Dare to Share
Building Vibrant Communities: Leveraging
Partnerships for Fun and Engagement
Interactive
Polling
Who do you partner with in
your community?
David M. Sander, Ph.D.,
Mayor/City of Rancho
Cordova
Shelly Blanchard, Executive
Director/Cordova
Community Council
Micah Runner, City
Manager/City of Rancho
Cordova
Diann Rogers, CEO &
President/Rancho Cordova
Area Chamber of Commerce
Panelists
Partnerships
Why Partnerships?
Shared Vision
Shared Trust
Shared Power
Case Study
Explore Rancho Cordova
Goal: Help new residents of Rancho Cordova feel welcome and connected.
Rancho Cordova Area Chamber
• Identified a need
• Presented that the Chamber was
the ideal facilitator
• Demonstrated the program
supported the City's values
• Program nexus between business
and community
City of Rancho Cordova
• One of the first programs to
receive Community Enhancement
funding from the City
• Expanded the opportunity
to connect and communicate
with residents
• Provided contact information of
new residents
Welcome Wagon on steroids!
Results
One decade later, new Residents have received:
9,000 welcome to our city letters from the Mayor
along with a welcome gift
4,500 welcome bags delivered filled with resources,
invitations, swag, calendars, and more!
300 fruit trees gifted to new homeowners, "Planting
Roots in Rancho Cordova"
26 Welcome receptions at different locations
Bonus Benefits
Event for ESL learners
Rancho Cordova Newcomers
Club Communication during
the pandemic Engagement
with local government
Lessons Learned
Value of in-person
connections Importance of
materials for non-Englishspeakers
Unexpected partners
Exponential value – a shared
start, mutual needs
Kids are new residents too! -
Our coloring book
People still like maps!
Case Study
In partnership with the Sacramento Asian Chamber of Commerce “Learning from Experts, Connecting with Others”
mbark Minority Business Assistance & Recovery Kickstart Goal: Address needs of small and entrepreneurial businesses Rancho Cordova Area Chamber
• Meet Challenge observed by the City’s Economic
Development Department and the Chamber
• Those passionate about a business idea need
tools to get started
• Engage small and minority-owned business
community
• Sacramento Asian Chamber model
• 10 weeks, once per week, 90 minutes, evenings,
two “consulting” modules
City of Rancho Cordova
• City Council Members
• City of Rancho Cordova
Economic Development Department
• Rancho Cordova Area Chamber members
& staffSacramento Asian Chamber
of Commerce
• A dozen subject-matter experts
• Local businesses
• Effective Business Planning
• Branding and Marketing
• Personal and Business Credit
• Operating Within Your Jurisdiction
• Strategies for E-Commerce, Web
and Social Media
• Financial Basics
• Funding Options for Small Business
• $1,500 Stipend Upon Completion
What was taught
Minority Business Assistance
& Recovery Kickstart
• Lessons Learned
• Quick Changes
• What's Next
• Successes
Case Study
Rancho Cordova
Community Events
Partners are everything.
So, pick some good ones.
We help people fall in love with their city.
We strive for SPECTACULAR.
• Convene leaders of community
groups
• Advocate for community
investment
• Foster collaboration and group
decision-making
• Curate community priorities
• Provide professional management
and creative energy to execute
and provide on-going stability
Cordova Community Council
Rancho Cordova Special Events
Goal: Help people fall in love with their city through great events City of Rancho Cordova
• Facilitate alignment with citywide
goals
• Broker relationships with other
governmental entities as needed
• Catalyze success through funding
or other technical support
Results:
More passion,
more fun!
