Thousand Oaks, Ventura 'Hands Off!' protests bring out thousands
All four corners of the intersection of Lynn Road and Hillcrest Drive in Thousand Oaks were packed to the brim with protesters holding signs and chanting as part of the Hands Off! National Day of Action Saturday.
"I honestly got emotional," said Bryan Stern, 40, from Thousand Oaks. The turnout was more than Stern expected and seeing and hearing the way his city turned out to protest recent actions taken by the Trump administration made him proud, he said. Stern attended the rally along with his girlfriend, Risa Middleton, 44, and her parents.
While the protest fell under the Hands Off! umbrella of demonstrations around the U.S. Saturday, the event was put together by local organizations Indivisible Simi Valley, Indivisible Conejo and Women United for Change, said Leanna Brand of Indivisible Simi Valley.
Organizers counted around 1,300 sign-ups before the event, but they estimate more than 2,000 attendees showed up to the intersection from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Brand said.
The intersection was full of people of all ages and backgrounds highlighting an array of causes including climate change, health care, social security, tariffs, women's rights and more.
"I'm appalled by what they are trying to do to our democracy," said Lisa Richardson, 69, of Thousand Oaks, referencing President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.
Participants also lined the sidewalk along West Hillcrest Drive, east of Lynn Road, around the edge of the mall. They held signs and chanted slogans such as "Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go."
Audrey and Mike Spadone, 67 and 64, respectively, traveled from San Fernando to attend. Mike was no stranger to protests, having taken part in many against climate change. His wife Audrey was a first-time protester who attended despite being typically overwhelmed with crowds, the couple said.
The Thousand Oaks demonstration wasn't the only one held in Ventura County Saturday. Some gathered in Ojai. In Ventura, Justice for All Ventura County along with Indivisible's Ventura chapter and 50501 held a similar event at the Ventura County Government Center from 10 a.m. to noon.
Shane Meserve, board president for Justice for All Ventura County, said organizers estimate at least 1,500 people attended the Ventura gathering, which also included people originally slated to protest at Ventura City Hall.
Demonstrators filled up all four corners at Victoria Avenue and Telephone Road, she said. They also extended along Victoria nearly to Highway 101, she said.
People were already demonstrating when Meserve arrived around 9:20 a.m., she said, and were still at it when she left around 2 p.m.
"People are hot to trot right now," she said. "We want folks to know we are not happy with the way the federal government is going."
No significant incidents were reported to law enforcement as of late afternoon. The Thousand Oaks demonstration remained peaceful, said Ventura County Sheriff's Capt. Mike McConville. Ventura Police Department Cmdr. Ryan Weeks said no issues had been reported at the Ventura event.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Thousand Oaks, Ventura 'Hands Off!' protests draw thousands
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
California Lt. Governor says Los Angeles riots are 'generated by Donald Trump'
California Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis insisted the ongoing anti-ICE riots happening in Los Angeles on Sunday were a direct result of President Donald Trump's actions. Riots broke out in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday as immigration officials carried out raids to remove individuals illegally residing in the city. On Saturday, Trump deployed the National Guard to quell the violence, though California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the president of simply wanting a "spectacle." Kounalakis, a Democrat, echoed Newsom's sentiment on "CNN Newsroom" by suggesting the demonstrations were peaceful and manageable before Trump was involved. Sen. Cory Booker Calls Los Angeles Riots 'Peaceful,' Slams Trump For Deploying National Guard "What started yesterday was about 400 protesters in two separate locations. 400 altogether, and local law enforcement was absolutely capable of managing those kinds of protests," Kounalakis said. "So bringing in the National Guard, threatening now to bring in the Marines, this is a crisis that is being ginned up and generated by Donald Trump for more of his political theater. It's deeply concerning that he is attempting to rile people up in this way." Kounalakis added that the "biggest concern" was the ongoing raids conducted by the Trump administration in major cities like Los Angeles. She claimed people who are only being "profiled" as undocumented immigrants were "being swept up in them." Read On The Fox News App "It is not what I think most people thought when the president said that he was going to go after violent criminals, going into kitchens and rounding people up and asking for their papers, detaining them. That's really the precursor to it all." She continued, "But even as people are voicing their disagreement with that, calling in the National Guard in the way that he did was not necessary. Absolutely overkill and seems to now be escalating the problem because of Donald Trump's actions." Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture Kounalakis also revealed a lawsuit will likely be filed against the Trump administration for the deployment. