Sonoma State Receives Near $5 Million From NASA to Engage Autistic Learners in STEM

Sonoma State University has been awarded $4.96 million from NASA to design and implement a program that will engage students on the autism spectrum in informal STEM learning.

NASA’s Neurodiversity Network (N3) aims to broaden participation in NASA programs to include autistic and other learners with neurological differences. As part of NASA’s Science Activation Program, which is composed of teams across the nation to help learners of all ages and abilities do science, N3 will use specific learning modules to support autistic learners with the social and technical skills needed for successful STEM careers.

“I really got inspired to pursue this opportunity because everywhere I turn there seems to be autism,” said professor Lynn Cominsky, who authored the cooperative agreement application and is also the director of EdEon STEM Learning at SSU – a center meant to inspire students to pursue STEM careers. “NASA has done so much for every other demographic group, but this award is very important because research has shown how autistic learners can be so talented in STEM fields.”

Over a five-year period, hundreds of high school autistic learners in both California and New York City will engage in informal NASA activities, including building and launching rocket payloads and using SSU’s NASA funded telescope. One of the California high schools that will participate in the program is the Anova Center for Education in Santa Rosa.

“Anova is proud to be a founding partner in the NASA Neurodiversity Network along with Sonoma State University and several other excellent Bay Area schools,” said Andrew Bailey, the founding director of Anova. “Autism can be a valuable type of ‘neurological diversity’ when the autistic individual is able to participate in the pursuit of happiness unhindered by the disabling roadblocks of a divergent mind. The N3 project is an exciting opportunity for our Anova students and the entire autism community.”

As part of the program, NASA will provide subject matter experts to work as mentors for sets of students that are highly motivated in working with the curriculum. “By introducing students to NASA science, autistic learners will not only gain knowledge for future accomplishments in STEM, but it will also promote growth in their social skills and self-efficacy,” Cominsky said.

Among the program’s special consultants is Dan Swearingen, one of Cominsky’s former students from more than 25 years ago. Swearingen, who himself is autistic as well as his son, founded a program to help young adults with autism or other neurological differences to ease their transition to an independent adulthood.

“The staff and students at Autistry are excited about the NASA Neurodiversity Network,” said Dan Swearingen, who co-founded Autistry Studios with his wife Janet Lawson in Marin County. “This is a fabulous opportunity, and a rare one, for autistic students to explore STEM learning. Dr. Cominsky’s energy and ability to inspire scientific curiosity put me on the path to pursue astrophysics, and I am confident she will give this gift to our students as well.”

Other partners in the N3 team are Wendy Martin and Ariana Riccio from the nonprofit Education Development Center; Sylvia Perez and Georgette Williams from the New York Hall of Science; and Laura Peticolas, EdEon’s Associate Director. Along with Anova, other Bay Area high schools will also be participating as partners, including Oak Hill School in San Anselmo, Stanbridge Academy in San Mateo, and the Orion Academy in Moraga. The internship program that N3 will be implementing was inspired by the successful program at Orion that partners their students with scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in STEM-related projects.

The program began this month with the NASA Kickoff meeting for the SciAct program. Cominsky said they are currently co-developing NASA resources with autistic learners to ensure they create learning opportunities that meet their needs. For more information about NASA’s Science Activation Program, visit https://science.nasa.gov/learners.

ABOUT US: Sonoma State is a public university committed to educational access and excellence, with a long-standing tradition of promoting intellectual and personal growth, leadership opportunities, and technological proficiency. We are driven by a commitment to the liberal arts and sciences and guided by core values of sustainability, inclusivity, and integrity. Situated among the rolling hills of Sonoma County, SSU is a living example of Northern California’s diverse natural beauty. We provide high-quality education through innovative programs that leverage the area’s economic, cultural, and natural resources. Connect with and learn more about SSU in the SSU NewsCenter.

http://news.sonoma.edu/article/sonoma-state-receives-near-5-million-nasa-engage-autistic-learners-stem

Star Staffing’s Nicole Serres on How to Dodge the COVID Curveball in Company Staffing During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Take a moment to pat yourselves on the back, you survived 2020! It was quite a bumpy ride, wasn’t it?

Although it’s a fresh new year, many of us are still fully grappling with the consequences of the pandemic and a shaky economy. Countless companies were forced to shutter storefronts and offices and pivot to a fully online business.

