Chair Denny Jackman resides in Modesto and was a founding member of the Farmland Working Group.  He is a local activist in farmland stabilization.  Denny was president of “Growth, Orderly, Affordable, Livable” from 1992-1996.  GOAL is a former Modesto based organization active in local land use and transportation policies.  His interests also include land-use planning, transportation and gardening.  As a Modesto City Council member (2002-05) he supported a housing moratorium which lead to the adjustment/indexing of developer fees to the cost of services for urban development. Denny co-authored Measure H, a citizen’s advisory initiative that called upon the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors to “direct growth” into incorporated cities.  It passed with over a 2-1 margin in the City’s of Modesto (2003) and Newman (2004).  He co-authored the Stamp Out Sprawl (SOS) Measure E on the Stanislaus County February 2008 ballot which also received 2/1 voter approval.  Denny is a member of the StanCOG Highway 132 Planning Implementation Project Team and sits on the boards of Central Valley Farmland Trust and Modesto Community Development Corporation.

Vice-Chair Chance Carrico was born and raised in the Central Valley.  He was a member of his local 4-H Club for over 10 years which has given him a deep commitment to the agricultural roots of the region.  Chance is a graduate of Economic Studies from California State University, Stanislaus.  He is a past president of the Friends of the Ceres Library and separately, Student CTA.

Secretary Jeani Ferrari has lived in the Central Valley her entire life.  She and her husband John farm peaches, almonds and walnuts on family farmland in Stanislaus and Merced counties.  She served on the Turlock Downtown Revitalization Committee and is currently serving on the Carnegie Arts Center Foundation Endowment Committee. Jeani served on the Yosemite Association Board, as well as the Yosemite Fund Council. Currently, Jeani is helping launch Turlock's first Certified Farmers' Market, opening May 7 and running until November 26, 2010 in downtown Turlock.  Jeani was a founding member of the Stanislaus Farmland Trust which merged to become Central Valley Farmland Trust.  She is one of three members from Stanislaus County serving on the CVFT board.  Jeani is currently serving on the Stanislaus County Blueprint Advisory Committee.

Treasurer Audie Dahlgren is a native Californian, born and raised in the Central Valley.  She grew up on a poultry ranch and married an almond farmer, which explains her concern for small family farmers.  Audie serves on the Carnegie Foundation Board for the City of Turlock.

Director Ron Freitas is a native of Stanislaus County, educated in local schools. He graduated from Modesto Junior College (Architecture) and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (City and Regional Planning). Ron retired from a 36-year career in Land Use Planning, 35 years with Stanislaus County and almost 18 years as the Director of Planning and Community Development. During his career Ron was able to participate in many Planning activities which helped to form the agricultural policies for the County. This included a major role in the development of the first comprehensive General Plan for Stanislaus County, including the rezoning of over 110,000 acres of land from A-1(basically no zoning) to A-2-10 (Exclusive Agriculture - 10 ac. min). Ron was the planner in charge of developing the program to rezone over 640,000 acres from A-2-10 to A-2-40(40 acre minimum). The development of the first Agricultural Element to General Plan was developed right after Ron appointed Director. This Ag Element received an award for _Outstanding Planning_ document from the California Chapter of the American Planning Association. Most recently the document was updated. In 1984, Ron appointed as the Assistant Executive Officer of the Local Agency Formation Commission. Ron over saw the development of the first Spheres of Influence for all nine cities and over 60 special districts in the county with assistance from the planning firm of WPM. When he was appointed as Director of Planning and Community Development, he also became the LAFCO Executive Officer. In 1991, Ron oversaw the creation of one of the first county Redevelopment Agencies in the State. This Agency has provided many public infrastructure projects to unincorporated areas of the county such as public sewers, positive drainage, street improvements and dwelling rehabilitation. Ron and his wife Nonine are residents of Modesto and are parents of two adult children. Ron is active in the Kiwanis Club of Modesto, Old Fisherman’s Club and Holy Family Catholic Church’

