Sacramento Road Trip – Thank You Letters

Carl,

The e-mail responses are amazingly articulate and positive.  A refreshingly unique review of local and state political processes.  The emails go a long way to offset some of the negative images that are constantly portrayed by the print media.

I hope you might be able to compile all the emails, minus the long address lists and assemble them in a chronological order, and save them as motivating material for next year's group.  I don't know what our goal is but I can imagine that once others read some of these responses, which are so heart-felt that we could easily have a hundred people on the trip next year. I believe there is a little magic in the bus-trip itself.

Thanks again,

Richard A. Patterson, Esq.
OWEN, PATTERSON & OWEN

Thank you so much for including me on the Sacramento trip.  I enjoyed it thoroughly and definitely hope to do it again.  Your planning and organization was impecable… and a wonderful time had by all.
Warmest regards,
Best,
Ann Kerman
Executive Director
Santa Clarita Valley School & Business Alliance

That’s great to hear Carl – I’m very glad it was a success.  I was very happy to meet you as well as everyone in the group – you assembled a very nice group.
Rosalind Wayman

Thank you for your leadership and pulling it all together. It was a nice trip (even our tour of old Sac.).
Ken Striplin

Hello Carl,
Thank YOU for scheduling this, for hosting it, etc.  You did a spectacular job. I learned a lot. I got business cards from the special education group.  I will write to them and to others. I was never on the radio, and would like to be scheduled.
Thanks again,
Paul Strickland

Carl, thank you so much for putting together a great trip!  The meetings were very positive and the details (bus, hotel, dinner) were great.  All of us from COC got a lot out of the trip and appreciated being part of the community face in Sacramento.  We will follow up on the invitation to Assemblyman Portantino for a visit and tour of the campus, along with Assemblyman Smyth.
Dr. Dena Maloney
Founding Dean
Canyon Country Campus

Carl,
I thing I am still recovering! I got home about 3:30 p.m. yesterday, just in time to get ready for my school board meeting. Now I am getting ready to go back to Sacramento on Friday, since I am a delegate to the Calif. School Board Association. Needless to say, this is proving to be a very busy week.
The trip you planned was so informative! I really appreciate all the work you did on behalf of all of us. The dinner was wonderful and the opportunity to meet all our city's leaders, as well as, Senator Runner, Assemblyman Cameron Smyth and numerous  other assemblymen was truly a very special experience for me.
Thank you again,
Rose Koscielny

Good Morning Carl,
Thank you again for making this trip to Sacramento such a productive and positive experience.
I reviewed the press release and appreciate COC being included in the recap. The only change I would ask for is my name; Joan MacGregor. I would love to have added about our exchange with the new head of the Higher Ed Assembly Committee who will be issued an invitation immediately to visit our campus, but I know space is short.
Thank you again for everything,
Joan MacGregor

Carl:
I wanted to thank you for including me and UVDI as a representation of business in Santa Clarita on the Sacramento trip.  I enjoyed the trip (as much as I could considering my little cough attacks!) and gained valuable knowledge of the legislative process and how it affects our valley.  Education and transportation are important issues for UVDI as they are for most of our business leaders.  I particularly appreciated the opportunity for VIA members and Chamber members to collaborate on community issues with which we are all passionate.  With your coordination and dedication to making a difference in our valley, we have once again, been given the opportunity to be heard – to have a voice in our state’s capitol. 
Some suggestions for future trips include:
1. Coordinate a small committee consisting of a good mix of groups representing manufacturing, service industry, schools, local politics, etc to review and decide on the issues to address and how each area is affected by the specific issue. 
2. Ensure that each group is given a voice to express how the legislature will affect them.
3. Put together a brief bio of each of the participants to be presented to the politicians in Sacramento.  This packet should include, perhaps, something about why the specific issues are important to us and what our stand as a group is on the issue.  It would be good for them to know the content of the group and have something to review after we have left.
4. Fewer speakers and more time for each session with a specific allotment of speaking time and the focus on questions and answers.
5. Some of our participants voiced the same thing again and again in each session.  While the issues are important to us all, I’d like to see issues that are linked more to that particular politician addressed.  I don’t know if this makes sense but I’m thinking of maybe smaller groups, split the groups and have one discuss the issue on funding for special education with the representative that is focused on education, and the other perhaps discusses transportation issues with an appropriate politician who focuses on transportation.  Does that make sense or does it sound better in my head?
I hope these suggestions are helpful and I certainly hope that I will be included in next year’s trip (hopefully better able to take advantage of the Monday night bar!!!).   Thanks again Carl.  The trip was a reward for me and very enlightening.  I thought it was a huge success.  Great job!!
 Ohhh…  my voice is still a little scratchy and irritated so probably not a good idea to do an interview with me yet.  But sometime in the future, I’d love to come and talk about Connecting to Success (October event) and Night Fever, which is the premier fundraiser for the Connecting to success program.  I am the chair of both events.  (I think you know that already.)  By the way, Night Fever is August 18 at Valencia Lanes and our objective is to raise the $30,000 needed to put on CTS this year (2,000 students!!).  In fact, you would be a great facilitator for the CTS event…  Little time commitment and great satisfaction.  Isn’t that what we all want, great satisfaction in little time????
Let me know a good time that works for you and your schedule.  Once again…  You ROCK!
Julie Weith, PHR
Director, Human Resources