“Covid-safe” protocols are still present in work and life and will likely continue to through 2021. So while it’s a new year, we’re not out of the weeds yet.

What we do know is that the world of work is radically changed – in many ways, permanently.

Embrace the 2021 workplace

As we know, 2020 was one giant curveball: a worldwide pandemic, a recession, political turmoil, social movements, natural disasters, the list goes on.

We are fully immersed in a “new normal” and it has changed how we work and how we can be most productive.

“Traditional” workplaces are no longer traditional. Stanford reports that the new work-from-home economy has 42% of all workers nationwide working from home. This often brings the challenge of separating “work” and “personal” when both are done from home-sweet-home.The two have become entirely enmeshed.

From all-hours team messages, Zoom fatigue, child care time conflicts (or downright teaching from home), how teams work, both virtually and on-site, has changed. For in-office workers, between requiring PPE, mandating temperature checks, navigating new sick leave protocol – the challenges remain.

It’s likely that at least some of your business processes have become digital permanently and you’re maintaining remote work even after the pandemic is over. It’s possible that employee feedback has encouraged you to start looking at hybrid work models: where half the week your team meets in the office and the other half the week, your team works from home.

How to thrive in this new world of work

Get right to it: Does your workplace serve your team members?

Some team members may not step foot into your office for a long period of time, so we can no longer promote the same irrelevant in-office benefits we used to.

Gone are the days of companies that tout their office ping pong table, endless plethora of free fresh fruits and snacks, or the infamous “kombucha on tap” perk.

Forget the “open space floor plan” mantra. These practices are not compelling into today’s work world – in fact, they now come off as tone deaf.

Instead, be real: how can you support your team with what they actually care about?

Do you offer flexible work hours?

Do you offer mental health allowances?

How can you support parents who may have children at home?

How are you building company culture during these challenges?

Do you offer a work environment that encourages opportunities for career advancement?

Taking care of your teammates first will lead to loyalty and engagement.

Set clear goals and get team buy-in

The more teams can be aligned and engaged with common goals, especially in our virtual work world, the more effective teams will work. Set clear goals then repeat them constantly.

Get real with the impact the team will have. Employees, now more than ever, need security in how they’ll get their next paycheck, what they’ll be working on, how they will be able to progress along their career path, and most importantly, how their efforts contribute to the larger mission.

Zone in on the impact of your teammates’ roles by creating quantifiable goals with timelines for completion. Always tie these goals back to the company mission so that it becomes the point from which all efforts are generated.

Allow team members to work from where they are most efficient

With today’s new work landscape and the challenges of in-office operations, consider being more flexible than usual. SHRM reports that productivity is the same, if not higher, than it was before the pandemic for remote workers.

It behooves your team to be open to as many qualified applicants as possible — with varying work backgrounds, years experience, and now, remote possibilities.

Don’t miss out on your next rockstar because they don’t live in your city. Your team may be used to remote work now, consider keeping and hiring hardworking remote workers into 2021 and beyond.

New Year, new workplace best practices

It’s still a moving target on exactly how to thrive in 2021. But one thing is for sure, we must embrace the “New Workplace” the right way. Here’s what we can work on:

1. Communicate, communicate, communicate

Schedule regular team meetings. Encourage open, free-flowing communication and building cross-department relationships. Have your cameras on in virtual meetings to encourage human connection and respect everyone’s time by sticking to the timeframe of the meeting and wrapping up with action items.

2. Become Project Management Masters

With employees managing multiple projects at once and inevitably being pulled in various directions by both work and distractions at home, getting organized and focused is the way to win. Basecamp, Asana, ClickUp, and Trello are just a few of the many project management tools available. Find one that fits your needs and make sure everyone is properly trained.

3. Trust Your Team

As the old saying goes: Hire great people and get out of their way. Provide the training and tools needed for teams to succeed, check in regularly, and set expectations from the start. Having an awesome onboarding experience is the primary factor in employee retention, so be sure to set them up for success.

Setting clear goals allows teams to know where to focus their energy and how they’re performing. Tracking outcomes over hours will help you measure success a lot more efficiently.

You can do this!

Challenges will come in 2021, but we’re smarter and more efficient now than we were at this time last year. The workplace has changed, but our resilience, motivation, and spirit hasn’t. Choose to fully embrace 2021 and the new opportunities it brings for growth and team alignment.

