my family business, I did not realize at the time what a great role the NorthBay biz Magazine would have through the upcoming months and years. The magazine, and even more so, the employees of the magazine, have played an intricate role in the progression of our business. The magazine is such an amazing tool in keeping the community apprised in the ongoings of our business as we grow and serve our community. It began with the passing of my dad, Bill Simpson, the founder of Simpson Sheet Metal. The magazine played such a wonderful role in paying tribute to the him. Moving forward, I had the opportunity to be certified as a woman- owned business, as well as receiving several awards in the community for the same. This media of keeping the community aware of the wonderful ongoings of our business has been wonderful. Over time, and through the growth of our business, we now find ourselves here at Simpson Sheet Metal in a blessed position of being able to give back to our community. Alongside NorthBay
biz, Lawrence Amaturo, Guy Fieri and others, we are able to contribute to the literacy program here in Sonoma County. The magazine and the outreach pouring into this program are making a difference in the lives of children in the community. NorthBay biz magazine has been a wonderful tool for my business to keep others informed on our growth
and role in Sonoma County and again, even more so, we have built incredible relationships
with the Amaturo team. For this we are thankful! Barbie Simpson
Helping grow your business isn’t just something we do... it’s all we do! For advertising and marketing information, call us at 707.548-8216
Work Life office furniture
Stepping away from one’s desk takes on whole new meaning
Office designers favoring ‘workpoints’ over traditional desk setups
By Jason Walsh
W hen one thinks of anachronistic office equipment from days of yore, springing to mind are typewriters, rotary phones and rolodexes. But some work experts are adding a surprising item to that list: Desks. Dedicated desks or workstations of the past are definitely “out,” according to some who study the shifting dynamics of workplaces. Instead, employers are establishing “workpoints.” “The shift to flexible workpoints represents a seismic change in how we utilize office space,” write Janet Pogue McLaurin and Louis Schump at design firm gensler.com . “Instead of assigning each employee a desk for their singular use every day, workpoints are versatile work settings that can be used by anyone as needed throughout the day.” Design firm Sasaki is among those embracing the idea of workpoints. While desks are available for some employees, Sasaki encourages staff to use single-person phone rooms, high-top tables or lounge furniture, says senior associate Amanda Lennon at sasaki.com , who refers to it as “right-sizing the office.” Advantages workpoints have over desks include creating a greater collaborative environment, letting employees choose a space to suit their mood, and providing flexibility to set up in a quiet space when other parts of the office are more voluminous. “By optimizing space and promoting mobility, workpoints make the office a more engaging and effective place to work for everyone whether in the office
Design firm Sasaki’s employee workspace features plenty of room for lounging, but no desks. [Sasaki.com]
or out,” say McLaurin and Schump. That said, not everyone is ready to send desks to the dustheap of workplace history. Christoph Messing, a contributor to the book series Office Pioneers , says that while the design of desks may be evolving, they’ll always be a part of the furniture, so to speak. Desks, he says, may become “intelligent,” and either through pre-programming or AI, conform their height or setup to reflect an employee’s work needs throughout a day. But when it
comes to writing or working with a keyboard or mouse, sitting at a flat surface about waist high in front of you is still a natural and productive way for people to get office tasks done. “The desk will still have its place in offices in the future,” predicts Messing. “It may just be that the desk looks different, transforms itself and integrates with other functionalities in the area, and is networked and able to interface with different services. “In short, the desk is far from dead.”
