Meet Our Board

BOARD MEMBERS

Jim Saake, President
Jim Saake is the principal of Saake’s Real Property Services, a real estate appraisal and consulting firm specializing in rural properties. He has been involved with land trusts since 1988 when he and two other Susanville residents founded the Lassen Land and Trails Trust. He first encountered conservation easements as the Lands Officer of the Lassen National Forest in Susanville. He believes conservation easements are an excellent tool for voluntary land conservation, and has been working with them ever since. Jim currently chairs the Executive Committee for NCRLT.

Gerald Armour, M.S., Vice President
Gerald Armour is co-owner and CFO of the Western Nut Company, a California almond and walnut marketing firm based in Chico, California. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Almond Board of California and has been involved with the almond industry for nearly 30 years. Jerry studied horticulture at UC Davis and received his master’s degree in 1975. He has an active interest in native plant communities and is a member of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens and Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, Oregon. Jerry lives with his wife, Jane on a five-acre parcel in Paradise, California. He has been personally involved with restoration of native species on this property for more than 15 years. His background in horticulture and passion for native ecosystems fit well into his involvement with NCRLT and its mission to protect land and natural resources. Gerald currently sits on the Executive, Finance and Board Development Committees for NCRLT.

Laurie Lofland, M.B.A., Treasurer
Laurie Lofland’s professional experience has focused on market research and technical writing since the late 1980’s, as a director of market research for a NYSE homebuilding corporation and a research analyst and former owner of a marketing consulting firm with primary clients in the homebuilding industry. Laurie also worked at Butte-Glenn Community College during 2002 and 2003 as a project lead for the implementation of a computer system conversion and as project manager for a $1.4 million grant funded program through the Chancellor’s Office.

Laurie graduated from the University of Redlands, California with a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Literature and from California State University at San Bernardino with a Masters Degree in Business. She moved to Chico in 1998 from Southern California to enjoy the great outdoors and her favorite pastimes include hiking and exploring nature. She joined the NCRLT Board of Directors in 2006 out of a desire to help protect and steward wilderness properties from encroaching development. Laurie currently sits on the Executive, Finance, and Stewardship Committees for NCRLT.

Kristina Schierenbeck, Ph.D., Secretary
Kristina brought her talent and skills to the NCRLT Board of Directors in August 2007. She began her tenure at CSU, Chico as a biology faculty member in 1998. Throughout her academic career she has been actively engaged in conservation issues, serving on the board of the California Native Plant Society and conducting research on both rare and non-native invasive plant species. As director of the herbarium at CSU, Chico, Kristina is active in collaborative efforts among the academic, professional, and lay botanical communities. Kristina is strongly committed to the goals of the Northern California Regional Land Trust and believes that land conservation is key to the maintenance of the exceptional natural resources in the North State. Kristina currently sits on the Marketing & Outreach Committee for NCRLT.

Tod Kimmelshue

As one of our newest board members, Tod joined our board this fall. Tod grew up on a family farm in Durham, CA. He attended and graduated from the Durham School System. After attending two years at Butte College, he finished his college studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, earning a degree in Agricultural Business Management.

In 1982 Tod started work with Farm Credit in Livermore, CA and has been with the company ever since. He and his wife relocated to Chico in 1985. Currently he is a Regional Vice President in charge of public relations and business development. Farm Credit is a nationwide agricultural lending institution, which lends money to agricultural producers and agri-businesses.

Currently Tod is Past President of the Chico Chamber of Commerce and Past President of the Butte County Farm Bureau and helped lead those two organizations during the past several years. Tod lives in Durham with his wife Sherri and two sons.

Colleen Hatfield, Ph.D.

Colleen Hatfield joined our board this September 2008. Colleen is a landscape ecologist who joined the CSU, Chico Biology faculty in 2005.  Her primary research focus has been watershed based, studying the relationships between watershed condition and ecological responses.  Colleen has worked extensively with private, non-profit and government entities in assessing and developing approaches to evaluate and monitor ecological integrity.  Colleen grew up on the Colorado farm her grandfather homesteaded and she continues to experience the family’s strong tie to the land. Through her background experiences, Colleen is acutely aware of the challenges and hurtles facing today’s land managers whether they be farmers or natural resource managers.  Colleen is honored to serve on the board for Northern California Regional Land Trust as its goals and mission are central to her core values for land conservation.

Burt Bundy
Burt and his wife have a small commercial cattle and catfish operation at their home in Los Molinos where he has lived for over 50 years. They have two sons and five grandchildren.  He is currently the President of the Tehama County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.  Burt is also President of the Mill Creek Conservancy, a local watershed group that facilitates riparian habitat and in-stream anadromous fish restoration on Mill Creek.  He is also a member of Central Tehama Kiwanis Club and the Tehama County General Plan Advisory Committee.

He is a past member of the Board of the California Aquaculture Association and served three Governors as an appointee on the State Reclamation Board. His past affiliations include:  member of the BLM, Northwest California Resource Advisory Council; member of the SB 1086 Advisory Council; President of the Regional Council of Rural Counties; Executive Board member of Tri-County Economic Development Council; Chairman of the Northern California Supervisors Water and Ag Committee; President of Superior California Water Association; and member of the State Board for California Farm Bureau Federation.

Mel Thompson
Mel Thompson joined our Board of Directors in September 2007 and we are looking forward to his wealth of ranching and farming experience. He and his wife Mary have operated their own sheep ranch in Oroville since 1998 and have been sheep ranchers since the 1980’s. Mel graduated from California State Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA in 1970 with a B.S. in Journalism with an Agricultural Focus. He is the founding member of California Sheep Commission, representing Butte, Glenn, Yolo and Colusa counties, the president of the Northern CA Lamb Producers, LLC (NCLP), a member of the California Wool Growers Association (CWGA), as well as a CWGA representative for the Rangeland Management Advisory Committee to the CA Board of Forestry.

NCRLT Committees

In 2006, NCRLT created two new committees including a Finance Committee and a Stewardship Committee. The Stewardship Committee has established a new, more in-depth monitoring protocol for existing and future easements that includes photo-documentation and resource assessment on each site. Our Finance Committee is developing innovative ways to make long-term management of easements and the organization as a whole more economically viable. These committees add to our Land, Executive, Board Development, and Fundraising and Outreach Committees, all of which help NCRLT move forward in a more productive and effective manner.