Jane Richardson SHE HAS A TASTE FOR LAND PARK
BY JESSICA LASKEY VOLUNTEER PROFILE
J
ane Richardson has discovered the daily benefits of being part of a neighborhood community firsthand. “I’ve met so many more people in the community through the Land Park Community Association than I would have otherwise,” Richardson says. “It’s been such a learning experience.” Though Richardson didn’t land in Land Park until 2009, she had long heard its praises sung by her father and grandparents (all native Sacramentans). “I would hear from them that it was such an established neighborhood, but I didn’t experience it until I moved here,” Richardson says. “Now I’ve gotten used to the structure, to being part of the community that lives around the park. I love seeing the same faces every day.” That sense of camaraderie was in fact Richardson’s main goal in joining LPCA last year. After completing her master’s degree in business at Sacramento State and establishing a small environmental consulting business out of her home, Richardson decided it was time to meet and greet. “I was finding that being self-employed might not be a forever thing, so I wanted to do more outreach in community,” Richardson says. “I wanted to gain more experience in issues and advocacy in the area, and
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Jane Richardson enjoys the camaraderie of the Land Park Community Association
that’s what the LPCA does. Its most valuable asset is its connectiveness. The organization has great name recognition with city officials. And because the membership body encompasses the whole neighborhood,
it’s very useful as a voice for Land Park residents.” Now in her second year with the association as both a board member and the communications chair, Richardson is responsible for a variety
of tasks, including managing the website, moving the newsletter from paper to digital (a clever cost-saving and readership-boosting move) and, for the second year in a row, prepping for LPCA’s big annual event, A Taste of Land Park, on Sunday, June 8. “I’ve worked on the event web page, online ticket sales, marketing, T-shirt design and troubleshooting,” Richardson says. “But it’s really Kelly Mishell, the event coordinator, who runs the whole show.” A Taste of Land Park is the association’s largest event of the year, with dozens of beverage and food vendors, lots of live entertainment, art and activities galore. “The whole organization is really about giving back to the community,” Richardson explains. “The proceeds from events like Taste and our membership dues go to fund local projects, like bike racks made by a local artist going up in front of the Sacramento Zoo and park benches, as well as grant scholarships for school kids. We recently donated money to the McClatchy High School debate team. We’re also hoping to eventually fund a part-time position at the LPCA to respond even more quickly to people who contact us and maintain an active dialogue between our members and city officials. The more stable and consistent we are, the stronger we can be.” For more information on LPCA or A Taste of Land Park, go to landpark.org. n