How to dodge the COVID curveball in company staffing during the coronavirus

PG&E Unveils $3 Billion California Wildfire Plan, Warns of ‘Very Extreme’ Season Ahead

PG&E Corp. rolled out its 2021 wildfire safety plan Friday, promising to focus its efforts on the most vulnerable parts of California but warning that the state is likely to face another difficult season.

Under constant scrutiny for its painful record on wildfires, the state’s largest utility said its safety plan will prioritize the highest-risk areas of its service territory for trimming trees and making its power equipment more fire-resilient.

Yet PG&E, which has been faulted for sparking some of the largest and deadliest fires in California’s history, said wildfire risk will remain an ever-increasing issue for the state. Last year saw 4 million acres burn across California, the most in the state’s modern history.

“Wildfire risk is continue to grow,” said Matthew Pender, the utility’s director of community wildfire safety. “We are planning around and operating under that assumption.

“We anticipate fire seasons to continue to be very extreme.”

The horrific fires of 2017 and 2018 drove PG&E into bankruptcy. Its efforts to reduce risk in 2019 by imposing massive “public safety power shutoffs” infuriated Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials after millions lost power and PG&E’s equipment caused a big fire anyway, the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County. Recently a federal judge said shortcomings in the utility’s tree-trimming program may have contributed to a deadly fire last September in Shasta County.

Pender said PG&E expects to spend around $3 billion this year on wildfire safety, up from $2.6 billion last year. Among other things, he said PG&E is hiring 200 additional inspectors “to confirm that we’re doing vegetation management the right way.”

The utility also plans to accelerate its efforts to install more fire-resilient power poles and, where possible, replace overhead lines with underground wires, Pender said.

An updated risk model will enable PG&E to focus more of its efforts on the most fire-prone areas. Equipment that “sectionalizes” the grid has enabled PG&E to significantly reduce the footprint of its safety shutoffs. As it is, none of the deliberate blackouts imposed last year were as widespread as the 2019 power shutoffs.

Yet even as it fine-tunes its safety program, the utility continues to struggle to eliminate wildfire risk completely across its 70,000-square-mile territory.

After pleading guilty to manslaughter charges last year in connection with the 2018 Camp Fire — the deadliest in California history — PG&E is facing a new criminal investigation into whether its equipment triggered the Zogg Fire. Cal Fire investigators seized PG&E’s power equipment after the fire killed four people in Shasta County last September.

Other legal problems loom. The judge overseeing PG&E’s probation status — the legacy of its conviction in connection with the 2010 pipeline disaster in San Bruno — is considering imposing new punishments on the utility because of the Zogg Fire.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup, a persistent critic of PG&E, has said the utility “failed to perform work on trees that had been designated for removal or trimming” near the spot where the Zogg Fire started.

Damages from the Zogg Fire could exceed $275 million, PG&E has disclosed. Those costs would come on top of the $625 million in potential claims from the Kincade Fire, which investigators say was caused by a faulty PG&E transmission line. Separately, PG&E agreed to pay $13.5 billion to cover uninsured losses from the Camp Fire and the 2017 wine-country fires, which plunged the utility into bankruptcy.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/fires/article249015860.html

The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Dominican University, and BioMarin Offer Storage for the Coronavirus Vaccinations

Marin County health officials expect to begin the first coronavirus vaccinations as soon as late December with a priority on immunizing frontline health care workers first.

The vaccine developed by the Manhattan-based Pfizer company is anticipated to be the first to gain U.S. approval sometime in mid-December. Pfizer’s vaccine must be transported and stored at ultra-cold temperatures of at least -94 degrees Fahrenheit — more than four times colder than the South Pole in Antarctica was at noontime Monday.

This requires specialized freezers typically only found at college campuses and research institutes. Fortunately, Marin County has both.

Three local research institutions — BioMarin, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and Dominican University — are offering the county their ultra-cold freezers for free once the vaccines arrive.

“Fortunately in Marin, we’re able to leverage these public-private partnerships and all three of those partners eagerly stepped forward to offer resources,” Marin County Public Health Officer Matt Willis said. “We’ve got freezers identified at those three locations, which are going to allow us to store the Pfizer vaccine within Marin.