• Much of the work is carried out
by volunteers which stretches
dollars, saves resources, provides
service opportunities and builds
community
• 170 event days per year
• Non-governmental groups will
try things government will not
• Example: To celebrate a city
milestone, Cordova
Community Council produced
a Lip Dub video
Case Study
Rancho Cordova Athletic Association
Improve Facilities
Improve the Culture to The Rancho Cordova Way
Remove financial barriers
Tell our story
Honor and Enshrine
• Convene leaders of youth leagues
• Advocate for community
investment by the city and others
• Foster collaboration and group
decision-making
• Negotiate community priorities
among youth sports leagues
• Connect youth sports with high
school athletics
Cordova Community Council
Rancho Cordova Athletic Association
Goal: Increase play 5% year over year for 5 years
City of Rancho Cordova
• Facilitate alignment with citywide
goals
• Broker relationships with other
governmental entities as needed
• Catalyze success through funding
or other technical support
Improve
Facilities
• League leaders meet monthly
to plan for improvements
across the city
• Present city with annual plan
for funding
• Leverage volunteer power for
greater impact
• Partner with other
governmental agencies to
coordinate growth and
improvements
• RESULT: New Girls Softball
facility built in partnership
with local school district
The
RANCHO
CORDOVA
WAY
• Improve the
Culture
• Better
Athletes,
Better People
• The Rancho
Cordova Way
What is the
‘Rancho
Cordova Way?’
Remember, this is only a game
Accept the decisions of the
Umpire/Officials
No tolerance for bullying, insults, foul
language
Congratulate the other team after
each game
Help maintain our equipment and
fields
Obey the rules of the game and chase
greatness
Remove
Financial
Barriers
• Provide fee
assistance
• Serve2Save
• Boosting
participation in all
leagues from
between 9 and 27
percent exceeding
our 5 percent annual
growth goal
Tell our story
• Make sure community
knows about play
opportunities
• RCAA Street Team visits
to Back to School Nights
and Parent Night
activities
• Participate at
community events
• Website, signage and
social media
Honor and
Enshrine
Annual inductions into the
Rancho Cordova Sports
Hall of Fame
Results
• Volatile and weak leagues have
been stabilized
• New leagues have been
established
• MOU reached with local school
district to assure priority to local
recreation leagues at lower cost
• Participation growth was 9
percent in 2023, on course for 15
percent in 2024
• High School teams have adopted
The Rancho Cordova Way
Case Study
Rancho Cordova Arts
Make Rancho Cordova a place for art and artists
There’s a hole
in the bucket,
dear Liza, dear
Liza…
Rancho Cordova Arts
Goal: Make Rancho Cordova a place for art and artists
Cordova Community Council
• Convene leaders
• Advocate for community
investment
• Foster collaboration and group
decision-making
• Negotiate community priorities
• Connect arts with the community
City of Rancho Cordova
• Facilitate alignment with citywide
goals
• Broker relationships with other
governmental entities as needed
• Catalyze success through funding
or other technical support
Results
A home for the Arts
There’s always something
happening here
Next: Bring on the music
Strings,
anyone?
Rancho Cordova
Civic Light
Orchestra is born
2024 Art Scene
4 City Hall Art Exhibits
110 days activities at the MACC
1 Community Concert Band
1 Symphony Orchestra
1 Swing Band
3 Theater Groups
1 Documentary Film Festival
$25 million art-based overpass in
development
2009 Art Scene
Results: Annual Art Activities
Art: Think BIG
City investment in
public art
• $27 million art-focused bike
and pedestrian overcrossing
• $100 million art-focused
Mills Crossing project
Share the Vision. Share Trust. Share Power.
Let's start a Symphony.
Share the Vision: California League of Cities needs a Symphony Share Trust: Every person will be responsible for one note and we are counting on you to get it right
Share Power: We will all take a bow when we perform at Carnegie Hall Rehearsal: Happy Birthday
California, Here I Come!
Building Community.
One Partnership at a time.
Contact Information
MICAH RUNNER, CITY MANAGER
CITY OF RANCHO CORDOVA
[email protected]
916-851-8800
SHELLY BLANCHARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CORDOVA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
[email protected]
916-273-5707
DIANN ROGERS, PRESIDENT & CEO
RANCHO CORDOVA AREA CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE [email protected]
916-273-5700
DAVID M. SANDER, PH.D., MAYOR
CITY OF RANCHO CORDOVA
[email protected]
916-851-8700