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 15
Work/Life Shopping
Lost in the Supermarket: Why shopping carts get stolen so much
Q uick: Name the most laptops and bicycles. But one thievery prize dwarfs them all— shopping carts. According to theft-prevention company Gatekeeper Systems, nearly 2 million shopping carts are stolen annually in the U.S., resulting in $175 common items subject to being stolen. Perhaps your list includes cars, jewelry, cellphones, million in replacement and repair costs for grocers and other retailers. For context, about 1 million cars are stolen on average per year—that’s right, a Safeway four-wheeler might be more valuable than your 2025 Tesla. (Though that might be less of a surprise these days than it used to be.) The lure of these metal cages on wheels are myriad: Unhoused people use them to transport their belongings; city dwellers without a vehicle are known to push groceries all the way home with the trolleys. Some thieves even eye them for scrap metal. Whatever the reason, stray shopping carts often wind up in creeks, parks, clogging drainage systems or wreaking havoc in the middle of a busy road. In most cases, it’s the responsibility of the retailer to manage the whereabouts of its carts, and some companies pay thousands By Jason Walsh
per year in fines to municipalities or fees to vendors who round up the lost carts. Still, it’s most often cities and taxpayers who wind up on the hook financially for fishing the carts out of ditches and waste systems—and paying for their long-required 30-day impounding. Enter: State Senate Bill 753, signed into law in October, which removes a three-day waiting period for carts to be retrieved and authorizes cities to send carts directly back to store premises without impounding. It also raises the fine for each shopping cart recovered by the city to $100 (the max had previously been $50). Whether those adjustments to state shopping-cart law keep the wagons in their wheelhouses remains to be seen. Supermarkets can have more than 200 carts at a store, while larger retail chains might carry twice that many. As author and products expert Edward Tenner told CNN, the value in shopping carts is in that they are extremely versatile and wholly unique—you really can’t get something like that anywhere but by taking them from a market. “There’s really no legitimate way for an individual to buy a supermarket-grade shopping cart,” he told the network in 2023.
• Shopping carts were invented in 1937 by Sylvan Goldman, owner of the Humpty Dumpty market chain in Oklahoma • Goldman’s initial design was a “folding basket carrier”—basically baskets placed on a folding chair with wheels • Shoppers were initially resistant to the carts—men supposedly considered them a sign of weakness; women confused them with baby carriers • Humpty Dumpty hired models to push the trolleys around stores in order to normalize them • The “nesting” feature, where the rear of the cart swings open allowing carts to be stacked in a train outside markets, was designed in 1946 Everything you need to know about shopping carts
• The child seat on the cart was added in 1946; the child’s seat belt in 1967 • The term “cart- napping” was first coined
in a 1957 article in the New York Times
16 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
The Month In Numbers A look at the key figures shaping life in the North Bay
Sonoma County
$100 Cap on HOA-violation fees thanks to a new state law which took effect July 1. You can buy that shocking pink deck paint now
67% Portion of homes built in 2024 that were part of communities with a homeowners association—a 23% increase since 2009. Source: CalMatters, U.S. Census Bureau
Napa County
Climate cold turkey
0 Amount of carbon emissions Napa County homeowners would be “encouraged” to reach under the county’s proposed Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
85% Total portion of Napa County carbon emissions cut (with 2019 as a baseline) by 2045, as called for in the climate action plan. Source: Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Marin County
No day at the beach
4 Chicken Ranch Beach’s ranking among the worst beaches in terms of water quality in the latest Beach Report Card issued by Heal the Bay. The Tomales Bay beach was named fourth worst—and received one of the report card’s 10 F grades—aka “beach bummers”—due to its high amounts of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria caused by runoff from nearby drainage systems.
$1.3 million
Budget for the restoration of Chicken Ranch Beach, which began this past summer focusing on nearby wetlands and Channel B, a
ditch that drains a nearby hillside and flows water close to the beach.
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 17
ECON 101 Is a ‘stablecoin’ the solution to rising federal deficits?
By Robert Eyler
A s the federal fiscal year closed in September 2025 and debate raged about the next fiscal year and beyond, concerns categories include but are not limited to: (1) the final budget creates larger federal fiscal deficits and debt (2) additional tariff revenue will not be enough to reduce deficits (3) projected deficits should have financial markets betting on more upward pressure on federal debt interest rates, especially longer-term Treasury notes. The accompanying graphic represents the latest (as of July 2025) projection by the Congressional Budget Office
for the annual change through 2034, with respect to new federal debt entering the market. The federal debt- to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio is expected to increase as deficits create more debt during a time of slow economic growth. One implication of this progression is that by 2034, one in every six dollars of federal government revenue will be allocated to interest payments on the federal debt. There may be a new (ish) way to pay down this debt (or at least find initial financing for it) through stablecoins. A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency that lives in an old-school currency environment with a value that is fixed or “pegged” to another currency (think of the latter-period gold standard, from 1944 to 1971). In many ways, a stablecoin
18 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
accompany chart, potentially matched by Federal Reserve demand, and thus have little direct impact on debt markets. What a fantastic way to pay off loans! The short-term cost of issuing debt would fall. However, the entire cycle of new debt created could be seen as financed by such an adoption, which also provides credibility to a medium of exchange that still has many questions around it and perhaps fuels wealth for those who have waited for such an adoption to reduce volatility to date and thus capitalize on that change in the long term. The federal government has been debating the adoption of digital currency with crypto qualities for years. A solution is unclear because
(Ethereum is a good example) serves as a substitute for other cryptocurrencies, providing a means for users to transact in virtual markets that demand a cryptocurrency without the risk exposure associated with other cryptocurrency assets. If a U.S. Dollar stablecoin (let’s call it USDS here) were adopted to qualify as a “stable” currency in financial markets, the Federal Reserve would need to set aside or print money to maintain a parallel account balance equal to the new USDS supply, thereby creating one-for-one support. The Federal Reserve would not have an incentive to hold such cash idle and would likely purchase Treasury securities. Once the demand for U.S. debt was triggered by a USDS adoption, the federal government could then issue debt to finance spending equivalent to the needs shown in the
economists and policymakers are struggling with how a “digital” dollar may render the Federal Reserve the primary depository institution in practice within a few years after the USDS is adopted. What would happen to commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions and non-bank lenders if they were no longer primary in deposit markets, as consumers and businesses could hold digital/blockchain accounts with the central bank? We will consider that question in a future article. g
Dr. Robert Eyler is professor of economics at Sonoma State University and president of Economic Forensics and Analytics in Sonoma County.
