Board of Directors

The San Benito Agricultural Land Trust is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors. The Board is composed of community leaders who have extensive experience with agriculture, public and private lands management, and related industries. The Board meets monthly and a public annual meeting is held in December yearly.

Michael Reeves

President

Michael Reeves was born in Stockton and spent his later youth in Los Altos, spending summers at the family ranch on Fremont Peak.

Paul F. Hain

Board Member

Paul F. Hain 5th generation California farmer/rancher in the Tres Pinos area of California is the owner/operator of John Hain & Sons and Hain Ranch Organics.

Emily Renzel

Secretary

Emily Renzel has resided in the Casa de Anza Adobe in San Juan Bautista since 2007 and operates Old Adobe Antiques

Tina Jollyschmidt

Treasurer

Tina Jollyschmidt’s family moved to Hollister when she was 11 years old. She attended local schools then got her degree in nursing from San Jose State University.

Robert Connolly

Board Member

Robert Connolly is a retired fire officer from Santa Clara County Fire Protection District since2012.

Dave Brigantino

Board Member

Dave Brigantino is a lifelong resident of San Benito County. He grew up raising apricots, walnuts, and cattle.

Victor M. Tafoya

Board Member

Victor M. Tafoya brings a strong commitment to conserving agricultural lands and preserving the rural character of San Benito County.

Lori Grubinskas

Board Member

Lori began her career in agriculture as a flower shop attendant and has since advanced into a regional customer marketing role at a leading crop protection company.

Dr. Gretchen Vogelgesang Lester

Board Member

Dr. Vogelgesang's expertise includes multi-domain leadership development, global leadership, and leader identity formation.

Advisors in the field

The Land Trust is fortunate to have the support, expertise, and guidance of community leaders who are dedicated to preserving our rural heritage.

Our advisory support includes:

Christine Breen, Breen Law Firm
Michael Brigantino, San Benito Realty
Sallie Calhoun, The Paicines Ranch
Zooey Diggory
Karminder Aulakh
Dan Dungy
Katherine Foster
Mark Gibson, Gibson Farms
Jeremy Lackey
Julie Morris, Morris Grassfed
Ron Ross

Cathy Summa-Wolfe
Kerry Tobias, C.P.A.
Rick Carpenedo
Jessica French Brem
Sara Steiner
Nikhilesh Dholakia
Crystal Henzi
Brian Schmidt
Leila Sadeghian
Candy Coleman

SBALT Staff

To insure a vibrant organization that can grow to keep pace with the increasing pressures of urban development, we are pleased to have these valued team members: