President
Deborah Durr Ferras
Deborah Durr Ferras practices law throughout the North Bay Area as a shareholder in Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti & Heppell, PC. After settling in Vacaville in 1989, she was admitted to practice in 1991. Her practice is concentrated in probate, wills, and trusts; guardianships and conservatorships; termination of parental rights and stepparent adoption; family law; and debt collection. Deborah has been married to her husband, Jonathan, for 28 years, and they have one son, Brett, who is currently attending the VECHS program at Will C. Wood High School. Since moving to Solano County, in addition to the Solano Land Trust, Deborah has participated in and attended events with various community groups, including the Vacaville Sunrise Rotary (serving on its board for over 15 years and just completing a term as president), the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce, and the Solano Economic Development Corporation. She routinely donates estate plans to the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program and Bethany Lutheran School.
Immediate Past President
Sue Frost
A fifth generation Californian, Sue Frost was raised in Walnut Creek and later earned a degree in Journalism form Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Sue spent several years in corporate banking in San Francisco before moving to Benicia to start a family. Sue runs the Benicia Water Education Program and is also in charge of Benicia’s Coastal Cleanup Day. In addition, Sue teaches water conservation in the Vallejo School District. In her free time, Sue loves to garden and has been a Solano County Master Gardener for nearly 20 years. She is a member of the Solano Land Trust Community Engagement Committee. In addition to gardening, Sue enjoys travel, skiing and spending time at her family cabin in Pinecrest.
Vice President
Paul Lum
Paul Lum grew up in Dixon and graduated from UC Davis in 1982 with a degree in Ag. Science & Management. He lives on his family’s farm north of Vacaville. From 1982-1985 he farmed with his father, Ton Lum, and partner Del Young, growing diversified crops near Vacaville & Dixon. From 1986 to the present he has been farming as an owner/operator – since 2005, he has been growing strictly almonds. Paul works for Solano Irrigation District as the Irrigation Specialist. He is past president of the Solano County Farm Bureau, and currently serves as the Vice President of Solano Resource Conservation District as well as serving on the Solano Flood Control Advisory Committee.
Secretary
Terry Huffman
Terry Huffman joined the board in 2016. He brings a unique combination of in-depth experience with ecological research and the environmental regulatory process. Prior to starting Huffman-Broadway Group, Inc. (HBG) in 1984, Dr. Huffman was the Chief Wetland Scientist for the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) from 1976 to 1981. He developed the Corps/US EPA wetlands definition and the technical criteria for the three-parameter methodology used to determine wetland boundaries. This seminal work led to the development of the wetland delineation methodology in use by the Corps and EPA today. His nearly 35 years of work with the Corps and as a private consultant has provided Terry with extensive onsite experience with virtually all types of aquatic and wetland environments and a unique understanding of the environmental permitting and compliance process. As HBG’s president and Wetlands Regulatory Scientist, Terry has successfully managed a wide range of both small and multimillion dollar projects. As HBG’s Lead Scientist, he is also actively involved in the technical design and implementation of projects and provides technical oversight.
Treasurer
Aldo Jordan
Director
Curtis Stocking
Curtis Stocking is a Real Estate Broker and a native to the Vacaville countryside. He and his wife of 30 years, Susie, have raised four children; three daughters and one son. He grew up in a family business and that experience has given him a greater understanding for both the needs if the customers and the businessperson. Curtis has been very active in the community having served as President of Vacaville Police Activates, Chairman of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, Director of Solano Community Foundation, and the Solano Midnight Sun Foundation. He is now committed to the Wreath Project at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon. Curtis and his family Spearhead the fundraising drive to purchase wreaths for he fallen at Christmas and have done that since 2006 when that cemetery opened. In addition, he was recently elected to the office of President of the Board of Directors for the Northern Solano County Association of Realtors for 2017.
Director
Ian Anderson
Director
Lorraine Fernandez
Lorraine was raised in Los Angeles and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology. In her free time, she is active in faith-based activities, including school age education programs. Lorraine and her husband enjoy taking road trips and spending time with family and friends.
Lorraine joined First 5 Solano in January 2017 as a Program Manager and her work is primarily in the areas of Systems Change, Fund Development and Special Projects. Lorraine has lived in Solano County for over 25 years and has worked locally in the areas of financial services, workforce development, and economic development. Her varied experience in program management includes thirteen years with the Workforce Development Board of Solano County, managing programs to assist job seekers in becoming re-employed, and assisting business clients with their employee recruitment needs. In addition, she served for three and a half years as an Economic Development Specialist with the City of Fairfield.
Director
Jennifer Leonard
Director
Roger Merrill
Roger Merrill is an independent business consultant with more than 25 years of experience with global strategic partnering strategies in high technology. Prior to that, Roger has 20 years of strategy consulting and start up experience with high-technology and energy/natural resource companies worldwide. He was a principal in a Silicon Valley-based management consulting firm that specialized in product market strategies, major channel partner development and mergers and acquisition. He provided due diligence advice for venture capital clients in new and turnaround opportunities across a broad range of industry segments. His work involved extensive national and international travel.
He is currently on the Board of Directors of the Green Valley Landowners Association and has led this organization as President for four years. He is the past president of the San Francisco Peninsula Chapter of the Stanford Business School Alumni Association. He was also on the original Board of Directors for the Churchill Club, the premier thought leadership forum in Silicon Valley.
Director
Carolyn West