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 19
Local North Bay businesses that participated in the January nonprofit issue and support local nonprofits in a multitude of ways.
North Bay Credit Union
American AgCredit
Oliver’s Market
Biagi Bros., Inc.
Carlile • Macy, Inc.
Omega Mortgage Group
Park Plaza Shopping
Central Valley Environmental
P&L Specialties
Clear Blue Commercial
RHA Builders, Inc.
Costeaux French Bakery & Cafe
Ritch Insurance
Culligan Water
Sawyer Construction
Earthtone
Soiland Company
Elow & Associates
Sonoma Federal Credit Union
Exchange Bank
Smothers European Mercedes-Benz and Volvo
George Petersen Insurance Agency
Summit State Bank
Ghilotti Construction
Team Ghilotti Inc.
Hennessy Advisors, Inc.
Valley Memorial Park
Image Tree Service
Veale Outdoor Advertising
J. Pedroncelli Winery
Wasson Investment Services
Julie Atwood Events
Western Farm Center
Landesign Construction & Maintenance, Inc.
Whitestar Group Inc.
Law Office of Linda L. Daube
Windsor Golf Club and Charlie’s Restaurant
Linkenheimer, LLP
McDevitt Construction Partners, Inc.
growiNg your BusiNess By partNeriNg with NoNprofits
20 NorthBaybiz
November 2025
Only In Marin
Courting customers via politics By Bill Meagher
W hen I was a kid and Richard Nixon ran for president, there were lawn signs in the neighborhood. I was riding in a pickup driven by Chris Landels and I asked him why folks put the signs up. He said it was a way of telling people who you backed. Chris owned the local Chevron station, and I asked him why he didn’t have a sign there. He was also the manager of the local semipro baseball team, and I was its bat boy and sole paid employee at $2 whole dollars a game. He shook his head and said he would never do that; he never
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a Yale professor in the School of Management, told the New York Times , “It’s the job of CEOs to elevate issues and explain how it matters to them. This is permanently part of the social context of business.” OK, so times change, and I don’t have a dog in this fight. But do I have opinions and I get paid to share them in print. Moreover, however, I would truly like to better understand the calculus of how a brand or a company looks at politics and decides how it wants to position itself and what bottom line impact it will have for them. National brands have scale, so maybe there isn’t as much pure risk for them as a small local company deciding to court business in a more blatant political manner.
