LAND TRUST OF NAPA COUNTY - Key Persons
Viticulturist and Vintner Annie Favia-Erickson has been an advocate for holistic farming in the Napa Valley since the 1990s. She began Favia Wines in 2001 with her husband and partner Andy Erickson and ERDA TEA in 2018.
Her deep love and reverence for the natural world drives not only her work growing grapes, herbal teas, olives, vegetables, fruit and flowers, but also her passion to help the Land Trust to maintain the natural ecosystems and beauty of the Napa Valley.
Blakesley is a lifestyle author and marketing professional with over 30 years of experience leading communication initiatives for Fortune 100 corporations and entrepreneurial startups. She is a respected branding expert and has worked with diverse marketing teams to conceptualize and execute integrated marketing and branding campaigns.
Blakesley's marketing career includes positions on both the client and the agency side. She has worked at public relations firms and advertising agencies, spending most of her career as a marketing executive with Bank of America, where she was a senior vice president. Blakesley was an integral part of the team responsible for creating the new Bank of America brand following the company's merger with Nation's Bank and was tasked with reengineering internal communications to a global workforce of 180,000.
In 2001, Blakesley left her post at BofA to pursue work in the nonprofit sector. She served as the executive director of the San Francisco 49ers Foundation and then worked with the Court of Master Sommeliers to create the Guild of Sommeliers Education Foundation and guildsomm.com an educational portal for sommeliers.
Bruce grew up on the land in the country town of Robinvale (Victoria) located on the Murray River in Australia. Working in the wine industry as a supply finance accountant brought him to the majestic Napa Valley. He married a local Napkin and is proud to call Napa home. In his spare time, he loves spending time with family, exploring, exercising and playing golf.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Stewardship Coordinator
Clarisa was born and raised in Napa which cultivated her love for the outdoors. She decided to make her passion a career by studying Environmental Science Technology and Policy at California State University Monterey Bay. While in school, Clarisa worked with the Bureau of Land Management at Ford Ord, organizing remote sensing of annual and perennial grasses. Clarisa also worked with a community based organization, Return of the Natives, to help bring people closer to nature through hands-on activities. After finishing her degree, she is pleased to serve the community she was raised in as the Assistant Stewardship Coordinator for the Land Trust. When she's not working she enjoys hiking, camping, painting, and biking.
Danielle grew up in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area, where she developed a deep appreciation for the region's unique qualities. From an early age, she was determined to engage with youth and give back to her community. For over 20 years, Danielle has dedicated her time to volunteering with at-risk youth, providing mentorship, educational and vocational support, mental health advocacy, and leadership development. While her passion for working with youth remains strong, Danielle sought a career that would allow her to create a broader impact and leave a lasting legacy for herself, her daughter, and her community. This desire led her to join the Land Trust. In her role, Danielle thrives by supporting the LTNC Philanthropy department and its initiatives. Outside of her professional commitments, Danielle loves spending quality time with her wife and daughter, exploring the outdoors, reading, visiting family, and traveling.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Staff Board
- President
Doug has worked in land conservation for over 30 years, serving as CEO of two different statewide conservation organizations. He was Executive Director of Audubon Vermont, as well as Vice President of the National Audubon Society. Prior to that, Parker served as Director of External Affairs for the Colorado Conservation Trust and was State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island. He was also Director of Marketing with TechnoServe.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Tech Entrepreneur and Founder & CEO
Jason is a tech entrepreneur and Founder & CEO of August Home, a smart home lock system that provides keyless access and digital monitoring for home delivery.
Since 2011, Johnson has been the managing partner of Founders Den, a San Francisco technology incubator that's been home to startups such as Skipflag, Outbound.io and Kaggle. Johnson is also the founder of the Internet of Things Consortium, a business development association for the Internet of Things ecosystem.
Prior to August Home, Johnson co-founded the mobile security company AirCover as well as the ebook software startup BookShout! and was featured in the Amazon Studios documentary "This is What We Make".
Job Titles:
- Membership & Database Coordinator
Jena grew up in Napa and has always been inspired by the natural beauty of our Valley. Her professional background and education began in the medical and dental industry, where she was able to use her compassionate nature and love for others to make a difference in so many lives. Jena then obtained her degree in Communications and followed her passion for wildlife and environmental preservation, ultimately finding her way to the Land Trust team. Jena thrives within the Philanthropy department and is responsible for our Membership and Database programs. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family, traveling, bowling, and cooking delicious plant-based meals.
