The Ripple Effect

Natalie Hernandez

Public Information Officer, Ventura County Sheriff's Office

Our 2nd VCLA session really communicated to me the profound effect that everyone has on their wider community and how what we do and the choices we make are much more far reaching than what we may perceive.

Jennifer Duston’s exercise on societal trust made me pause and realize that my sphere of influence ripples out beyond just my immediate personal and professional connections. Our action can really affect our wider community. We have a choice every day to be a positive influence on our community and across our county.

Jennifer’s presentation taking place in the second half of our all-day session allowed me to reflect on how every decision that is made in each community that makes up our county really has a long-lasting effect on our quality of life. Our group, which focused on and visited the city of Thousand Oaks, was treated to a presentation by the city of Thousand Oaks’ Economic Development Manager Haider Alawami. I was impressed at the level of coordination and cooperation that Haider cultivates. He shared with us the ways he works to collaborate with companies, and even other cities across the county, to best guide companies as they make their decision to establish their business within the city of Thousand Oaks.

Hearing both from Haider and Jennifer during our session felt like an inside glimpse into the importance of working together in order to create positive ripples across our communities. I was excited to be a part of the process that is creating strong foundations for good working relationships and a more connected community.