Some products may lead to a logical choice. For instance, if you owned a shop that sold guns and ammo, preaching second amendment jargon and denouncing those who don’t share your politics could make sense. But basic business practices support the idea of making it easy for patrons to buy your product or service, and drawing from the largest possible pool of customers seems to lead to a healthier bottom line. But at the local level, the decision to use political persuasion as a vehicle to win commerce must be trickier. Your thoughts? Your Marin Moment One of the truly endearing qualities of Marin is its charming downtowns. And one of the challenges is finding parking to enjoy them. Even harder is finding spots if you work downtown. San Anselmo is trying to make life a bit easier for downtown businesses and employees. The Town Council recently made a move, changing a total of 29 spaces on both sides of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard to four-hour parking. For members of the merchants parking program, those spots are good for a full workday. The parking lot at Creek Park will also become four-hour parking. I applaud the Town Council’s empathetic move on behalf of merchants and employees. Working retail and serving restaurant customers is hard enough without keeping an eye on the clock or feeding a meter. g
wanted to insult customers who might not feel the same. “That’s just bad business,” he said trying to impart wisdom in my nearly empty 12-year-old head. I mention this because we are living in some very interesting times. I was traveling not long ago, and we stopped at a roadhouse that featured “Freedom Frys” and a large sign inside celebrating Donald Trump, while twin flatscreens broadcast Fox News in stereo. After we got back in the car, hungry but empowered, I thought of Chris. As a senior reporter at The Deal , I have covered companies such as Black Rifle Coffee Company (BRCC) and Public Square Inc. (PSQH) that cater to conservative consumers by design. Both these companies went public using a special purpose acquisition vehicle, an alternative investment vehicle that essentially shortcuts the IPO process to bring a company to the public capital markets. Public Square traded at $2 a share in mid- October, while Black Rifle was priced at $1.39. Both companies had share prices a little above $10 when they went public. Both entities are focused on attracting folks looking to spend their disposable income with companies that mirror their own political views. In putting their business models together, they both made decisions to not only appeal to conservative voters but also to essentially write off left leaning shoppers. Voting with one’s wallet has become increasingly popular as we have squared off in tribes and identity politics have grown into different parts of our lives. As a liberal I dumped my Washington Post subscription after the newspaper decided to abandon its editorial board’s presidential endorsement of the ill-fated run by Kamala Harris to curry favor with Trump. At the other end of the political spectrum are brands like Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream (owned by British multinational Unilever) and Wisconsin-based Penzy’s Spices, which has created a formal marketing campaign around banging the GOP and Trump.
Bill Meagher is a contributing editor at NorthBay biz and pens this column each month as well as feature stories. He is also a senior reporter with The Deal, a Manhattan-based digital financial news outlet.
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Is DEI DOA? By Jane Hodges Young
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D iversity, equity and inclusion are three simple words, each of which expresses a positive principle. But abbreviated and strung together as DEI, they have become a flashpoint in modern day politics, with the Trump Administration on the forefront to eliminate what it calls “illegal and immoral” DEI policies by issuing executive orders scrubbing DEI efforts in federal government agencies— with a trickle-down effect on private companies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations. This has prompted many to declare that DEI is dead. But here in the North Bay, to paraphrase author Mark Twain, that “death” has been grossly exaggerated.
organization, Persike explains. “It’s an evolution, like so many things. We may not want to use those letters, but the commitment, because California is the most diverse state in the union, is to ensure that we are creating opportunity for everyone. That’s really the focus.” Media hype While media reports might create the impression that DEI is on its way out, data tells a different story. According to a study by Resume.org earlier this year, 87% of companies are either maintaining or increasing DEI budgets, despite political pressure. This is because companies understand that younger generations of consumers—their future, in short—are drawn to companies that have inclusive and equitable values. Persike also serves as vice chair of the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA), “which was created to increase diversity and inclusion in the water industry because historically it’s been
very engineering focused and very white-male focused for decades,” she says. “But the fact of the matter is that the next generations that are coming into the workforce—more than 30% from Gen Z—are demographically distinct and ethnically diverse.” They are also socially aware, she adds. “These new generations coming up don’t see color, they don’t see ethnicity; they want diversity in an organization that they are going to work for.” As a result, as organizations build cultures, “they are still looking at ways to be as inclusive as possible because the diversity is what brings creative solutions. If we’re all the same, we’re not going to come up with the best new idea.”
Incorporating DEI For decades after passage of the Civil Rights Act in
Diverse, equitable workplaces seek to ensure equal access and support to employees of all experiences and abilities.