Hi
Thanks again.  I had a great time and very appreciative of the efforts that it took to make this an educational and fun time! Count on me again.
Thanks and have an amazing day
Dora

GREAT STORY… Thanks to everyone who joined us. And a special thank you to Carl and Jeri Goldman who orchestrated the trip and the agenda’s.
Don Fleming

Thanks Carl….you did a great job.
Tony Tartaglia

What is that old saying-Any club that would accept me isn't worth being in???!!  Seriously-great thoughts and a well worth while trip! Thank you!
Cheri-we missed you!!
Marlee Lauffer

You rock, Carl!!
XO, Cheri Fleming

Thank you Carl, Don and Cameron for a great trip.  Carl, great article.  Sorry this is so late, this is the first chance I have had to read email attachments.  Again, it was a fun and very productive trip.  I hope to be a part of it in the future.  As Chairman of the Board of the SCV Chamber we are very proud to be part of what appears to be a yearly tradition. What a great statement about the people and businesses of Santa Clarita Valley!
Pam Ingram
RE/MAX of Santa Clarita

I have the somewhat unique position (evidently) of NOT being a community leader, but being married to a woman
who plays an important role in an invaluable asset to our community, the Child & Family Center. Though I
have lived in our community for well over 30 years, ministered in one of its churches, taught at several
of its schools, and been present at 100s of its "events" I have never been anything but a 'citizen' of this community.
  From MY perspective (and the reason I wanted so much to say THANK YOU to you & the Flemings and ANYONE else who is responsible for this remarkable experience) this trip restored my HOPE that there can honestly be some political SOLUTIONS and NOT just political bickering and diatribe. I too was so very impressed with Cameron Smyth, but not for some of the reasons I heard others talking about. What I saw was a young man full of enthusiasm and, most importantly, ready to WORK WITH OTHERS to get things done. When I have
spoken to people about the trip, my principle theme has been the willingness and desire I saw in the "newbies" of the Assembly to overcome the partisanship that has RUINED California government for the last 20 years. to see and hear bright, intelligent, people who have not yet been infected with the "US verses THEM" sickness just warmed my heart!!  I have been a silent witness to so much hateful, destructive, judgemental,
finger pointing and arguing over these last years locally, statewide and nationally that I had just
literally given up. I had NOT joined the mass of people who simply say "all politicians are crooks" and
give up or ignore all elections and political campaigns, but I was pretty CLOSE to doing that. The
energy and enthusiasm and genuinely cordial friendliness shown by the various presenters (well,
all but ONE of them!) just restored my hope that MAYBE this time we can get it right…THEY can get it right!
I was proud to be with my wife on the trip, proud to be with you and the group on the trip, and proud as
can be to see that we HAVE elected some wonderfully capable people to work for us up in Sacramento.
  Nobody has mentioned it, but I hope you will give a special word of thanks to Cameron for arranging the
time at the State Library with Mr. Kurtz. I truly thought that THAT was one of the highlights of the trip…just to know that there was such a wonderful collection open to the public and watched over by such an obviously special and enthusiastic guardian. I thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him (and SOMEBODY has got to get him a MUCH bigger budget to work with!!)   I thank you for the opportunity, for the chance to be with so many terrific and caring people, for the Firehouse dinner, and all the 'goodies'….but most of all I thank you for the way my feeling of HOPE has returned after seeing the collection of informed, intelligent and enthusiastic people who spoke to us. I can't begin to tell you how MUCH I want us to get PAST this time of partisanship and return to a time of when the PEOPLE who suffer because of it become our PRIME concern!
Again, THANK YOU….Thank you VERY much!
Jim Seipel 

