Next week I’ll be joining policymakers, elections officials and voter advocates in Sacramento for the first-ever Future of California Elections conference. The event, organized by California Common Cause, will spotlight the collaborative efforts of election administrators, civil rights groups and reform advocates over the last year and a half to expand voter participation and improve the effectiveness of elections in the Golden State.

Working together in 2012, the members of the Future of California Elections successfully advanced same-day voter registration, strengthened the National Voter Registration Act, helped implement online voter registration and improved the state voter guide. Originally brought together by Irvine, the group recently became an independent project to support ongoing collaboration in coming years.

At the January 23 conference, the group will discuss with policymakers and the public opportunities to further improve California elections. Learn more about the conference here, including the full agenda and details about how to register.

Today we kick off an exciting month for the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards. We are pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2014 Leadership Awards. And in just a few short weeks, we’ll announce the recipients of the 2013 Leadership Awards. It’s going to be a celebratory, inspiring month!

Each year the Leadership Awards recognize four to six leaders who are tackling big issues in California and offering breakthrough solutions that can contribute to a better future for our state. We welcome nominations of leaders from all corners of the state and from any field – such as education, health, public safety, economic development or the environment – in the public, private or nonprofit sector.

Past recipients have worked on issues as diverse as providing mental health care for returning veterans, building vibrant communities for seniors, reducing youth recidivism and installing solar panels in low-income communities. What these leaders have in common is that they are advancing innovative, effective solutions to significant issues in California.

Please take a moment to tell us about someone who is improving California and nominate him or her for a 2014 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. The deadline for nominations is April 5, 2013.

Irvine is pleased to announce the election of Tim Rios to its Board of Directors. Tim, 42, is based in Fresno as a Senior Vice President for Wells Fargo’s Government and Community Relations Group. He is responsible for implementing the company’s community and economic development programs in Northern and Central California, the Inland Empire and San Diego and Imperial counties.

Tim joined Wells Fargo in 1997 and during the course of his career he has held various positions in retail, wholesale and business banking. He has been recognized by the California State Senate and Assembly and was reappointed to California’s Economic Strategy Panel in 2010 by former Gov. Schwarzenegger. In 2005, he was presented with the Financial Services Champion Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Irvine’s Board of Directors approved $14.5 million in grants at its quarterly meeting last week. Of the 53 grants approved, 32 are in the Arts, three in California Democracy, four in our Youth program, 13 in Special Initiatives and one in Special Opportunities. I’d like to highlight some of the grants that we are excited about:

Exploring Engagement Fund – Our Arts program is supporting 19 arts organizations that are experimenting with new ways of engaging audiences and participants as part of our Exploring Engagement Fund. The goal of the new strategy is to promote engagement in the arts for all Californians — the kind that embraces and advances the diverse ways that we experience the arts and that strengthens our ability to thrive together in a dynamic and complex social environment.

The Milken Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank based in Los Angeles, is known for its annual conferences about California. Every year, the institute has brought together influential leaders to examine the range of opportunities and challenges facing the state. Irvine was a sponsor of this year’s conference.

At the all-day event held earlier this month, after sessions on a range of issues – including education, energy and the state’s finances – the focus of the conference turned to leadership. In a panel discussion moderated by Irvine President and CEO Jim Canales, several California leaders from the business, nonprofit and educational sectors offered their thoughts about what inspires them about California today and how leaders can build and shape investments in its future.