Job Titles:
- Stewardship Program Assistant
Jennifer grew up in the San Fernando Valley and has always had an interest in and appreciation for the outdoors. She studied geography/environmental studies and conservation biology at UCLA. Before joining the Land Trust, she was a senior crew leader for the California Conservation Corps located in Ukiah, where her project work included fuels reduction projects and salmon habitat restoration within and surrounding the Mendocino area.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- President and CEO of Eldex Corporation
Josh is the President and CEO of Eldex Corporation, a manufacturer of high precision chemical metering pumps. He also serves as Senior Portfolio Advisor at RBO & Co, an independent investment advisory firm located in St. Helena, CA. His career experience includes equity research at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. in New York, portfolio management at TIAA-CREF in San Francisco, and independent consulting for investment management clients.
Josh holds a B.A. from the University of Missouri, Columbia with a major in Finance and Banking and an M.B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, he is a CFA charterholder and a Certified Estate and Trust Specialist.
Josh was previously a Director and Board Treasurer for Destiny Arts Center, a non-profit based in Oakland, CA with a mission to end isolation, prejudice, and violence in the lives of young people. Josh lives in Napa and enjoys reading, running, hiking, fishing, and yoga.
The Land Trust is in Kathy's blood - by association. Fifty-one years ago, she married Joel, the son of Harry Tranmer, one of the Land Trust's founders. Rarely did a family dinner go by without some discussion about Land Trust activities. For fifteen years she and her husband lived in the Tranmer Family home adjacent to the Land Trust's Foote Preserve.
Kathy graduated from U.C. Santa Barbara and became a teacher. They have two sons and family activities revolved around the outdoors - backpacking, camping, mountain climbing, fishing and skiing.
She has previously served on the Land Trust board and for several years helped create and twice chaired "The Feast of Eden", a major annual fundraiser. She has been an active Master Gardener for the last twenty years, including two terms as president. She also served on the Opera House board.
Kathy recently became an artist and is inspired by the constantly changing and awe inspiring beauty of the Napa Valley, and she welcomes the chance to be on the Land Trust board to further protect it.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- General Manager for Baldacci Family Vineyards
As the General Manager for Baldacci Family Vineyards since 2015, Kellie works closely with the Baldacci family to ensure outstanding stewardship of their 50+ acres in the Napa Valley.
Kellie grew up around her parents' Napa Valley winery, Duckhorn Vineyards, working her first harvest when she was 12 years old. She went on to experience the French wine perspective firsthand in Bordeaux before earning a Bachelor of Science degree at UC Berkeley. After studying Agricultural Economics at UC Davis, Kellie joined Duckhorn Vineyards. Afterwards, Kellie was the General Manager at Ehlers Estate and Director of Sales and Marketing for Via Pacifica, an import and distribution company in Shanghai.
Job Titles:
- Philanthropy Operations Director
Kimberly is a seasoned development professional and entrepreneurial leader with more than 25 years of experience in management, fundraising, marketing, corporate partnerships, strategic planning, and event production. Kimberly oversees the LTNC Philanthropy team, directing strategic planning and managing programs that encompass major donors, annual fund, marketing, communications, and public relations activities. Before joining the Land Trust, she co-founded and served as VP of Marketing for an environmental consulting firm in California.
Job Titles:
- Land Protection & GIS Associate
Leah assists with many aspects of our Land Programs and manages LTNC's geospatial information. She has over 15 years of experience in mapping, geospatial analysis, and project management in both the government and private sector. Growing up exploring the woods and lakes of Minnesota, she greatly appreciates the natural beauty of Napa Valley. Leah lives in St. Helena with her husband and two daughters and enjoys swimming, running, and hiking.
Lena has over 20 years of experience in community-based land conservation, volunteer program management and environmental education through both domestic and abroad programs. She supervises all components of LTNC's monitoring and enforcement program on easement and preserve properties, while working on new conservation acquisitions. Lena is also the Western representative of Stewardship Directors for the Land Trust Alliance. Previously, she served as the inaugural Stewardship Coordinator at the Inland Northwest Land Trust (WA).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Secretary of the Board
Les recently retired from the practice of law after over 40 years as an attorney. He was a senior partner at Wendel Rosen LLP in Oakland where he specialized in real estate (easement, boundary and title disputes), eminent domain and land use law. Les graduated with honors and Phi Beta Kappa from UC Berkeley. He received his law degree from Berkeley Law (formerly Boalt Hall) and started his law career with the legal aid society. Les joined Wendel, Rosen in 1981.
Les' connection to Napa Valley originated through his wife, Linda Clerici, a Napa native. Frequent visits to Napa led to the purchase of a second home in 1997, and also the family home in downtown Napa where her father was born. In 2010, Les joined the Land Trust Projects Committee and then the Protection Committee and he chairs both committees.
A variety of non-profit activities also keep Les busy. He is President of the Board of the Regional Parks Foundation, the 501c3 arm of the East Bay Regional Park District and was a long-standing Board member of Rebuilding Together Oakland/East Bay. Les also mentors two college students through the Oakland Promise and reviews applications and interviews scholarship applicants for UC Berkeley through the Alumni Association.