After 60-plus years of anti-discrimination programs that have been a part of the tapestry of American life, DEI is nowhere near the grave. A pivot, not abandonment “I am not seeing an abandonment of DEI,” says Jennifer Persike, president and founder of Sacramento-based JP & Co., an organizational consulting firm that works with nonprofit organizations and public water agencies, including Sonoma Water. “The situation that folks are in right now is they’re pivoting, like we always have to do on various things once they get politicized,” Persike says. “While the three letters DEI are sort of persona non grata right now, it does not mean that folks are abandoning the goals around what that really represents.” DEI creates a more inclusive workforce, looks at the leadership of organizations and makes sure if they are elected or appointed that they represent the constituency that’s being served by that
1964, American companies, organizations and institutions have systematically incorporated diversity, equity and inclusion into their strategic plans, recruitment efforts and external positioning. “If you go on websites, you see a lot of focus on organizational priorities of inclusion and creating a positive culture,” Persike says. “These are all the things I think have been the outgrowth of the DEI movement. Folks are not really looking at this as a kind of ‘check the box’ exercise or ‘gee, we’re going to pick this person because of their ethnicity.’ They’re still looking for the best candidate, but increasingly that picture is a much more diverse number of candidates. That’s what we’ve evolved to.” Persike concedes there is a “rebranding” of DEI taking place “because of the climate that we’re seeing now in terms of how the federal government is operating in this space.” “But again, in California, the goal is really around increasing opportunity and making sure that these up-and-coming folks that are going to be in our workforce see all these different
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“We’re using classroom strategies that integrate cultural backgrounds and honor the rich tapestry of American history and include all races and creeds that have played a part in that history.” —Amie Carter, superintendent of schools, Sonoma County
Carter says Sonoma County schools don’t really experience a lot of pressure from the community around its efforts to have welcoming and inclusive schools, but notes that “there are scopes of work that are relevant to our work with schools that have sort of ended up in this anti-DEI bucket.” Among them, she says, are migrant education, work for English language learners and targeted support of students who have unique needs. “And that is difficult to navigate.”
places that they could spend their careers,” she says. “And they want to see inclusive work environments.” According to Persike, more than 50% of the workforce in California’s public water agencies will be retiring by 2030—in just five short years. “We’ve got to get ready for the next generation because they’re here, not just in the water industry but really in every industry,” she concludes.
Play, or no pay As part of its effort to end DEI programs, the federal government is holding back and/or rescinding funding for a plethora of programs that impact not only companies, but state and local governments and educational institutions at all levels. In February, the Department of Education, which the Trump Administration is trying to eliminate, issued a letter instructing schools and colleges to end race-specific programs by March 1 or risk losing federal funding. Local school officials in both Napa and Sonoma counties said the directive lacked legal weight and stuck to their guns in reaffirming DEI in their schools. More recently, the Trump Administration temporarily held back other education funds that were approved under a continuing
The Sonoma County Office of Education is mandated to provide safe and welcoming schools to all students and families.
Carter describes “a cultural mismatch of how we’re experiencing some of this anti-DEI effort that seems off book from our purpose and what we’re constituted to do—which is to provide a rich learning experience for every child that walks in our door.” For example, the Sonoma County Office of Education must make sure its schools are safe and welcoming to all students and families, “and that we address things that drive bullying or marginalization on our campuses,” Carter says. “So we partner with the Human Rights Campaign to engage in a welcoming schools initiative, and this really focuses on the bullying that takes place, particularly for LGBTQ+ students.” She says research shows that when the district focuses on that, all bullying goes down. “The lessons we’ve learned there, in turn, apply to other bullying instances and it offers strategies to interrupt bias-based speech and behaviors, including racism and misogyny. So that’s been a valuable initiative we’ve been engaged in.
resolution in March, finally releasing them in July. That said, most of the money that funds the California education system comes from the state, not the feds. “DEI is a term that’s really become too loaded,” says Amie Carter, Sonoma County superintendent of schools. “It really loses sight of what diversity, equity and inclusion means for our schools. When it comes to education, our focus is creating classrooms and campuses where everyone feels like they’re welcome, everyone feels included and no one feels marginalized. In a nutshell, that’s what DEI means in education. When it’s presented that way, even people of different political views are supportive of that effort.” Carter says Sonoma County will never back away from “welcoming schools and integrative and inclusive environments.” “There’s just too much research and support that shows that those are the kind of environments that you want to create for children,” she says.
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“[We’re] finding ways to make sure that it’s in our curriculum and reflected in our schools.” The Sonoma County Office of Education also conducts outreach to the multi-lingual and migrant parents to make sure they understand how to navigate the educational system and advocate for their unique students’ needs. “It takes a lot of effort to ensure that everything we’re doing in our classroom campus environment is taking into consideration the pluralistic nature of our student body and the families and parents we serve,” Carter says.
“We’re also focused on support for those multi-lingual learners,” Carter continues. Noting that about 19% of students in Sonoma County are English language learners. “We’ve engaged in a lot of professional development and offerings to make sure those students feel included in our campuses—that we’re using classroom strategies that integrate cultural backgrounds and honor the rich tapestry of American history and include all races and creeds that have played a part in that history.
