Interesting People
Blossoms & Bees
Four years ago, I wrote about an undeveloped Pocket property for sale. The 4-acre parcel stretched from Pocket Road to the Sacramento River. Descendants of Albert Mendes Rodgers, a Portuguese rancher, hoped new owners would restore the property to its former glory.
The parcel was sold in 2023 to Dawn McGuire and Aaron Burt. The buyers are siblings who envision an urban farm to honor the land’s history.
Magic Art
Lois Buchter—Miss Lois to her students—has a lifelong affair with drawing. She loves sharing that passion with kids ages 5 to 10.
Buchter ran the nation’s largest Monart School of Art franchise in Texas from 2008 to 2013. Now she brings her expertise to Sacramento with a new children’s educational television program.
“I want to give that gift of creativity,” Buchter says. “I know how the beast roars. You think you’ll feed it and it’ll be quiet, but no, it wants more. It’s such a rewarding, self-fulfilling elevation. I want to give that to kids on a national basis.”
Marching Orders
When Daniel Fong says Mandarins of Sacramento—now called Mandarins Performing Arts—is “kind of my whole life,” it’s no exaggeration.
Fong has been part of the drum and bugle corps for decades. His interest began in third grade when his older brother joined Mandarins. Fong played in the corps from 12 to 21, the age limit.
He stayed on as brass instructor and music arranger while studying zoology at UC Davis and optometry at UC Berkeley. He joined the Mandarins board in 2017 and became CEO in 2021.
“People form lifelong relationships in the Mandarins,” Fong says. “My best friends now are the ones I marched with back in the 1970s.”
Looped In
A chat with Nisa Hayden explains why she has so many successful careers. It’s about people skills.
As an actor, freelance writer, gallery director, arts consultant and garden manager, Hayden’s ability to connect led to a wildly diverse employment history.
The Alaska native grew up in the East Bay and planned to become an attorney. A summons to jury duty at age 18 “turned me off the process,” she says, and prompted her to forego a partial college scholarship.
Giant Steps
Crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon is an achievement. Doing it 30 consecutive times is monumental. That’s what Pocket resident Jim Geary accomplished at age 79.
He’s worn out hundreds of running shoes since taking up the sport in 1968 at Marine Corps officer candidate school. The retired attorney estimates he’s run almost every race, from 5 kilometers to marathons, in the Sacramento region.
Life Lessons
Jilian Bar-or has a sign in her office that reads, “This is the Work.”
It’s a reminder why she loves her job as head of Shalom School on Sierra Boulevard.
“I’m so committed to the work Shalom School is doing,” says Bar-or, entering her 12th year at the school. “We serve such a specific purpose in the region that’s very important and valuable.”
An independent day campus that serves students age 2 through sixth grade, Shalom School offers rigorous academics and a nurturing environment rooted in Jewish traditions.