Thanks to Carl, Jeri, Don and Cheri and others who helped arrange this very informative trip to our state legislature.
Get on the bus, Gus!
can't we all just get along?
wait for months,
then hurry, hurry, Runners
some laws good,
some laws to be vetoed
Smyth, department heads, budgets, requests, plans
hallway conversations, grub at the firehouse
Vino while speeding at 70
politics.
ain't life grand?

Jim Weiss

Good Morning:
Thank you Carl and Jeri, Don and Cheri, and everyone else who had a part in planning and executing the Sacramento trip last week.  The trip was well-orchestrated, informational and fun!!!  Great article!
Julie Weith, PHR
Director, Human Resources
UltraViolet Devices, Inc

Hello,    Unfortunately, I was not able to attend this years trip.   I was at the Boys & Girls Club of America’s National Conference in Orlando, Fl.   I keep reading these great e-mails about this years trip.  I know it had to be fun because Don and Cheri attended.  I know it was well planned because of Carl and Jeri.  What a great group of people that represented our community.  Thanks to all of you.  I am sorry I missed the trip…
Jim Ventress
SCV Boys & Girls Club

Dear Carl and Jeri:

Rose Koscielny and I would like to express our gratitude for coordinating and sponsoring the Santa Clarita Sacramento Road Trip and for the opportunity to be among the select group of representatives from the Santa Clarita Valley, who met with decision makers at the State Capitol to share concerns regarding education and transportation.

Carl, you are a wonderful group leader and organizer "par excellence".  Thank you for a most enjoyable and educational experience.

 Sincerely,

Judy Fish, Ph.D.
Superintendent, Saugus Union School District

Dear Carl,

I'd like to offer my sincere thank you for the opportunity to join the Santa Clarita Valley group as we traveled to Sacramento earlier this week.  The trip was a very good one and offered some excellent insights on how to effectively work with our legislators to promote a pro-business climate in California.  The focus topics were of real interest to those of us representing the Valley Industrial Association as they directly affect the mission of VIA and our special focuses for 2007.

I was particularly impressed by the candid discussions we were able to initiate with the elected officials.  They offered valuable suggestions, related the intricate workings of the government system and listened attentively to our concerns.  Although I've been to Sacramento before to meet singly with legislators on special topics, this was my first real opportunity to travel in such a group.  It was especially exciting to me to see such a substantial impact made through the impressive numbers of business leaders who took the time to travel to Sacramento as well as the unusual diversity our group represented.  I do hope to be able to join you again next year!

A great plus as well were the numerous opportunities to build new relationships and to meet with existing partners from the Santa Clarita Valley!  We truly do live and work in a wonderful community.

 Carl, thank you again for the invitation.  I look forward to hearing more about the education and transportation issues we addressed directly, and am pleased to have made valuable contacts for future.

Sincerely,

Kathy Norris
President/CEO
Valley Industrial Association

Carl,

It was a great fun and productive trip.  Thanks for making it happen and including the schools as a key piece of the agenda.

Sincerely,

Steve Tannehill

Carl & Jeri,

Wow!  What an amazing trip and an incredible learning experience!  Thank you for the invitation and your generosity-you were the best "camp counselors" ever!  Hope you are rested and recovered.  See you soon.

Thanks,

Laurie Ender

Carl,

Thank you again for inviting me to participate in the trip to Sacramento.  In addition to the great networking opportunities, I was educated about many of the key issues around town.  Learning how our State Legislature operates and the process of lobbying for our priorities were also great experiences.  I look forward to being included for next year's trip and participate at a greater level.  Thank you again for all of your efforts to put this trip together.

Jon Gardner, CPCU
Jon Gardner Insurance and Financial Services

Carl & Jeri,

Thank you so much for your support and coordination in the Sacramento trip.  It was awesome and I walked away with so much.  I appreicate the time and energy you put into making this trip so meaningful.  We are so fortunate to live in a community with leaders like yourself who are active in making a difference for everyone!  You're the BEST!

Always,

Dora Zavala