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the president sending in the National Guard in an X post on Monday, saying, "Gavin Newsom did nothing as violent riots erupted in Los Angeles for days." She went on to say that the governor "was too weak to protect the city." The riots entered their third day in California on Sunday, forcing officials to shut down the 101 Freeway. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 500 Marines are on a "prepared to deploy" status and 2,000 California Army National Guard soldiers have been placed under federal command and control. There are currently 300 members of the California Army National Guard's combat team deployed in several article source: California Lt. Governor says Los Angeles riots are 'generated by Donald Trump'
Forbes
24 minutes ago
- Forbes
LA Protests: Trump Suggests He'd Back Arrest Of Gavin Newsom (Live Updates)
President Donald Trump on Monday suggested he would support the arrest of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has dared the Trump administration to detain him over the state's handling of anti-immigration protests in Los Angeles, though border czar Tom Homan said there were no talks to detain Newsom. President Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday in Washington. (Photo by Win ...) 9:40 a.m. EDTTrump, when asked about Newsom daring Homan to arrest him, said he 'would do it if I were Tom—I think it's great,' claiming Newsom is 'grossly incompetent.' Earlier on Monday, Homan told Fox News that while 'no one's above the law,' there was 'no discussion' about arresting Newsom. 9:40 a.m. EDTWaymo removed vehicles from the downtown Los Angeles area and suspended service 'out of an abundance of caution' following guidance from the Los Angeles Police Department, though the robotaxi firm noted it was still operating in the greater Los Angeles region. At least six Waymo vehicles set ablaze Sunday and the company was in touch with the Los Angeles Police Department for an investigation, Waymo spokesperson Chris Bonelli told Forbes, as law enforcement warned burning lithium-ion batteries used in the cars release toxic gases, posing possible health risks, and to avoid the area. 8:54 a.m. EDTNewsom signaled he would sue Trump over his decision to send the National Guard into the state, alleging Trump 'flamed the fires and illegally acted.' June 9, 5 a.m. EDTAt least 60 people were arrested in San Francisco after police reportedly clashed with a group of protestors who gathered to show solidarity with the Los Angeles protestors and oppose the Trump administration's immigration crackdown and deployment of national guard troops to quell protests. 4 a.m. EDTIn a post on his Truth Social platform Trump mentioned the LAPD's comments from the press conference about reassessing the situation about bring in the national guard, and wrote 'He should, RIGHT NOW!!! Don't let these thugs get away with this.' In follow up posts Trump wrote: 'Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS,' and 'ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW!' 3:30 a.m. EDTThe LAPD told reporters at a late night press conference that it had arrested 10 people on Sunday, bring the day's total tally to 27 after adding to the California Highway Patrol's 17 arrests. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters that he was aware of the 'deep fear and anxiety' among the immigrant community, and said the department is 'committed to transparency, accountability, and treating every Angeleno with respect, regardless of their immigration status.' When asked about the need for National Guard presence, McDonnell told reporters, 'tonight this thing has gotten out of control' but he would have to know more about their intended role before making that determination and added: 'we got to make a reassessment.' 2:30 a.m. EDTLos Angeles Police Department said an 'UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY' declaration has been issued 'for the area of the Civic Center part of Los Angeles' and said people with with 'Cell Phones in the received the alert.' 1:30 a.m. EDTAccording to the New York Times, a man tried to aim his van at protesters near a gas station in downtown Los Angeles, but it is unclear if any people were harmed. The LAPD later told the Times that it had detained the van driver, and noted 'multiple charges to follow.' 12:30 a.m. EDTThe Los Angeles Police Department has announced that gatherings at Downtown Los Angeles have 'been declared as an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY,' as it ordered people to 'leave the Downtown Area immediately.' June 8, 11.45 p.m. EDTIn an interview with MSNBC, Newsom dared the Trump administration to come and arrest him in response to earlier comments by the president's border czar Tom Homan threatened to go after any official who interferes the immigration crackdown. Newsom told MSNBC, 'Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with, tough guy...I don't give a damn, but I care about my community.' In his interview, Newsom once again accused Trump of 'putting fuel on the fire,' with his actions and confirmed that his state will file a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday. 11.30 p.m. EDTCalifornia's Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis told CNN that she expects state officials to file a federal lawsuit on Monday against the Trump administration's move to federalize and