Former California Senator Toni Atkins closed out our 11th Annual Rural West Conference yesterday afternoon. "I can't tie this all up in a bow," she said, acknowledging that the challenges facing the Central Valley, California, and the nation as a whole, are immense. "We have to stand in the complexity of the moment." But Atkins remains optimistic. Though she agreed with the sentiment in the room that the dire threat of climate change demands rapid action, and that implementing solutions can be a very slow a process, she also expressed a deep confidence in the people of the Central Valley. "I understand that things have taken too long, and I think we can do better," she conceded. "But the promise of the Central Valley is right here." She continued, "As we move into 2025, I am optimistic. I am in the Valley, and the people here are resilient. You’ve brought to the attention of government the areas where you need help...[and] when I find good people coming together to try to solve these big problems -- when it comes to energy, water and climate, you are ground zero for figuring out what needs to be done." The Bill Lane Center shares Atkins' optimism, and her final remarks echo the mission and purpose of our conference in the first place. The Center's entire Rural West Initiative is about bringing stakeholders together, listening to one another, sharing challenges and collaborating on solutions. We couldn't agree more with Atkins' parting words for attendees: "I hope you are able to take what you’ve learned here and the relationships you've made, and go forward and collaborate and listen to each other." We thank the Eccles family, our partners at The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute and The California Water Institute, all of our expert panelists, and everyone in the audience who made the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference such a success. We look forward to seeing you all next year! https://lnkd.in/g7RDYcb6 ??: Toni Atkins gives closing remarks at the 11th Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference. Photo by Geoff McGhee
