At Tuesday night’s Davis City Council meeting, Evan Schmidt, CEO of the regional nonprofit Valley Vision, delivered a presentation on We Prosper Together—a multi-county, community-driven economic development initiative aimed at building a more inclusive, resilient economy across Northern California.
The presentation highlighted regional collaboration, equitable growth, and the importance of Davis and UC Davis in shaping the area’s economic future.
We Prosper Together is the regional arm of the statewide California Jobs First initiative, backed by a $450 million investment from the Governor’s Office. Spearheaded by Valley Vision, the regional plan spans eight counties—stretching from Sacramento to the foothills and Tahoe—and encompasses more than 140 organizations from across the public, private, nonprofit, and educational sectors.
The initiative aims to grow high-quality jobs, reduce barriers to workforce participation, and support climate-resilient economic sectors.
As Schmidt explained, “This is a community-led approach to economic development. We want to build an economy that represents and meets community needs while driving climate and economic resilience.”
The initiative is currently in what Schmidt described as the “catalyst phase,” with $9 million in regional community grants being distributed to build capacity for implementation. A new Request for Proposals (RFP) is expected this Friday, releasing an additional $4 million in support of regional economic priorities.
Despite economic growth in line with California and national trends, the region faces pervasive inequality. According to data compiled by the Brookings Institution, over 25% of working families in the region are struggling to make ends meet. The region currently lacks 335,000 high-quality jobs needed to lift these families to economic stability.
“These are not just numbers,” Schmidt emphasized. “These are families that are underemployed or working jobs that don’t pay livable wages.”
High-quality jobs, as defined in the initiative, are those that provide sustainable wages, benefits, and career pathways. Schmidt argued that addressing this shortfall is central to the regional plan.
The initiative targets both regional economic engines and equity-centered opportunities. Tradable sectors—industries like precision manufacturing, biotechnology, and business services—are identified as areas with potential for scalable job growth. Valley Vision highlighted the unique role of UC Davis in fostering innovation in biotechnology, food and plant sciences, and agtech, describing the university as a “huge engine” for the region.
Additional focus is placed on working landscapes, including agriculture, and locally rooted but critical sectors such as healthcare, construction, tourism, and the creative economy.
“To grow equitably, we also need to break down barriers that prevent people from accessing these opportunities,” Schmidt said, noting obstacles like lack of transportation, childcare, affordable housing, and workforce readiness.
Throughout the presentation, Schmidt highlighted Davis as a key player.
“A lot of the region’s economic assets reside right here,” she noted. “UC Davis is a hub of innovation. The talent here is exceptional. It’s important that Davis is at the table.”
Davis has not yet signed onto the initiative as an official coalition partner—unlike West Sacramento, Woodland, and other Yolo County entities—but city staff indicated that a formal decision is expected to come before the Council in May.
Councilmember Linda Deos pressed Schmidt on the tangible benefits of joining the coalition. While membership isn’t required to apply for grants, Schmidt said it provides access to quarterly meetings, communication channels, and strategic alignment—helping cities tap into shared resources and planning frameworks.
Mayor Pro Tem Donna Neville praised the presentation’s clarity and asked about how the program’s goals were shaped—whether they were top-down mandates or regionally designed. Schmidt noted that, while the regions were initially defined by the state, each region had significant latitude in shaping its goals, strategies and partnerships.
Several councilmembers noted the disparities within the region—particularly the challenges faced by Yolo County communities in accessing resources and opportunities concentrated in Sacramento.
Councilmember Gloria Partida expressed concern that Yolo youth are being left behind.
“We have a lot of under-resourced kids in Yolo County who struggle just to get to places where they can get help,” she said. “Aggie Square is a perfect example. Sacramento benefits—but we’re not seeing that level of access here.”
Schmidt acknowledged the capacity gaps within Yolo and agreed on the need for targeted support and outreach. She pointed to the Yolo Community Foundation as an active local partner and suggested the upcoming funding round may present a new opportunity to support institutions like Woodland Community College or local workforce training programs.
Councilmember Bapu Vaitla, who teaches a course on regional development at UC Davis, raised broader planning issues, particularly the relationship between jobs and housing. “Is it productive to plan on a jurisdictional basis?” he asked, noting that economic and workforce realities often stretch across city lines.