deploy the National Guard in Los Angeles. Kounalakis said the lawsuit will say that the president did not have the 'authority to call in the National Guard for 400 people protesting in a way that local law enforcement could clearly handle it.' Earlier in the evening, Newsom said he had made a formal request to the White House to 'rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command,' The governor said: 'This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed.' 4 p.m. EDTWhen asked by reporters whether he would invoke the Insurrection Act, the law that gives presidents the authority to deploy the military domestically, Trump said, 'Depends on whether or not there's an insurrection,' adding he does not think the Los Angeles protests are an insurrection, though he said there are 'violent people, and we're not going to let them get away with it.' Trump said he called Newsom and told him he had to 'take care' of the protests, otherwise he would 'send in the troops,' and he told a reporter who asked whether California officials who obstruct deportations would face federal charges: 'If officials stand in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face charges.' 1:30 p.m. EDTAbout 300 members of the National Guard have been stationed across Los Angeles so far, The New York Times reported, the first soldiers as part of the 2,000 Trump has promised to station across the city as more protests are expected to take place this afternoon. 1 p.m. EDTLos Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told the Los Angeles Times said she tried to talk to the Trump administration to 'tell them that there was absolutely no need to have troops on the ground here in Los Angeles,' stating the protests on Saturday were 'relatively minor' and 'peaceful,' with about 100 protesters. 3:22 a.m. EDTBass appeared to rebuff Trump's claim the National Guard did a 'great job' in the city, stating in a post on X that the National Guard had not yet been deployed at that time in Los Angeles, while praising Newsom and local law enforcement. 2:41 said in a late-night Truth Social post the National Guard did a 'great job' in Los Angeles, while slamming Newsom and Bass and the 'Radical Left' protesters and stating protesters will no longer be allowed to wear masks: 'What do these people have to hide, and why???' 12:14 slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for 'threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens' as 'deranged behavior.' June 7The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said it had arrested two people Saturday evening for alleged assault on a police officer, stating multiple officers had been injured by a Molotov cocktail, the Los Angeles Times reported. 10:34 exhibited 'violent behavior' toward federal agents and local law enforcement, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement, while clarifying it is not involved in federal law enforcement response and is instead focused on crowd and traffic control. 10:22 a post on X, Newsom said the federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying soldiers in Los Angeles solely to create a 'spectacle.' 10:06 announced in a post on X the Department of Defense is 'mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles,' stating Marines are standing by for deployment in case of violence. 9:17 House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Trump would deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to address 'lawlessness,' citing protests targeting immigration officers. National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) ... More Members of the National Guard stand guard outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, MDC in downtown ... More Los Angeles. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., speaks to reporters near where the National Guard troops are ... More stationed. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) A woman carries a Mexican flag in front of National Guard troops in Los Angeles. (Photo by Spencer ...) Protests broke out Friday and Saturday in Paramount and Compton, cities adjacent to Los Angeles, over immigration raids conducted by ICE, during which the agency detained 44 immigrants Friday and 118 immigrants Saturday, the Associated Press reported. Police and protesters clashed over the weekend, according to local reports and videos on social media, with law enforcement using tear gas and flash grenades to break up the crowds while some protesters threw rocks and lit vehicles on fire. Glendale, California, announced Sunday the city had terminated an agreement with Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allowed the agencies to house federal detainees at the city's police facility. Glendale officials said the move was 'a local decision and was not made lightly,' as the city 'recognizes that public perception of the ICE contract—no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good—has become divisive.' Glendale's city manager opted to end the contract after 'careful evaluation of legal, operational and community considerations,' the city said, noting the decision was not 'politically driven.' Trump reportedly said in a memo he is invoking Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services, which allows the federal government to deploy the National Guard if the United States is 'invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation,' or if there is a 'rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' Vice President JD Vance said in a post on X on Saturday night the influx of immigrants, which he called 'Biden's border crisis,' amounts to an 'invasion,' rebuffing critics who have questioned whether Trump had the authority to deploy troops. Trump's move has faced some pushback from constitutional scholars. 'For the federal government to take over the California National Guard, without the request of the governor, to put down protests is truly chilling,' Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law, told the Los Angeles Times. The legal issues raised by Trump sending the National Guard to L.A. (Los Angeles Times)