Louise worked with the US Fish & Wildlife Service for over 15 years as a Refuge Biologist and six years as the Land Trust Monitoring Coordinator before switching gears and joining the Administrative staff. She enjoys raising bees and chickens in her spare time.
Job Titles:
- Stewardship Project Manager
Megan has been leading diverse groups of students and volunteers in community-based ecological restoration projects since 2004, working with non-profit organizations in the SF Bay Area, Southern California, and the Pacific Northwest. She was an Americorps member with EarthCorps in Seattle in 2004, and has since worked with local bay area organizations such as Save the Bay and Merritt College's Environmental Management and Technology Program. Prior to joining the Land Trust, she served four years as the Restoration and Nursery Manager for the Friends of Sausal Creek in Oakland.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Treasurer
- Vice Chair
Mike is a wine business advisor and founding partner of Global Wine Partners LLC (GWP). GWP is in St. Helena and provides financial consulting, merger and acquisition advisory and valuation services to the wine industry. He began his career with Price Waterhouse in San Francisco and held positions as Partner and CPA with Motto Kryla & Fisher and CFO of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. He has lived in Napa Valley since 1978 moving to his current home on Mt. Veeder in 1984 where he, along with his wife, Wendee Walker tend to Brioso Vineyard. He is a past director of the Napa Valley Grapegrowers and past chair of the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce.
Mike holds a B.A in business from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and a B.S. in fermentation science from University of California, Davis.
Mike became passionate about wine in his mid 20's and remains so having worked in the wine business for over 40 years. He spends the winter skiing the slopes of the Sierras and other mountains in the western United States and Canada. Other times of the year, golf and fly fishing occupy much of his free time.
Mike oversees LTNC's preserve stewardship program, including habitat and watershed restoration, biological resources assessment and monitoring, conservation science research, wildfire and climate change resilience, and public access. LTNC's preserve system spans 23 protected natural areas totaling over 18,000 acres. Mike has extensive experience in both land stewardship and field biology. He spent eight years working on avian research and conservation projects for a number of organizations including the U.C. Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute, Point Blue Conservation Science, U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station and University of Montana Avian Science Center. Prior to joining the Land Trust, Mike served as Land Steward for a watershed conservation group in northwest Montana's Swan River Valley where he assisted private landowners with development of conservation plans and implementation of restoration and management projects.
Job Titles:
- Conservation Project Manager / Staff Attorney
Randy retired from Coombs and Dunlap, LLP as a partner where he practiced business, real estate and land use law for almost 30 years. He is looking forward to using that background to do something new and different with the Land Trust by helping it procure protected lands. Randy's relationship with the Land Trust spans decades, starting with his work as an out-of-house attorney for the Land Trust from 1988-1994 and later as a volunteer committee chairperson and member of the Board of Trustees from 2008-2010. Randy's concern for the environment can be traced back to law school, where he wrote the article Nitrate Pollution and the California Environmental Quality Act: The Appropriate Solution to a Neglected Problem. In his spare time, Randy likes to play tennis, go fly fishing and enjoys creative writing.
Robin oversees the Alpha Omega Collective, the umbrella brand for his Alpha Omega, Tolosa and Perinet wineries. He is the sole Managing Partner of Alpha Omega, a Napa Green-certified winery and vineyard he co-founded on the Rutherford Bench in Napa Valley in 2006, and Tolosa, a winery he co-founded in 1998 and whose entire estate vineyards in San Luis Obispo's Edna Valley are sustainably farmed and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified.
A graduate of the University of California Hastings College of the Law and Cal Poly, Robin practiced law for 40 years, including serving as general counsel for the Golden State Warriors for eight years. Robin owns and operates cattle ranches in San Luis Obispo County which are protected with Open Space Easements and last year worked with the Land Trust to protect a 4,461-acre ranch in Napa County through a Conservation Easement.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Director
- Member of the Staff Board
Theresa has over 20 years combined experience in both private and non-profit small businesses management. Her specialties include project management, human resources, and program development as well as process improvement. Theresa is a true Napa native, born and raised in Napa. She holds an Associate of Science degree from the Napa Valley College.
Job Titles:
- Scientist
- Senior Stewardship Program Manager
Tosha Comendant is a conservation scientist and practitioner with 20 years of experience developing projects, programs, and tools to protect biodiversity and inform land stewardship. Tosha manages stewardship activities associated with preserve planning, restoration, assessments and monitoring, conservation science research, and partnerships. Prior to joining The Land Trust, she worked at The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Biology Institute, and Pepperwood Foundation. Tosha grew up exploring the creeks and woods of St. Helena and Angwin. She serves on the board of the Napa County Watershed Information and Conservation Council.