meet the stars ✦
2024
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Author & Social Critic
Dr. Cornel West is a renowned intellectual, author of over 20 books, and a veteran professor at institutions like Harvard and Yale. His commitment to social justice continues to inspire a global audience and his currently an independent candidate for U.S. President.
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5-Time NBA Champion
Bill Cartwright has left a lasting impact on basketball as a player and coach, known for his leadership both on and off the NBA court and NBA all-star and three-time NBA Champion.
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Presidential Advisor & Civil Rights Icon
Nathaniel Colley (1918–1992) was Sacramento’s first Black attorney and a leading civil rights advocate. A Yale Law School graduate, he won landmark cases against discrimination in housing, education, and employment, and helped overturn a 1964 California measure allowing housing discrimination.
Colley also advised President John F. Kennedy, contributed to the 1968 Federal Fair Housing Act, and became the first Black member of the California State Board of Education and Chairman of the California Horse Racing Commission.
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Television Actress
Merrin Dungey is celebrated for her roles in popular TV shows such as "Alias" and "The King of Queens," and more recently, "Big Little Lies." Her dynamic performances have garnered her critical acclaim and a strong fan base.
2021
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Local doctors have done valiant work in a volatile work environment and emotionally charged care for the sick and dying.
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City and government workers have never stopped providing waste collection, water treatment, building permits, law enforcement, park maintenance and more.
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Nurses, PAs, assistants, coordinators and administrators work daily through Covid 19 treatments, testing and vaccinations to save lives.
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From grocery stores and drug stores to retailers and food service, essential workers have found ways to stay open and serve the needs of customers.
2019
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MMA World Champion and UFC Hall of Famer
Urijah Faber, known as “The California Kid,” is a Sacramento-based mixed martial artist, entrepreneur, and UFC Hall of Famer. A pioneer of lighter weight classes in MMA, he won the WEC Featherweight Championship in 2006 and became one of the sport’s most influential fighters before retiring in 2017.
Beyond fighting, Faber founded Team Alpha Male in East Sacramento in 2004, helping train top professional fighters while also investing in local businesses and the Sacramento entrepreneurial community.
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Legendary Food and Wine Expert
Darrell Corti, owner of Sacramento’s famed Corti Brothers market, became a nationally respected leader in food and wine, helping pioneer California’s gourmet food movement. Known for introducing unique foods and wines to the region, Corti earned the admiration of culinary icons like Alice Waters and Ruth Reichl, who sought out his expertise on food and wine trends.
Born in 1942 and raised in Tahoe Park, Corti received numerous honors, including induction into the Vintners Hall of Fame in 2008, and remains a legendary figure in the culinary world.
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Major League Baseball Player and Manager
Dusty Baker, a Del Campo High School graduate, joined the Atlanta Braves in 1968 and was on deck when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record. He later played for the Dodgers, winning a World Series in 1981 and earning two All-Star selections.
After retiring in 1986, Baker managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds, and Nationals, leading the Giants to the 2002 National League pennant. He is also credited as part of baseball’s first “high five” with teammate Glenn Burke in 1977.
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Olympic Gold Medalist, Sports Commentator and TV Show Host
Summer Sanders, born in Roseville and a graduate of Oakmont High School, is a former Olympic swimmer who later became a sports commentator and television host. After nearly making the 1988 Olympic team at age 15, she starred at Stanford University, winning eight NCAA titles and back-to-back NCAA Swimmer of the Year honors.
Sanders won three medals at the 1991 World Championships and four medals at the 1992 Olympics in Spain, including two gold medals.
2017
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Entrepreneur & Founder of Tower Records
Russ Solomon, a Sacramento native, founded Tower Records and grew it from a small record shop connected to his father’s drugstore into a global music retail empire with 150 stores in 20 countries. Known for carrying diverse music beyond the Top 40 and keeping stores open late, Solomon helped transform record stores into cultural and social hubs.
Despite the company’s eventual decline with the rise of digital music, Solomon remained active in the industry and was honored for his impact on music retail, including induction into the California Hall of Fame in 2016.
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WNBA Star and Olympic Athlete
Ruthie Bolton, born in Mississippi in 1967, became a star for the Sacramento Monarchs and one of the most accomplished players in women’s basketball. A standout at Auburn University and a U.S. Army Reserve officer, she won Olympic gold medals with Team USA in 1996 and 2000, as well as World Championship titles, helping establish USA women’s basketball as a global powerhouse.