Forbes
32 minutes ago
- Forbes
Musk And Trump's Master Class In What CEOs Should Not Do
When a CEO has a falling out with another leader, it's usually not a huge news story. But when that CEO is Elon Musk, it's another matter entirely. The CEO of companies including Tesla, SpaceX and xAI is known for his dramatic and mercurial management and personal style, and it's amplified by his social media platform X. And in this case, the other leader is President Donald Trump, who is also known for a dramatic and volatile personal style. Both men are widely considered difficult to work with, and the strength of the close bond they forged (with probably more than a little help from Musk's more than $250 million in campaign contributions during the election) was widely questioned. And last week, it all ended in spectacular fashion. From X, Musk began attacking Trump and the administration for the 'big, beautiful bill'—featuring tax cuts and adding trillions to the deficit—and Trump hit right back on Truth Social, threatening to cancel all of the contracts Musk has with the federal government and pledging to sell the Tesla he bought earlier in the year when Musk brought several models to show off at the White House. And, because both of their social media accounts are public, the world watched, jeered, laughed and memed. The personal attacks have died down and, Forbes' Jeremy Bogaisky points out, it's highly unlikely that all SpaceX contracts will be canceled, considering NASA relies on the company's rockets and satellites. But Trump and Musk have again put on a breathtaking display of what not to do in business. It should be apparent that business leaders should avoid getting into an emotional fight on social media, but neither Trump nor Musk is known for doing things by the book. The feud cratered stock for each man's publicly traded companies—Musk's Tesla and Trump Media and Technology Group—and erased billions from Musk's net worth. As the dust settles, it's unclear what the long-range impact of this flameout will be. Musk was successful in getting some Republicans in Congress and ordinary people to start questioning the spending bill. And though his net worth took a beating, he remains the world's richest person. However, Musk likely will be the loser in the fight, at least in the short term. Musk's role in the Trump Administration, serving as a special government employee who gleefully and mercilessly chainsawed his way through government departments, bureaucracy and career employees, tarring many functions that had existed for generations as 'fraud,' soured the public's perception of him—and Tesla. Musk's car company was already seen to be on the decline, thanks to a series of non-political decisions he made prior to getting involved with Trump, including a pullback on an affordable model, the overly expensive albatross Cybertruck, and a new focus on self-driving taxis. Tesla deliveries and sales have been down, and Forbes' Alan Ohnsman writes that there are many areas where Trump could use federal regulations to attack Musk, including a review that could lead to his robotaxi launch being blocked, or investigations into the carmaker's technology. And many Tesla shareholders, including several union pension funds, are growing increasingly tired of Musk being in the CEO's chair at all. Many are pushing Tesla's board to replace Musk, Ohnsman writes. Nine state treasurers and comptrollers sent Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm a letter last month expressing concern about the risks to their economies if Tesla falters. Whatever happens next with Musk will determine many things for the long and short term. When society is tumultuous, people often look back to nostalgic memories—and for many around the world, Crayola has an outsized role in their childhood. I spoke with CEO Pete Ruggiero, who has worked at the creativity company for nearly a quarter century, about how they use nostalgia and creativity innovation to drive brand growth. An excerpt from our conversation is later in this newsletter. getty It's not just you; everyone is having a difficult time right now. In Q2, the Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence fell by 26 points, bottoming out at 34, the largest quarter-over-quarter decline since the quarterly survey began in 1976. Any score under 50, the Conference Board writes, means there were more negative than positive responses. CEOs haven't been this pessimistic since Q4 2022, when high inflation and supply chain difficulties were in full swing. CEOs' responses were pessimistic about many business factors. A total of 82% said today's economic conditions are worse than six months ago. Nearly seven in 10 said conditions in their industries are now worse than they were six months ago. And 64% expect economic conditions to get worse in the next six months. About 83% anticipate a recession