“Those become local hubs of distribution for the doses that would go along with the very first phases,” Willis continued. “So we’re talking about the first tier, which is not the general public. We’re talking about essential health care workers, hospital workers, staff at long-term care facilities, first responders and other highest priority groups that are part of our critical infrastructure.”

The Pfizer vaccine requires two doses spaced out three weeks to be effective. At least 10,000 people in Marin County will need to receive vaccines in the first phase, Willis said, which means at least 20,000 Pfizer vaccine doses will be needed.

Exactly how many doses Marin will receive in the first round is unclear, Willis said. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday that the state will be receiving 327,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in mid-December assuming the U.S. Food and Drug Administration grants emergency approval to distribute it.

Pfizer states its trials show the vaccine is 95% effective in preventing people from contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

Access to ultra-cold freezers likely will only be important for the first rounds of vaccination, Willis said. Other vaccines being developed by companies such as Moderna and AstraZeneca can be stored in typical medical-grade refrigerators found at hospitals and pharmacies. This will be important later when mass vaccinations on the general population are taking place, which Willis estimates could start in spring 2021. Moderna submitted an application for emergency approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday and states its vaccine could be authorized for distribution in mid-December.

How many doses can be stored in the ultra-cold freezers being made available in Marin is still being determined, according to the research groups. Both the Buck Institute and Dominican University plan to offer three ultra-cold freezers each that can reach temperatures of at least -94 degrees Fahrenheit.

If needed, Marin could access other freezers at nearby institutions such as the University of California San Francisco, Willis said.

The Novato-based Buck Institute, which specializes in research of aging and age-related diseases, typically uses its freezers for storing biological samples — some of which are set to be cleared out to make room for vaccines.

“It behooves us to really help,” said Eric Verdin, the institute’s president and chief executive officer. “This is the issue of our time. I would not want to be missing on the opportunity for Marin County to know that the Buck is helping.”

The institute has shifted its focus on studying the coronavirus given its significant effects on the older population. In addition to the freezers, the institute had also scoured its labs for testing tubes in March when the county was scrambling to get enough materials for coronavirus testing.

Dominican University, a private university based in San Rafael, typically uses its ultra-cold freezers to store samples for research in its biological sciences and biochemistry programs, according to university communications director Sarah Gardner.

BioMarin will be donating “several” ultra-cold freezers, according to company spokeswoman Debra Charlesworth.

“BioMarin will assist with the transfer and installation of the units for the county,” she wrote in an emailed statement. “The company uses these types of freezers in its operations to store pharmaceutical products, reagents used in laboratory experiments, and clinical samples.”

Pfizer plans to deliver 50 million doses of its vaccine globally before the end of the year and another 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021. The vaccine will be shipped in containers with dry ice, which is good for 10 days of storage. Once received the vaccine can be stored for another five days in typical medical-grade refrigerators of 35-46 degrees Fahrenheit. Ultra-cold freezers, however, extend the vaccines’ shelf life by six months, allowing for greater flexibility for when they are used.

If approved by the FDA this month, Moderna states it could ship about 20 million doses by the end of the year. Similar to the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine requires two doses to be effective but spaced out over four weeks.

The rollout of who gets the vaccine first before others will be decided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and California Department of Public Health, Willis said.

“We’re also working with the health officers across the Bay Area to make sure there is a fair and equitable process regionally,” Willis said.

A CDC advisory group voted on Tuesday to recommend health care workers and nursing home residents receive priority. The two groups encompass around 24 million Americans out of a U.S. population of about 330 million. Residents of long-term care facilities have been the hardest hit in Marin, accounting for about 84% of total deaths.

Assuring the public’s trust in the vaccine also will be vital to the success of achieving immunization levels needed to prevent widespread infection, Willis said. Information about the vaccines and trials so far have come through company press releases and have been the subject of politicization, Willis said. The state has established a commission of scientists to independently review the vaccine trials to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Marin County has had issues with vaccinations in the past, Willis said. In 2013, the county had one the lowest childhood vaccination rates in the state at 78% but has since improved the rate to about 95% in 2020, he said. SB 277, which became law in 2016, eliminated all non-medical exemptions to vaccine requirements for enrolling children in public or private elementary and secondary school.