Bolton joined the Monarchs in 1997 and helped lead Sacramento to a WNBA championship in 2005. Off the court, she has coached, promoted women’s sports worldwide, spoken out against domestic violence, and authored two books.
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Olympic Athlete & Humanitarian
Billy Mills, a Lakota Sioux runner from South Dakota, overcame poverty and the loss of his parents to become the first American to win Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1964 Tokyo Games. After earning a scholarship to the University of Kansas and serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mills shocked the world with one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history.
Following his victory, he was inducted into multiple halls of fame, received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Obama, starred in Running Brave, and became a leading advocate for Native American youth and fitness programs.
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Author & Philanthropist
Nicholas Sparks, bestselling author of The Notebook and 19 other New York Times bestsellers, grew up in Fair Oaks and graduated as valedictorian from Bella Vista High School in 1984. His novels have sold over 125 million copies worldwide, inspired 11 major films, and generated nearly $1 billion at the box office.
A former Notre Dame track athlete, Sparks began writing in college and later co-authored Wokini with Olympian Billy Mills. Beyond writing and film production, Sparks is a major philanthropist, donating millions to schools, scholarships, creative writing programs, and at-risk youth initiatives through the Nicholas Sparks Foundation.
2016
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Entrepreneur & Founder of Tower Records
"I’m really humbled and honored to have this opportunity to be among the first group to have their names etched into the Sacramento Walk of Stars."
Timothy B. Schmit, a Sacramento native and Encina High School graduate, rose to fame as bassist and vocalist for Poco before joining the Eagles in 1977. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the Eagles in 1998, Schmit helped shape one of the most successful rock bands of all time.
Raised in Arden Arcade, Schmit attended American River College and Sacramento State before leaving Sacramento in 1969 to pursue music. He has often credited Sacramento and its community as a major influence on his life and career.
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Science & Technology
"I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized as one of the inductees of the Sacramento Walk of Stars."
Dr. Ernie Bodai is a renowned breast cancer surgeon, UC Davis clinical professor, and director of Kaiser Permanente’s nationally recognized Breast Health Center. He led the effort to create the U.S. Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which has raised more than $80 million for research through over one billion stamps sold.
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Bodai escaped the 1957 Hungarian Revolution with his family and later earned his medical degree from UC Davis. He has authored more than 250 medical articles, holds multiple patents, and has dedicated his career to advancing breast cancer research and awareness worldwide.
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Olympic Athlete
Debbie Meyer, a Carmichael native, made Olympic history at age 16 by becoming the first and only woman to win three individual freestyle gold medals at a single Olympics, achieving the feat at the 1968 Mexico City Games. From 1967 to 1971, she broke 20 world records and 24 American records, won 19 national championships, and held five world records simultaneously. She also earned two gold medals at the 1967 Pan American Games.
Widely considered one of the greatest female swimmers of all time, Meyer was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 1986, named Sacramento’s Athlete of the Century in 1999, and later inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame. After retiring, she focused on coaching, motivational speaking, broadcasting, and mentoring young athletes.
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Entertainment & Arts
Gregory Kondos, a Sacramento-raised artist, is one of California’s most celebrated landscape painters, known for his iconic works of the Sacramento Delta, Yosemite, Greece, and the French countryside. Over a career spanning more than 40 years, he earned numerous honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1999 International Biennial in Florence, Italy, and was featured in the PBS documentary A Passion for the Land.
A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, Kondos taught at Sacramento City College for 27 years and co-founded the Artists Contemporary Gallery with Wayne Thiebaud. His work is displayed in museums and collections worldwide, including the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento City Hall, and Sacramento International Airport.
“I have always claimed Sacramento as my hometown, and today I feel Sacramento has claimed me.”
— LeVar Burton
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Entertainment & Arts
LeVar Burton, raised in Sacramento, is an acclaimed actor, producer, and director best known for his roles as Kunta Kinte in Roots, Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and host of PBS’s Reading Rainbow. After graduating high school in Sacramento, he attended USC and landed his breakthrough role in Roots at age 19.
Reading Rainbow ran from 1983–2006 and earned more than 200 awards, including 26 Emmys and a Peabody Award. Burton has also received Grammy, Emmy, and NAACP Image Awards and continues to support literacy and charitable causes, including AIDS research advocacy.
Sacramento Walk of Stars pays tribute to those who have affected the nation or the world for the better while contributing to the shining light of Sacramento. Four to five inductees are recognized biennially for their outstanding achievements in entertainment & arts, sports, news, business and science & technology.
They must also have:
Lived or been raised in the greater Sacramento region
National or international significance
Made a positive impact on the Sacramento region
