Employee of the Year recognizes an employee of an organization or business that has made significant contributions to the region in transportation, land use and air quality. The 2007 SACOG Salutes! Employee of the Year is Ms. Sue Heitman, Executive Director of Capay Valley Vision.
Capay Valley Vision was created to enhance ongoing communication within the diverse community of the Capay Valley, reflecting all opinions and searching for common ground on the vision for the Valley's future. Recognizing that change is inevitable, the organization works to manage and guide change in a way that best preserves the Valley's rural character, agriculture, history and natural environment, while supporting a vital local economy. The mission of Capay Valley Vision is to establish a community-wide vision for the future of Capay Valley, and to facilitate an on-going collaborative process for planning.
For the past year, Ms. Heitman has led efforts to revitalize the unincorporated community of Esparto in Yolo County, while maintaining the rural feel of the area. She has worked to fund and develop a downtown Esparto revitalization plan that will support the surrounding agricultural areas.
Ms. Heitman was instrumental in securing funding for the Esparto walkable communities workshop, where citizens learned about design options that are safe for pedestrians and enhance the look of their community. This led to citizen input into the design concepts of downtown Esparto. Ms. Heitman was the driving force in getting over 100 community members, elected officials, developers, landowners, state and county representatives and the Rumsey Band of Wintun Indians to participate in series of charettes to develop Highway 16 where it becomes Yolo Avenue and then serves as Esparto’s Main Street.
Other 2007 Winners:
Agency of the Year: Placer County Transportation Planning Agency For Leadership and Advocacy for Transportation Solutions