“People are going to need to be assured of its safety and effectiveness before we would expect widespread adoption of this,” Willis said of the coronavirus vaccine. “We’re also planning to lean heavily into the review process of the scientific review committees that have been established by the state.”

Marin coronavirus vaccinations could begin in late December

 

Comcast Provides Update on Decade-Long Commitment to Digital Equity; Announces Plans to Accelerate Efforts in 2021

Comcast made several announcements that build on its longstanding commitment to advancing digital equity, closing the digital divide, and addressing both digital literacy and the homework gap. The new and expanded efforts are designed to help connect as many Americans to the Internet as possible and create new opportunities for underrepresented communities through the education, resources, and skills training they need to succeed in today’s digital economy.

 

“We’ve been on a mission to address digital inequities in under-resourced communities through Internet Essentials for a decade and there’s never been a greater need than now,” said Dave Watson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Comcast Cable. “As a media and technology company, we have a unique opportunity to provide meaningful connection to the communities we serve – whether that’s through access to the Internet, programs to support creativity and digital literacy and skills training for young people, or workforce development opportunities for adults. Our commitment has never been stronger, and we are dedicated to leveling the playing field and making a lasting impact for generations to come.”

 

In 2020, Comcast redoubled those efforts, as COVID-19 shined an even brighter light on this important equity issue in our society. And at the onset of 2021 – which coincides with the 10th anniversary of its Internet Essentials program – the company is once again advancing its digital equity commitment.

 

Accelerating the Nation’s Largest Broadband Adoption Program

For more than a decade, Comcast has focused on connecting millions of low-income families to the Internet through Internet Essentials, the largest and most comprehensive low-cost Internet adoption program for low-income Americans. Since 2011, Comcast has connected millions of people to the Internet at home, donated tens of thousands of free laptops to students and families across the country, and invested $700 million in digital literacy, skills training and awareness programs that have reached 11 million people. Comcast is now doubling the program’s Internet download speed to 50 Mbps and increasing the upstream speed to 5 Mbps for all new and existing customers at no additional cost. To receive the increased Internet speeds, existing customers will not need to do anything. The new speeds will be rolled out nationally beginning March 1. This is the sixth time in 10 years that Comcast has increased broadband speeds for Internet Essentials customers while keeping the cost of the service at $9.95 a month. In addition, Comcast rolled out its xFi and xFi Advanced Security product features to Internet Essentials customers for free and the company continues to offer 60 days of free service to any new Internet Essentials customer who signs up before June 30, 2021.

 

Launching 1,000 Lift Zones by December 2021

Comcast recently announced a multiyear program to launch more than 1,000 Lift Zones in community centers across the country by working with its network of thousands of nonprofit partners and city leaders. So far, Comcast has installed several hundred Lift Zones to further address the homework gap. Lift Zones provide safe spaces for students to access free WiFi so they can participate in distance learning and do their schoolwork. Comcast is now accelerating that timeline to connect 1,000 Lift Zones by the end of this year – more than a year ahead of its original plan.

 

“Transforming our Boys & Girls Clubs into Lift Zones has made a huge difference in the lives of the students we serve in Philadelphia,” said Lisabeth Marziello, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia. “Many of the kids who come to our clubs either don’t have the Internet at home or they have it, but they can’t study at home for a variety of reasons and they need somewhere to go. We’re so happy to be able to work with Comcast to give our students a safe, clean space where they can stay in school even when schools are closed.”

 

Investing in Education and Equity-Focused Organizations

Comcast is also expanding its targeted philanthropic investments in organizations working to increase digital equity and contributing to the collective action needed to drive sustained change. These new organizations and investments are focused on creating greater pathways to opportunities for communities of color, particularly in media, technology, arts, and entrepreneurship.

 

Since last year, Comcast has committed more than $40 million in cash to education and equity-focused partners that share the company’s goals of advancing social justice and equality. A selection of these partners include Per Scholas, Coded by Kids, Center for Black Innovation, Inner-City Arts, and BUILD.org. As part of the $40 million, Comcast today announced $3.5 million in commitments to partners including CodePath, Genesys Works, Jobs for the Future, NPower, i.c. stars, Opportunity at Work, Goodwill Industries International, YWCA, and Philadelphia Youth Network. Together, Comcast and its partners are helping more people of color gain the education and critical workforce development skills needed to access career opportunities in media and technology.

