California Voices

To learn about Maria Pacheco's personal path to local government leadership as the two-term Mayor of the city of Kerman, in California's Central Valley, is to bear witness to a life experience that has been at once traumatic, sobering...and extraordinary, sustained by resiliency and unbreakable spirit. "I have turned my pain into purpose..."

Brandi Cummings, morning news anchor for KCRA-TV in Sacramento, wanted to grow up to be either an engineer, a doctor, or a ballerina! But now, after more than 20 years in the broadcast industry, Brandi is a caring mentor to young Black journalists, a leader with the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and a passionate advocate for diverse voices in newsrooms and "all spaces." 

Greg Lucas was appointed California State Librarian in 2014, and like institution he leads, he's a valuable archive of information & perspective about California's history. A former journalist, a Grateful Dead fan and an avid reader, Greg is also, professionally and personally, a passionate advocate for California's 1100+ community libraries. "Everybody has a cool library story; is there a single person out there who doesn't like libraries?"

Hannah Broyles-Grundy is a Northern California funeral director and apprentice embalmer. Having dealt with much loss and grief in her young life, Hannah brings to her work not only a licensed skill at handling 'dead bodies' but an instinctive sensitivity to helping and caring for mourning families.  And she wants to change the perception the public may have that morticians don't care; "You can't see this side of people without feeling for them, without understanding what they're going through..."

Nesar Ahmad served as a battlefield interpreter for the US military in Afghanistan, Yalda Rahmatee graduated with a college degree in business administration; they secretly fell in love as Afghan teenagers, married, then immigrated to the US in 2014. Now, as American citizens and sucessful professionals in their respective fields, Nesar and Yalda share their story of leaving their 'home country' and making a new life with their children here in Northern California, balancing respect and obervance of their Afghan culture with the joy and hope of seeking continued opportunities for the future. 

Sara Hansen's sister was murdered by a serial killer in 1981. Sara has kept her grief, her trauma, her anger, inside of her for nearly 50 years. Now, Sara has decided to share her story. 

From LA this time, we meet Leslie Adame, a young, LatinX author and SoCal native, who has written and published her first novel, a middle-grade, fantasy tale called "Chloe Vega & the Agents of Magic." It's an entertaining yet serious story about young immigrants and their families, which Leslie hopes will bring further representation to a community of immigrants in this country that doesn't always have exposure and identity.

Penelope Oliver's parents began exposing her, at a very young age, to 'what our collective humanity looks like,' opening her innocent eyes to the challenges facing human beings across the world. Now, as a college student, Penelope is already a seasoned & engaged advocate, the founder of a non-profit, community arts project, partnering with influential leaders to speak out on behalf of children in Gaza and immigrants...all the while sharing stories & writing her poetry, with her pen as part of her power. 

Science Fiction Novelist Kim Stanley Robinson, who lives in Davis, CA, has been writing Science Fiction for decades but his acclaimed 2020 book "The Ministry for the Future" brought him additional recognition worldwide for its prescient, sobering and yet hopeful description of the harrowing impacts of climate change across the globe, even in California, prompting TIME Magazine to call Robinson 'a hero of the environment.' Kim Stanley Robinson talks about his literary work, the art of writing science fiction...and the future.

March is Women's History Month! In recognition and celebration, here's a spcial conversation with Darcy Totten, who has been leading the CA Commission on the Status of Women & Girls since 2024. The Commission marked its 60th anniversary last fall, and begins the new year continuing its work prioritizing access to leadership, equality, freedom and safety, for half of the world's population. Darcy shares her own personal story of coming out, rising up, and guiding the Commission towards a not-too-distant future when "it's the women who are in charge."