An era is ending at the Great Valley Center. In days, the first think tank dedicated to the valley will name a new president to replace founder Carol Whiteside. At the same time, a new era already has begun for the valley -- an era of broad regional cooperation and, yes, influence.

Not long ago, the only thing that united the San Joaquin Valley's eight counties was agriculture. Now, representatives from the valley sit in the councils of movers, shakers and moneymakers. We're part of discussions on divvying up state resources. We've taken a seat at the table, no longer content just to bring the food.

The reason? A lot of people recognize that shared problems require shared solutions. As our leaders reach across county lines for those solutions, they invariably begin to play more decisive roles. Such as:

Transportation corridor. Southern California wanted all of the $2.1 billion for improving freight movement through the state. It's doubtful the Bay Area alone could have stood up to Los Angeles, but the valley joined in, the pot was sweetened to $3 billion, and a significant portion will come to Northern California.

High-speed rail. After a slow start, high-speed rail is becoming a more palatable alternative to air travel. Its track always has been destined to go through the valley, but few stops were planned. South Bay proponents wanted to ignore every valley city north of Merced and take the track over Pacheco Pass. Valley cities wanted track to at least go through Modesto to Stockton. Last week, the valley contingent told the High Speed Rail Commission that it was sticking together. The train either served the entire San Joaquin Valley or the valley wasn't interested.

Where's the water? The heart of the state's water system always has been the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It often has been ignored, but with fish die-offs, court orders, drought and climate change, water is becoming more scarce and more valuable. Most see a two-pronged solution: building two more dams and improving flow through the delta. The state needs the valley's help. The valley hasn't yet flexed its muscles, but it can and it must.

"All of a sudden we're at the table and it's a big difference," Whiteside said. "The fact is we're demanding a share of the state's resources come into the valley; now the pie has to be divided differently, and the people who have always had their predictable piece have to share differently."

Gov. Schwarzenegger helped forge this regional consciousness. He funded the Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, working on a 50-year timeline to address major issues. He also kicked off the Blueprint process, which set up panels to deal with 10 problems, from air pollution to traffic to water.

But little gets fixed in Sacramento. Real solutions are developed where they'll work. That's where Whiteside, the former Modesto mayor, came in. She opened the Great Valley Center in Modesto in 1997, working to create an identity for the Central Valley, from Redding to Bakersfield. The center helps facilitate the Partnership and Blueprint processes.

"You don't do a 50-year plan for a 50,000-square-mile region and do it easily," said Partnership lead executive Ashley Swearengin. "What's really interesting, and very, very encouraging, is that ... instead of being irritated and arguing about who's in charge of which piece of work, people are just moving forward."

Kirk Lindsey, a Modesto trucking executive, has a seat at two important tables. As a California Transportation Commission member, he was instrumental in helping the valley secure funding for Highway 99 improvements. As a member of the High Speed Rail Commission, he helped the valley hold firm on its demands for valley access.

"It's really important to the valley that, no matter the decision, the valley sticks together," Lindsey said. "This sets the table. ... There's been a lot of work we've done together."

Said Swearengin: "We're a player now. We've been elevated from not on the radar to on it."

What happens when a new governor takes office, Whiteside retires and Lindsey moves on?

"Leaders like Kirk and Carol have opened the door for the valley," Swearengin said. "The rest of the valley has to go through that door. We'll never achieve our full potential as a region if we're going to rely on one or two persons. ... We're trying to knit together a fabric that cannot be torn apart if one or two persons are not in the equation."

Where are those people? "Getting the business community involved is critically important," Whiteside said. So is getting elected representatives.

Swearengin feels it's up to all of us: "We've moved this effort to transform the valley from being dependent on one person or one thing to a large network of people. We need the GVC to be there and be strong, but this work will continue."

It must.