 

“Comcast’s investment in CodePath will help us double our impact to reach nearly 5,000 students and over 60 university partners in 2021. As disadvantaged communities struggle with mass job losses in the wake of the pandemic, our courses are one of the few holistic programs placing thousands of underrepresented minorities into our nation’s most competitive technical roles,” said Michael Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO of CodePath. “Through partnerships with CodePath and many other dedicated organizations, Comcast continues to demonstrate its commitment to creating tangible and systemic change, while providing new opportunities for people of color in the tech sector and beyond.”

 

For more information about Internet Essentials and Comcast’s commitment to education and digital equity, visit https://corporate.comcast.com/education.

W Bradley Electric Installs Fiber Optic System at Santa Rosa Junior College

WBE hit the Santa Rosa Junior College campus recently to install a new redundant fiber-optic system to support over 30+ buildings!
We had a great crew on campus including our Foreman Luis Lopez, Walter Ayala, Pete Pinney, Tim Ott and Justin Graham. #SRJC #fiberopticcables #TeamWBE

Redwood Credit Union Launches Video Series for Students and Families Managing Through Challenging Times

In response to rising concern around student mental health, Redwood Credit Union (RCU) has produced four free videos to help children, youth, and their support networks identify and successfully manage their emotions in times of high stress. RCU partnered with social/emotional learning expert and author of Confident Parents, Confident Kids Jennifer Miller, M.Ed, and NAMI Sonoma County to produce the series. The videos are now available to the community on the credit union’s website here.

“Parents, educators, mental health professionals, and emergency departments are witnessing an unprecedented increase in depression, anxiety, and behavioral issues in our youth,” said Mary-Frances Walsh, executive director of NAMI, Sonoma County. “Young people are grappling with social isolation, stress, and the loss of normalcy brought on by the pandemic. Watching these videos as a family is an easy way to start the conversation about learning to manage feelings.”

Each video is tailored to a specific age group: 1) kindergarten through second grade, 2) grades three through five, 3) grades six through eight, and 4) high-school-aged teens. Spanish language subtitles are available for all videos.

“Redwood Credit Union cares about its communities and recognizes that families are dealing with significant daily challenges,” says Brett Martinez, RCU President & CEO. “We believe we all play a role in educating kids and helping them become more confident. We saw this as a way RCU could help.”

In addition to sharing the videos with their 378,000 members, RCU has partnered with local school districts who will distribute the videos to the families of their students.

“Sonoma County has been through multiple catastrophic events: fires, floods, mass evacuations, and Redwood Credit Union has always been there,” said Steve Herrington, Sonoma County superintendent of schools. “I encourage every family to watch these videos, and to discuss them openly with your children.”

Many children’s social, emotional, and mental well-being has been impacted by the pandemic. As the Centers for Disease Control points out, “trauma faced at this developmental stage can continue to affect children across their lifespan.” Identifying the emotions they’re feeling helps kids and families respond positively, even in the toughest moments.

About Redwood Credit Union
Founded in 1950, Redwood Credit Union is a full-service financial institution providing personal and business banking to consumers and businesses in the North Bay and San Francisco. RCU offers complete financial services including checking and savings accounts, auto and home loans, credit cards, online and mobile banking, business services, commercial and SBA lending, and more. Wealth management and investment services are available through CUSO Financial Services L.P., and insurance and auto-purchasing services are also offered through RCU Services Group (RCU’s wholly owned subsidiary). RCU has $6.2 billion in assets and serves approximately 378,000 members with full-service branches from San Francisco to Ukiah. For more information, call 1 (800) 479-7928, visit redwoodcu.org, or follow RCU on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for news and updates.

About Jennifer S. Miller, M.Ed.

Jennifer Miller has worked with educators and families for 25 years to help them become more effective with children through social and emotional learning. The author and illustrator of Confident Parents, Confident Kids: Raising Emotional Intelligence In Ourselves and Our Kids, Miller serves as a regular expert contributor to NBC TODAY Parenting and to PBS Kids and writes for numerous publications including The Washington Post and Parents Magazine.

About NAMI Sonoma County

NAMI Sonoma County helps families and individuals affected by mental illness to build a better quality of life through education, support and advocacy. To learn more about the organization, visit namisonomacounty.org.

Sonoma State University’s Executive MBA and Executive Wine MBA Programs

Transform Your Career. Empower Your Employees. 

