By Tony Khing

Adrienne Shelton has a way of putting herself in others’ shoes.

As a PG&E employee recently marking 20 years with the company, she works to resolve billing issues with large customers. In her hometown of Oakland, she’s on the lookout for ways to make a difference, volunteering at her church, her kid’s school, and as she says, “just anywhere.”

If anyone’s looking for an example of being empathetic, look no further.

‘Our customers come first’

As a customer success manager, Adrienne supports her coworkers who work with large agricultural and industrial customers. When someone has a billing issue that’s been escalated by an account manager, Adrienne works to “resolve these concerns before they become bigger issues.”

Recently, PG&E changed the billing format for customers who are manually billed. In the past, they got two bills: one that summarized everything and one that was more detailed and broke down the various billing components. The new format has everything on one bill.

“Some of our customers create internal reports based on how we presented the information,” said Adrienne. “But now, they’re not seeing the detail as they had in the past. They’ve had problems reconciling their books. Change can be hard. They’re used to seeing things in a certain way.

“I put myself in their shoes,” she added. “I ask myself what would make me satisfied? I make sure our customers come first.”

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Besides being empathetic, Adrienne consistently shows characteristics valued at PG&E: tenacity, curiosity, and ownership.

“Much of my role involves encouraging people to accomplish tasks and working with internal partners to implement changes,” said Adrienne. “For example, I might say, ‘This customer requires their information formatted in a certain way. Even if only a few customers need this, it’s essential for them to balance their numbers and keep their businesses running.’

“I reach out to anyone necessary to ensure we can implement the change, and I don’t accept ‘no’ easily,” she continued. “I’ll escalate the issue as far as possible until I determine it truly can’t be done.”

Adrienne enjoys solving problems. When a customer explains their needs, she views it as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

“That’s part of why I enjoy my job,” she explained. “Each day brings something different, and we get to work out how to find solutions.”

Making a difference in the community

Not only does Adrienne practice being empathetic at work, but she also brings that trait to her community in Oakland.

“My church has a feeding ministry that feeds the community twice a week,” said Adrienne. “I go as often as I can. For Thanksgiving, I took my kids and family and we served dinner to the homeless.”

Adrienne has also been a member of the company’s Black Employee Resource Group for 19 of her 20 years. This past year, one of her ERG responsibilities was supporting the scholarship program, which provides awards to college-bound students.

“The students are very appreciative when they get their scholarship checks and have someone follow up with them,” she said. “It’s important to make a difference in their lives.”

Perhaps Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of Adrienne, who honors his legacy by making service a part of her life—not just for one day, but every day. On Jan. 19, Adrienne and her family will take the Celebration Train from San Jose to San Francisco and then participate in the annual march through the city to honor King’s birthday.

Her motivation is deeply personal. Her father grew up in segregated Arkansas, and his stories shaped her understanding of resilience, justice, and gratitude.

“It’s important for my kids to know their history and how fortunate we are to be in this time and place,” she said. “We’re so blessed to have many of the things we have. It’s important we don’t take any of that for granted.”

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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media 

Elected in November 2024 to represent California’s 35th Senate District, Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) brings decades of experience to her role.

Before elected office, she served as a legislative staffer at the local, state, and federal levels and built a strong academic foundation, earning a political science degree from UCLA and an MBA from USC.

Richardson says she remains deeply committed to empowering residents, strengthening neighborhoods, and supporting the local economy.

For example, SB 748, a bill she authored that Gov. Newsom signed into law this year, allows cities to use existing homelessness funds to clear unsafe RV encampments, and another measure aimed at expanding provider access for Medi-Cal patients.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Richardson about her successes and disappointments over the past year and her plans for 2026.

What stands out as your most important achievement this year?

Being number one in getting the most bills signed by a freshman senator. Our team and staff were able to effectively move legislation through committees in both the Senate and Assembly and gain the governor’s support.

How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians?

Securing overall agency support from the governor to begin the work of understanding and documenting descendants of slavery. The discussion around “40 acres and a mule” will be ongoing for many years, but moving forward with creating an agency—although not fully funded—was significant. They were baby steps, but they were steps.

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What frustrated you the most this year?

The administration. Even though federal and state roles differ, California has its own values and priorities. When the federal government makes cuts that impact Californians, the state legislature feels the need to backfill to protect people. It was challenging and frustrating.

What inspired you the most this year?

SB 237, which I was a joint principal author on, inspired me. It dealt with fuel stability. Two refineries closed, and several others are barely hanging on. Even as we work toward zero emissions, we still need a certain amount of fuel. SB 237 opened up some of the fuel potential in Kern County, and there’s a pipeline from Kern County down to my district.

What is one lesson you learned this year that will inform your decision-making next year?

Engage the governor’s staff earlier. I’m going to push to involve the governor’s legislative staff sooner.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians are facing right now?

Affordability. No matter how much you make, everything is more expensive—gas, groceries, insurance, mortgages. Costs keep rising while salaries don’t.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?

Creating a process for dealing with abandoned cemeteries.

The last piece—not specific to this year but building toward the future—is figuring out how people and businesses in the district and in California can participate in major events like the Olympics, FIFA, and the Super Bowl, all of which are taking place here.

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By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Representing the 28^th Senate District, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) brings a lifelong commitment to working families.

After earning her communications degree from California State University Hayward (now known as CSU, East Bay), Smallwood-Cuevas began her career as a journalist telling the stories of working people—an experience that drew her into the labor movement.

Since being elected to the California State Senate, Smallwood-Cuevas has championed legislation that strengthens worker protections, expands access to justice, and uplifts historically marginalized communities.

California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Smallwood-Cuevas about her successes and disappointments this year, as well as her goals for 2026.

What stands out as your most important accomplishment this year?

I’m proud of how we fought back against the Trump Administration’s attacks, especially on the budget, and strengthened protections for workers while fortifying the cultural power of Black Los Angeles. Workers’ rights remained central in my bill package because my background in organizing taught me a simple truth: when workers do well, communities do well.

I also moved forward with the creation of California’s first Black cultural district in South LA. Amid gentrification, this district will protect cultural assets and bring resources as Los Angeles prepares for the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games.

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How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians this year?

We must name the disparities Black communities face—higher homelessness, incarceration, and health incidents. During the budget fight, when the governor proposed zero dollars for homelessness, I pushed hard. We secured $500 million for homelessness response, reinstated $1 billion for supportive programs, and added another $500 million for affordable housing.

What frustrated you most this year?

Our people are under attack. Racial profiling is creeping back into federal policy. Crime is being weaponized to justify disproportionate incarceration—even though crime rates are at historic lows.

But what frustrated me most was how quickly diversity, equity, and inclusion were rolled back through federal orders and preemptive action by corporations and foundations.

What has been your greatest inspiration this year?

Our resilience. California does not stay down. The movement around Proposition 50 was incredibly inspiring. I saw unity across Black California.

What is one lesson you’ve learned this year that will guide your decision-making next year?

Black California is resilient and brilliant. We are stronger than our opposition. And the lesson echoes Dr. King: “Organize, baby, organize.” We must build coalitions across local, county, and state levels.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge facing Black Californians?

Visibility. Visibility is power. We must be present—in rooms, on boards, in media, in headlines. We cannot retreat from Black identity.

What is the goal you most hope to achieve in 2026?

Economic stability. When California enters a recession, Black communities enter a depression. My goal is to advance policies that create real economic opportunity through safety-net protections, contract access, and targeted local hiring for quality jobs. crisis.

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