Director Rudy Platzek was a regional planning director for the Association of Bay Area Governments, where he prepared the Bay Area’s first regional plan.  He owned a planning firm and prepared city and county General Plans (GPs) throughout California.  Born in 1930s, Rudy has watched the Central Valley change, with large urban areas along Highway 99 beginning to grow together.  Due to his concern, he and a team aggregated and mapped the proposed urbanization of all CV city and county GPs.  This one map, the first to be done, showed a staggering amount of proposed development.  Mapping to the year 2080 (one lifetime) with an expected 25 million people, showed over 2/3 of the CV farmland lost to urbanization.  Rudy believes that the present planning system will not provide sufficient farmland protection to preserve food security for future generations.

Director Ana Ballesteros Ringsted has lived her entire life in the Central Valley.  She raised her children in Modesto where her husband has worked for Weyerhauser in the packaging division for 37 years.  Ana realizes that her husband’s employment is dependent on the agricultural economy and this is one of the reasons she is interested in preserving Central Valley farmland.  Ana has been active in the Sierra Club, the LeConte Museum in Yosemite Valley and the Tuolumne River Trust.  Ana has worked as a bookkeeper/accountant for 28 years.

Director E. Timothy Parker thinks The Central Valley embodies a vast and viable resource for California’s agricultural future as much or even more so now than it has in the past. It must not be overlooked that recent growth impacts during the past decade have raised serious questions as to how we must prioritize the direction of the future. Having had the privilege to once be called a decision maker within a governing body, I want to continue to work vigorously towards an inclusive process whereas the general public concerns are brought forward and addressed. I welcome the opportunity to work with the Farmland Working Group. I hope to add another perspective of advocating participation and inclusiveness in the process. The right to farm remains a focal point, contrasting the urbanism to be considered within city limits. I believe we are on the right path given the insight of the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint regional collaboration. Diligence in this planning process will be the key. I believe the commonality of all of our cities, counties and region regarding patterns of growth is in our last name, California. California, people will come.

Director Jojo Espiritu is a transplanted Bay Area native who arrived in Modesto July 2002. A graduate of Santa Clara University in Business Administration, with expertise in Information Technology, his work experience spans over 20 years with some of the Bay Area’s most notable companies. His foray into farmland preservation and local politics got its start in Jan 2006, when a letter placed at his door steps asked for involvement and input with Riverbank’s General Plan Update and the encroachment of development in what is now a rural area. He has not looked back since and approaches each challenge with gusto. A foot soldier, walking precincts, talking to people and handing out pamphlets on the merits of Measure E, he cherishes the small role he had in its passage. Jojo looks forward to his role with the Farmland Working Group.

Director Allen Gammon grew up in the Midwest. While working on his high school year book Allen developed skills in photography and soon landed job as a _stringer_ photographer at The Kansas City Star newspaper. Allen began pre-med courses at the University of Kansas. After entering medical school Allen was selected to participate in the exchange program between the University of the Philippines and Kansas University. He met his future wife, Annie, in Manila where she was a medical school classmate. After returning home, Allen sent for Annie who he then married. After graduation from medical school in 1969, Allen traveled with Annie to Panama where Allen completed an internship. Allen then completed a two year pediatric residency at Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, Ca. before moving to Baltimore, Md. where he earned a Masters in Public Health at Johns Hopkins. Drafted into the Army, Allen served two years working as a pediatrician at Nato Military Headquarters in Mons, Belgium. Daughter Annette and son David were born in Belgium. After service in the Army, the four Gammons returned to California. Allen completed a three year residency in Ophthalmology followed by fellowship training in pediatric ophthalmology in Washington, DC, New York City and London. Emory University recruited Allen for a teaching position. Six years later, the Gammons traveled to Saudi Arabia where Allen taught and worked for one year. In 1987, the Gammons returned to California. Allen then began private practice in Modesto. From extensive travels, Allen observed the importance of food and effective cultivation of farm land. The local loss of rich farmland to sprawl spurred Allen to get involved. A first step was participation in efforts to pass Measure E in Stanislaus County. During this process, Allen met Jeani Ferrari and Denny Jackman, founders of Farmland Working Group.