The Sonoma Executive MBA and Executive Wine MBA programs offer a transformative experience that incorporates integrated leadership development and strategic thinking, equipping students with the skills necessary to be leaders and innovators. The Executive Wine MBA provides industry-specific tools to lead wine businesses effectively. The 17-month programs offer multiple experiential engagements including two leadership immersives, an Innovation & Design workshop, and an international business trip to learn about economies and cultures abroad. Learn More.

Executive MBA Video

Executive Wine MBA Video

Comcast’s RISE Program

KRCB Radio Station Looks to Grow With New License and Additional Staff

With the purchase of a more powerful FM station, Sonoma County’s NPR affiliate will expand its reach across the North Bay in 2021, complete with a new channel number and larger staff.

Northern California Public Media’s KRCB will migrate to 104.9 FM in the coming months, pending approval from the Federal Communications Commission of its deal with Amaturo Sonoma Media Group to acquire one of the company’s five commercial radio stations. The two broadcasters announced the agreement Tuesday.

“I’m so thankful and impressed that they heard us out and were willing to entertain the offer,” said Darren LaShelle, president and CEO of Northern California Public Media. He initiated conversations with Amaturo Sonoma Media Group last summer.

KRCB had for years considered a way to bolster its signal on channel 91.1 FM. Since 1993, when the station first broadcast, the signal had been limited, LaShelle said.

“If we covered a story in Cloverdale or Petaluma or out at Bodega Bay, those folks couldn’t hear it,” LaShelle said. “Of course, they could go online and listen to it, but we knew that we had to expand the signal if we were truly going to be a resource for Sonoma County.”

Problems were exacerbated, however, in 2019, after the company lost its main transmitter and tower in the Kincade Fire. KRCB switched to an even smaller broadcast area from its headquarters in Rohnert Park. But the signal covered little else beyond Rohnert Park and part of Santa Rosa.

“We did get the transmitter replaced, the tower back up and back on the air with 91.1 FM just a couple of months ago,” LaShelle said.

But, “we knew we had to be bigger to make this work,” he said.

Michael O’Shea, president and co-owner of Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, said that his company hadn’t been looking to sell anything when LaShelle first approached them last summer. But after a few months of conversation, he said, combined with the effects of the pandemic on the commercial broadcasting company, O’Shea and co-owner Lawrence Amaturo were both persuaded.

“(The purchase) gives us a little more stability and little more insurance,” O’Shea said.

Northern California Public Media will pay $1.5 million to purchase the FCC license from Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, along with a main and auxiliary transmitter. The public media nonprofit will also make some upgrades to its studios, so that its growing staff can continue to produce local reports remotely.

“Our audience is telling us they want more from us,” LaShelle said. “And we need to fulfill that need.”

Money from the nonprofit’s endowment and additional community donations will fund the development, LaShelle said. In 2017, Northern California Public Media, which also operates two TV channels, received a $72 million payment from the FCC. The payment was one of many distributed to television broadcasters that year after an auction that redistributed crowded airwaves among the wireless telecom industry.

Chris Lee, longtime Sonoma Valley resident and news industry veteran, is one of several recent hires in the nonprofit’s growth. He will fill the role of executive producer, overseeing an incoming news director who will manage a team of reporters, two of whom will also be newcomers.

Lee said he aims for KRCB to provide Sonoma County listeners with a more consistent offering of local news content in its programs, “as opposed to listening to KQED drone on about traffic in Fremont.”

“I want to put as much local news into ’All Things Considered’ and morning coverage as we can,” he said.

To help the newsroom determine where best to focus its efforts, KRCB is inviting members of the public to weigh in using an online survey.

“This is the kind of station that, to really reach its fullest potential … it can’t be us thinking we’re smart and telling the community what it needs,” Lee said. “It has to be the community participating and forming what this radio station should be, and the topics we should cover.”

FCC approval of the deal could take approximately 10 to 12 weeks. Following approval, the needed technology will change hands, and KRCB will migrate to its new channel, while retaining its same call letters.

The new signal covers nearly all of Sonoma County, extending into Novato and parts of Napa County.

“We want to make sure we’re maintaining and pleasing the people that we have,” LaShelle said. “And we want to increase the people that come to us.”

KRCB radio station looks to grow with new license, additional staff