Interesting People
A Family Affair
Josh Nelson, co-founder and CEO of The Kitchen, along with stepdad Randall Selland, mom Nancy Zimmer and sister Tamera Baker have recently earned themselves a Michelin star—the first one ever to be awarded in the Sacramento region. There’s something special about this family that sets them apart. Aside from stellar food, a strong local following (Selland’s Family Restaurant Group, anyone?) and an unshakeable bond, keeping customers at the forefront of everything is their recipe to success. I had the pleasure of chatting with Nelson—while he was on a family trip to Hawaii, no less—about their journey, what guests can expect from The Kitchen and everything in between.
Rarified Winner
Raquel Atawo is among the best tennis players in the world. She has made more than $2.2 million and built a comfortable life with her husband in Sacramento on the strength of her speed, reflexes and groundstrokes. She is tenacious and tough and plays with energy that does not betray her age, 36.
The Big 5-0
In one of his many teachings, Chinese philosopher Confucius wrote of aging, “At fifty, I knew the will of heaven.”
Evette Tsang, Grace Liu and Tian Li Wu thought a lot about this insight as the three friends—who all hail from different parts of mainland China and settled in Sacramento—approached their 50th birthdays.
Wander Woman Erin Elizabeth
Sacramento is changing. The evolution was driven by people who want to build a vibrant “creative class” that explores ideas, personal creativity and engagement in new and unique ways.
Erin Elizabeth personifies the new Sacramento—and our new creative class.
Elizabeth is not new to Sacramento. Her family has farmed in Yolo County for six generations. She graduated from Arizona State with a journalism degree and has worked in public relations around the world, from Mexico City and Bogota to Bangkok and Casablanca. Elizabeth is home now, living in Winters and making a difference in Sacramento.
The Promise of Hope
Lucky for Marsha Spell, she likes “living on the edge.” That is why 10 years ago, she packed up everything she owned and drove from her former home in Southern California to Sacramento to take a job as executive director of Family Promise. The nonprofit organization helps homeless families achieve lasting independence through a 90-day mentoring program.
“Honestly, it’s a God thing,” says Spell, who now lives in Placerville but hails from Tennessee. “I think this is where I was supposed to be. It wasn’t planned. I just followed where I was led. I’ve always wanted to help people—I’m a try-to-fix-it person—and people always seem to call me. Maybe it’s the Southern accent.”
Yukon Gold
There is no easy way to train for a race that requires two or three days in a kayak paddling 444 miles though the pristine wilds of the Canadian Yukon. For practice, there’s a 100-mile paddle event on the Sacramento River from Redding to Chico. But that’s hardly the same.
So how does Marsha Arnold, a 63-year-old case management nurse at Sutter Medical Center, get ready for the most difficult physical challenge of her life?