Schmidt responded by emphasizing the need for more housing production throughout the region.
“We’ve been underproducing housing for years. That’s a major issue around affordability,” she said. “There’s a housing–transportation–jobs formula that we’re trying to solve together.”
She also highlighted the emerging role of remote work, particularly in rural economies where digital infrastructure can connect workers to opportunities without compromising agricultural land or rural quality of life. “That’s part of why we’re focused on business services. These are jobs that can be done remotely, and we’re thinking about how to build digital literacy and workforce pipelines to support that.”
While no formal action was taken Tuesday, staff indicated they would return in May with a recommendation to join the Valley Vision coalition. Councilmembers expressed interest in seeing how this collaboration could align with Davis’ Consolidated Plan, economic development goals, and broader housing and equity strategies.
Vaitla urged staff to highlight climate resilience as a regional economic catalyst in future plans. “We are well-positioned—with our university, with our values—to lead in that space,” he said.
As the meeting concluded, Schmidt reiterated that the region has a window of opportunity—backed by state investment and growing momentum—to build an inclusive, future-ready economy.
“This is a time where we can bring our communities together and make big moves,” she said. “And Davis has a critical role to play in that.”
“We Prosper Together is the regional arm of the statewide California Jobs First initiative, backed by a $450 million investment from the Governor’s Office.”
THIS is where our taxpayer dollars go? Maybe they should just give that money directly to the residents of places like West Sacramento and Stockton.
“Schmidt responded by emphasizing the need for more housing production throughout the region.”
Of course he did. (Apparently, he has blinders on.)
By the way, is he pals with Barry Broome?
“By the way, is he pals with Barry Broome?”
Hah! I had the same thought.
I wonder what people who got government money would do if they couldn’t use the words “first” and “together”.
Who is “he”?
You’re right – we shouldn’t assume how someone identifies. (Took a guess based on the name, but “appears to be” incorrect. Then again, who knows, unless they’re wearing a pronoun label? And even then, is it referring to gender, or sex – or both?)
If a Supreme Court justice can’t tell us, how can anyone else make that determination without some kind of guidepost?
It’s probably safe to go with “they”, since that should cover everyone(s).
“You’re right – we shouldn’t assume how someone identifies.”
No, you could just read the article and see the numerous references to ‘she’.
“A lot of the region’s economic assets reside right here,” she noted. “UC Davis is a hub of innovation. The talent here is exceptional. It’s important that Davis is at the table.”
Schmidt acknowledged the capacity gaps within Yolo and agreed on the need for targeted support and outreach. She pointed to the Yolo Community Foundation as an active local partner….
Schmidt responded by emphasizing the need for more housing production throughout the region.
“We’ve been underproducing housing for years. That’s a major issue around affordability,” she said. ….
She also highlighted the emerging role of remote work…
What struck me is that Evan is a very talented and prominent member of this community, and they don’t know who she is.
Well, ya got me on that, Don. Feel free to put an “s” in front of the “h”, if you think it matters. Personally, I couldn’t care less about the gender or sex of a “sales-man” promoting development in the name of “equity”.
(Sorry, I meant “salesperson”.)
“What struck me is that Evan is a very talented and prominent member of this community, . . .”
(How you and others view someone in that position, and “her” advocacy is what should cause concern. Your article itself provides the reasons that it should.) Your comment is a demonstration of what’s “wrong” with the political system in the first place.
I’ve gone over some of the reasons – would you like for me to expand on that? (Unfortunately, I don’t have access to $450 million in government money and am not invited to speak on behalf of development interests in front of councils.)
“What struck me is that Evan is a very talented and prominent member of this community, and they don’t know who she is.”
No, but I do know who Tupac is.
But don’t drag me into this, assuming by ‘they’ you mean the plural and not Ron singular. I was commenting on RO’s comment, not sitting in judgement of his pronoun choice. I was *at* the meeting, so I may not know the person’s prominence, but I did pick up their gender identity.
What you learn hanging around Sacramento too long is that organizations that are granted a half-million dollars that can be passed around like dog treats become more popular than the head cheerleader in high school.
*half-billion
(saw that after the five-minute limit on the very-welcome return of the ‘edit’ button)