BACKGROUND

Before Ann Edwards took the reins, Sacramento County was in a state of quiet chaos. Leadership abuse made headlines. The internal culture was fear-based and rigid. Teams operated in silos, and promotions were driven by tenure rather than talent.

“No one even said hello in the hallway. The executive floor was silent. People were afraid to speak.”

– Ann Edwards, Former County Executive

After watching her successfully transform the Department of Human Assistance, the Board of Supervisors tapped Ann to lead the entire county through a similar transformation. She agreed but on one condition: that she be allowed to focus on culture, and be empowered to invest in it.

THE SOLUTION

Ann partnered with The Pacific Institute® (TPI) to lead a values-based transformation from the inside out. The work began at DHA and expanded countywide under her leadership.

THOUGHT PATTERNS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE® FIVE.ZERO (TPHP):

Ann launched the TPHP mindset program with 100% of her executive leadership team. Managers followed. Over time, staff across departments began opting in. Many became champions of the change themselves.

At DHA, one major union leader emerged as a strong advocate for the initiative, embracing the mindset work and promoting it among staff. Others were initially more reserved in their support. Ann approached this early adversity by focusing on inclusion, transparency, and clear outcomes. She earned trust through consistent action rather than promises. As progress continued, the results began to speak for themselves.

What started as organizational learning became something much bigger. Employees lost weight. Paid off debt. Left toxic relationships. One even quit to write a science fiction novel.

“We thought we were just learning leadership tools. It turned out we were learning how to live better.”

– Program Participant

HEALING BEGINS AT THE TOP

TPI consultants led emotionally vulnerable sessions with Ann’s executive team, helping them process past traumas and repair relationships that had long been broken.

“It was like family therapy. People cried. They also came back stronger.”

– Ann Edwards

VALUES THAT MEANT SOMETHING

Together, the leadership team and 50+ managers defined a shared core purpose:

“To Improve Lives.”

They aligned on values, defined behaviors that supported them, and took the message on the road—literally. With frontline staff by their side, they held 20+ “roadshow” sessions across county departments, speaking directly with employees.

CULTURE CAFES & STAFF-DRIVEN STRATEGY

With the first culture survey as a benchmark, the team launched “Culture Cafes” across the county. Employees gathered in small groups to brainstorm solutions to pressing culture challenges.

The result: Over 1,000 actionable ideas

The team hired a data analyst to organize responses, develop strategic themes, and return with a clear plan. Employees were then invited to validate the results and help implement them.

“We’d never been asked what we thought. Suddenly, our voices mattered.”

– Culture Cafe Participant

EXECUTIVE-LEVEL TRANSFORMATION

When Ann became County Executive, she didn’t slow down. She brought TPHP to the executive floor. She trained internal facilitators. She delegated ownership of the initiative to her communications director so the effort wouldn’t just be “Ann’s program,” but a county-wide legacy.

Within months, the office environment had shifted:

• Employees greeted one another by name
• Teams collaborated
• Retired leaders returned to help
• The county’s largest union leader asked:

“Are you going to bring this culture work to the rest of the county too? Because it made a huge difference at DHA.”

THE OUTCOME

A CULTURE REWRITTEN

• Fear-based leadership was replaced with empathy and accountability
• Dysfunctional departments turned into aligned teams
• Personal breakthroughs improved lives beyond the workplace
• The mindset work became a unifying language across county leadership
• Union leaders and frontline workers rallied behind the changes

“All I did was thank someone by name and she was stunned. That’s how low the bar was.”

– Ann Edwards

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

Ann wasn’t afraid to make tough decisions, and handled them gracefully. High-performing but culturally misaligned leaders were coached, reassigned, or released—with compassion and clarity.

“If I had let toxic leadership slide, I would’ve signaled to the entire organization that the culture didn’t matter. That wasn’t an option.”

She led by example and by heart.

LEGACY & SUSTAINABILITY

After Ann’s retirement in 2024, the organization entered a new chapter. While the approach to culture has naturally evolved under new leadership, the foundation she built continues to influence how people lead, communicate, and show up for one another.

• Leadership behaviors remain more inclusive
• The language of belief, mindset, and accountability is still part of the organization’s DNA
• Employees carry forward their sense of ownership and unlimited possibility

“What I’m proudest of is that people started to feel good about coming to work again. That’s everything.”

– Ann Edwards

CONCLUSION

Sacramento County didn’t just improve policies, it reshaped how people worked, led, and lived. With courage, clarity, and The Pacific Institute’s product and service expertise, a fractured government culture became a model of belief-driven leadership.

“This wasn’t just culture work. It was people work. And it changed everything.”