Interesting People
Built To Last
Sotiris Kolokotronis will be honored May 7 with The Salvation Army Spirit of Giving Award, a recognition of the developer’s four decades of community-first construction and philanthropy.
Born in Greece, Kolokotronis came to the U.S. for education and opportunity. After studies in economics at University of Athens and UC Berkeley, he founded his company, SKK Developments, in 1987. The company quickly became a force in land development, mixed-use projects and urban revitalization.
Under Kolokotronis, SKK delivered thousands of residential units—single-family homes to multifamily apartments—and commercial space. His portfolio spans billions of dollars in projects, with an emphasis on sustainability, design and socially responsible development.
More Than Sports
Long before youth sports became a year-round industry of travel teams, elite training and escalating costs, Bill Campbell believed athletics should be something simple and more powerful: a place where young people learn discipline, teamwork and confidence, regardless of background or income.
That belief became the foundation of Rio Del Oro Sports Club, one of Sacramento’s most enduring and influential youth sports organizations.
Community Care
Lauren Dibble doesn’t hold back when charting her success. “Thank God I have ADHD,” she says.
This may sound strange coming from a marriage and family therapist who helps clients deal with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, autism and other neurodivergence. For Dibble, the way her mind works is a blessing.
“My brain is hardwired to follow niche interests,” she says. “After college, I tried out a bunch of careers to see what I wanted to double down on. I was an AmeriCorps volunteer. I did outreach in Spanish to agricultural workers. I studied Spanish for mental health professionals in Peru. I worked at a record shop. I did babysitting. I did online merchandising while going to grad school part time at night. I was a tech recruiter.”
Survival Story
East Sacramento resident Ellen Cochrane is publishing her first book, “Follow the Water,” a true story about a young woman’s survival in Peru’s Amazon rainforest after a plane crash.
Cochrane’s book is designed for middle-grade readers, but it’s a fast, compelling read for adults also. Woven throughout are sidebars on topics such as the science of plane crashes and rainforest flora and fauna.
“It’s so critical to train kids in science and in critical thinking so they’ll be able to navigate today’s environment,” says Cochrane, a veteran middle school teacher of English, English-language learners, Spanish and Russian.
Growth Mindset
Agustín Arteaga, new head of the Crocker Art Museum, and I share something in common.
We both worked at the Dallas Museum of Art. I helped organize the Arts & Letters Live literary performance program. Arteaga ran the museum.
Now we cross paths again, this time in Sacramento.
Arteaga became the Crocker’s new Mort and Marcy Friedman director and CEO last July. He calls it “perhaps the best thing to happen to me, to come over here and be at the head of such a great institution.”