in the next 12 to 18 months. The biggest concerns for CEOs in all industries are geopolitical instability, trade and tariffs, and legal and regulatory uncertainty. With all of the issues, however, most CEOs aren't anticipating a deviation from hiring plans. Just under half plan to maintain the size of their workforce, and compared with Q1, only 1% more expect a net reduction. A now hiring sign on the window of a closed Big Lots store in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. For the most part, there were no wild swings in the stock market last week. But that doesn't mean things were uneventful. Employment figures were released, showing weak private sector job growth, according to a report from ADP. The U.S. added just 37,000 private sector jobs—far short of consensus forecasts of 110,000 new positions. Small business employment was down 13,000 and manufacturing jobs were down 3,000. Chris Larkin, head of trading and investing at E-Trade, told Forbes that some tariff-related slowdowns in the market were to be expected. Trump, meanwhile, used the report to demand that the Federal Reserve 'LOWER THE RATE' for baseline interest at its meeting next week. (According to CME FedWatch, 99.9% of analysts think interest rates will not be changed.) The Labor Department's employment report was more optimistic, indicating that the U.S. added 139,000 nonfarm jobs from April to May, and the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. Meanwhile, the newly increased 50% tariffs on most imported steel and aluminum went into effect last Wednesday. Trump had said this increase was necessary to counter 'trade practices that undermine national security,' though it was condemned by global players including the EU and Canada. At the 2025 Forbes Iconoclast Summit last week, hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin shared his frustration with Trump's 'anti-growth' tariff agenda, which he said has 'taken their toll already on our economy.' Griffin wasn't the only one to share that sentiment last week. A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development warned that Trump's tariffs are likely to significantly slow down the global economy, and the U.S. will be one of the nations that is hardest hit. The Clinton Clean Energy Center in Clinton, Illinois. All technology—enterprise or not—appears to be moving toward more sophisticated AI functions. And while AI can do many things, it requires a lot of electricity. Last week, Meta made a deal to get the power it needs, signing a 20-year agreement to purchase all of the power generated at a Constellation Energy nuclear plant in Clinton, Illinois. The agreement starts in June 2027—after an existing state agreement runs out—and will expand the plant's output. Meta has prioritized finding sources of nuclear power, both with new plants and existing ones, to support its technology going forward. The company announced an RFP for nuclear energy developers in December, and says it has shortlisted potential new nuclear power resources. This is the second deal a tech company has made with Constellation to redevelop its nuclear plants for AI. In September, Microsoft announced a 20-year deal with the power provider for one of its reactors at its Three Mile Island facility in Pennsylvania (not impacted by the 1979 meltdown). Constellation has said it expects to restart the reactor by 2028. Amazon and Google have both been investing in small nuclear reactors, and Google announced an investment in three advanced nuclear energy projects by Elementl Power. These deals, coupled with four executive orders from Trump aimed at bolstering nuclear power, seem to herald a new nuclear power age in the U.S., writes Forbes senior contributor David Blackmon. In the meantime, tax incentives for renewable energy sources, including solar panels and wind turbines, are in line to be cut in Trump's latest budget. Still, Forbes senior contributor Ken Silverstein writes, renewable energy is touted by many as the fastest and least expensive way to get more power into the grid—and could also play a huge role in generating the electricity needed for the AI-driven future. Crayola CEO Pete Ruggiero. Pete Ruggiero started working at Crayola in 1997 under its previous name, Binney & Smith. In his time at the company, he's worked in operations, sourcing, supply chain and ran its European business. He was COO from 2020 until last year, when he was named CEO. I spoke with Ruggiero about the company's position at the intersection of creativity and nostalgia for consumers of all ages, and its plans for innovation and expansion. This conversation has been edited for length, clarity and continuity. A longer version is available here. What do you see as the purpose of the Crayola brand? Ruggiero: I see a brand that is ubiquitous. Wherever a consumer is experiencing a creative moment, this brand is present. I see a brand that's global in nature. It's underrepresented outside the United States, yet our brand recognition is surprisingly high in all markets. One of our initiatives is to grow Crayola to be 30% outside of the U.S. and Canada by 2030. It's competitive but we have some work to do there. This whole idea of being wherever the consumer is comes through innovation, international expansion and category expansion. We are right now held tight in what we call the 'Crayola aisle.' The consumer expects us to be in the toy aisle, the craft aisle, at checkout and other places, and we're underrepresented there. You