Discovering Passion and Impact: A Journey Through California’s Beautiful Communities
“Hollywood isn’t California’s only home to the stars!” – A Blog by Dave Forsell
A stunning mural of a monarch butterfly with a few flowers was painted on the side of a building in San Francisco, California.
It has been more than a year now since l joined the Keep America Beautiful staff.
In July I made my first trip to see the work of several California affiliates. And what a pleasure it was to see the different people, stories, victories, and challenges! Gabi Polo, our West Regional Director, and I came away from our visits with a sense of discovery, connection, and optimism.
Gabi Polo (left) and Dave Forsell (right) stand with Emily Lansing, who is leading San Jose Mayor Mahan’s beautification efforts, and Anthony Gonzalez, whose passion lies in community engagement and beautification work.
In San Jose, Anthony Gonzalez’s work in Parks connected him to unhoused people, inspiring a passion for community outreach.
In Oakland, a new board led by Christina Porter and Shine Wang is imagining what’s possible, unburdened by today’s limitations.
Christina Porter, Shine Wang, and Keep Oakland Beautiful board colleagues have big plans for the future.
In Los Angeles, Paul Racs is directing his substantial budget to community organizations to clean up L.A.’s public spaces.
In Riverside, Andrea DeLeon is building off the work of a recently retired affiliate leader and sees a bright future by putting the community at the center of the affiliate’s work.
In Bakersfield, a massive effort to reuse vegetative and wood waste is helping Central Valley farmers amend their soils, which are key to the region’s economy. Chuy, on the right, is part of the KBB team!
Fresno’s Mark Standriff (with colleague Briana Salais) has developed a culture within his large field team that is tangible, positive, and optimistic, leveraging his mayor’s strong background in public safety.
And in Santa Clara, two dedicated traffic engineers, Eugene Maeda, and Kia Sharifi, leading clean ups on and above their regular work hours are inspiring their leadership to create a broader vision for Keep Santa Clara Valley Beautiful.
These Bakersfield men manage a 100-acre site, transforming wood and vegetative waste into soil amendments for Central Valley farmers.
Different places, different stories, challenges, and opportunities… But what weaves these stories together beside a California address? Passion. Vision. Invention. Adaptation. A desire for deeper impact. People (stars!) at the center.
What do you see in these stories in yourself and your affiliate’s work? Keep doing beautiful things. America needs you.
About Keep America Beautiful®:
Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives to End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a clean, green, and beautiful community, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision. The organization is driven by the work and passion of 700 Keep America Beautiful® affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Donate and take action at kab.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
McCall Vrydaghs
Keep America Beautiful®