Body politics Withdrawal of federal funds for DEI initiatives has also impacted the healthcare industry, often leaving providers with their hands tied. Such is the case with Kaiser Permanente (KP), which has a longstanding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. The Trump Administration’s Executive Order 14187, “Protecting
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Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” was issued in January, just days after he took office. The order aims to restrict access to gender-affirming care for individuals under 19 years of age and directs federal agencies to potentially withhold funding from institutions that continue to provide this care to minors. Kaiser Permanente, which is the largest healthcare provider in the Bay Area, was caught in the crosshairs. In July, KP announced it would pause gender affirming surgical treatment beginning Aug. 29. In a written statement provided by Lena Howland, KP’s senior media relations and public relations representative, the healthcare giant said “Kaiser Permanente was founded on the simple idea that everyone deserves a chance to live a healthy life. For us, health equity is strongly linked to our mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of the communities we serve. By being inclusive, we respect the differences among our members and address health disparities as we strive to improve the health of everyone.” KP’s decision to pause gender affirming surgical treatment for patients under 19 was made “only after significant deliberation and consultation with internal and external experts, including our physicians,” the statement explains, adding that it is “an extremely challenging and stressful time for our patients seeking gender affirming care, as well as for our clinicians whose mission is to care for them.” The statement notes that KP has been “guided by our mission for more than 80 years, and it will continue to be our North Star. Our longstanding commitments to inclusion, community health, evidence- based care, innovation and quality outcomes for all remain unwavering and steadfast.” KP says it always is actively engaged with policymakers as an advocate for greater health care access, affordability and outcomes for every American. Despite current political pressure, its commitment to DEI remains strong, according to the KP website, and applies to what KP calls its five pillars: care, workplace, marketplace, supplier diversity/community partnerships and diversity and inclusion compliance. Creeping impact Anti-DEI policies—and other government directives, such as deportation efforts—are
Why the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion have become a flashpoint
Diversity, equity and inclusion has a rich history that dates back to passage of the American Civil Rights Act, which passed in 1964 during the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration. Other key legislation impacting DEI includes the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968, both of which passed during Johnson’s tenure. Key Supreme Court cases supporting DEI go back even further, including Brown v. Board of Education (1954) which ruled school segregation was unconstitutional. Over decades, DEI, which includes affirmative action, same-sex marriage, interracial marriage and other such efforts, became part of the fabric of America, evolving as the nation grew and changed. More recently, however, DEI has become a flashpoint—a rallying cry for people unhappy with the changes in U.S. demographics. Among them, there is a serious backlash that’s playing out in real time. “As a society, we are becoming more racially and ethnically diverse,” says Willie Gin, associate professor of political science at Sonoma State University. “Lots of projections say that by 2050, whites will no longer be a majority of the population, so the fact that society is becoming increasingly diverse is in the back of a lot of people’s minds. You might think one response would be, ‘OK, maybe we should embrace that.’ But the other possible reaction is: ‘Let’s try to reverse that. Let’s try to keep what we had or preserve what we used to be.’” Gin continues, “The fact that if you’re a majority and you’re comfortable in your position, then you might not worry about minorities. But if you’re a majority and you might become a minority population in the next few decades, then you might become a little more anxious.” There are many reasons why diversity has become a political flashpoint, Gin says. “There’s the demographic change. And then, in the legal sphere, conservatives have been successful in rolling back affirmative action,” working with a Supreme Court that is now has a 6-3 conservative majority. “So now [conservatives] are moving their efforts to the private sector.” Social media has played an important role in fueling the backlash, Gin believes. Stories and videos that confirm a person’s particular political world view—whatever it may be—are plentiful, whether they are true or not. Agenda-based “journalism,” with talking heads promoting political positions instead of providing unbiased reporting, flood radio, TV and the Internet. And then there’s the “unusual period in American politics” in which we currently operate. “Competition between the two political parties is fairly even. Obama won eight years, then Trump won four, then Biden won four and now we’re back to Trump. That’s really flipping back and forth a lot. It’s not like one party is winning by landslides in presidential elections. The funny thing is that the norm in American politics, if you look at the full 200-plus years, is that one party usually dominates for decades,” Gin explains. The result is more intense political conflict, which can turn any issue—like DEI— into a flashpoint and practically negates any attempt to reconcile differences out of fear that it might give the other party an edge in the next election. — Jane Hodges Young
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