want Crayola to be a brand that's ubiquitous whenever anybody is thinking of creating. How do you expand from what everybody thinks about—a go-to for children's art projects—while using the branding that you have and not alienating the people who have depended on you? It always comes back to the consumer and this majestic brand. You just have to look at some of the work we've been doing. Our Campaign For Creativity was our effort to understand more deeply why creativity is so important to our consumers: Why is it that nine out of 10 parents believe creativity is important for their children, and why is it that 96% of parents use color to help their children understand creativity? We used some of our artwork from the Dream Makers program, and went back to some of the artists who had created that 30 years ago to understand what creativity has meant in their lives. We get a deeper understanding of the consumer. Creativity Week is a program that we've done for the past four years. It started out as a test and we've been able to expand it this year to 44% of all school-aged children in the U.S. This was actors and artists and authors, an Olympian and astronauts all participating in bringing creativity to children. We were in 122 countries doing these programs. The nostalgia and excitement around our brand is very interesting. There's more to us than back-to-school business. We're selling year-round. When I came to this company, we started building inventory in January. We would ship everything out the door, and I'm not sure what we did with ourselves from September until December. The business model now is global and year-round. As soon as the Easter period ended, we're prepping for and shipping back-to-school. As soon as back-to-school is over, we'll be prepping for and shipping Halloween, and then the holiday season. Then we'll go back to school and Valentine's Day. We're actually going a step further to experiential retail with the Crayola Experience. We have a Crayola Experience model—Orlando, Florida, and Easton, Pennsylvania, are the lynchpins—800,000 people come through those two Crayola Experiences a year. The dwell time is three and a half hours. We've expanded that model overseas. We've already announced China and we're announcing other markets shortly. When you think about a brand that moms and teachers and dads trust and kids love and adore, and we have a parent company—Hallmark, [with a] media business, the Hallmark Channel. There's this great opportunity for us to be in more and to enter the studios business. You've seen the company for a long time and from many different viewpoints. How is it different from the CEO's office? I've worked directly for four CEOs, and I've seen five CEOs come through. Each CEO that I've had the chance to work for or with had great ideas and brought great things to this company. One of the first things I did when I became CEO was to pull out their strategic planning exercises, many of which I participated in as a member of the leadership team, and figure out those ideas that are working and those that were really good but whatever reason stalled out. That's the exciting part for me: To be able to step into the chair having seen all of the good work that previous CEOs have done, and take it to the next level. What I'm most excited about bringing to the table is a focus on a very simple strategy of next-level mindset building Crayola for the next quarter century, focused on culture, growth and diversification. The culture here is around collaboration, celebration. We try to celebrate when we win. A culture of: It's healthy to celebrate your problems. It's unhealthy to kick them under the carpet. And a culture of perpetual optimism, that if you say it out loud, it has a pretty good chance of coming to be. The last piece here is we're trying to get excellence in everything we do. As Vince Lombardi said, we're chasing perfection so that we can achieve excellence. That's a very lofty target, but we're going to be very good in things that we do. What advice would you give to other CEOs? Transparency and authenticity are the most important characteristics. Your employees have to trust you. They have to believe in what you're doing. And the only way to gain that trust is through transparency and authenticity. When things aren't good, you take accountability for it. When things are great, you're celebrating it and you're giving credit for the successes. Send us C-suite transition news at forbescsuite@ The first half of 2025 has been a workout for even the most well-prepared CEO, and it looks like things will not be calming down any time soon. To finish the year strong—in terms of both leadership and mental health—take these steps to take care of yourself and be honest with employees and investors. No matter how careful and well-intentioned you are, executives and companies can make mistakes and a public apology may be necessary. Here are some tips to make that apology in a way that is sincere and causes the least amount of brand damage. The House of Representatives passed a bill by voice vote last week that could have a big impact on small business contracts with the federal government. What would it do? A. Limit the size of contracts to $1 million per year B. Require that all contracts be written in plain language C. Require contractors to complete a short answer about how their services will further the Trump Administration's goals D. Remove all diversity requirements See if you got it right here.
