Staff
Executive Team
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Nicole Braddock
Executive Director
Nicole Braddock has led Solano Land Trust for 15 years. During her tenure at Solano Land Trust, she spearheaded the land trust’s efforts to raise over 30 million dollars for conservation, double the staff capacity, and achieve national accreditation. With over 25 years of experience, Nicole is seasoned in non-profit systems, partnerships and collaboration, and raising support and funds for community benefit programs.
Nicole serves on the finance committee TOGETHER Bay Area, the management team for the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Land Trust Alliance Leadership Council, and the boards of the California Council of Land Trust and the Solano Economic Development Corporation. She is also an alumna of the Center for Whole Communities.
Prior to coming to Solano Land Trust, Nicole supported small businesses and economic development at The Federal Technology Center and promoted farmland conservation and natural area protection with Greenbelt Alliance.
Nicole is a California native who grew up camping and exploring the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her family. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from UC Davis and a Master of Business Administration from Capella University. In her free time, Nicole enjoys painting, gardening, wood carving, and getting outdoors with her husband Rob, son Bryson, and their rescue dog Zanna.
Email: nicole@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-9021
Acquisitions Team
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Tracy Ellison
Conservation Director
Tracy Ellison, Conservation Director, joined Solano Land Trust in March of 2011. In her time at SLT she has managed the conservation easement stewardship program, transactions and outreach related to the land conservation. She brings an understanding and connection to agricultural with her background having grown up in rural Fresno County, the daughter of a high school Ag Teacher. She was an active 4-H and FFA member and raised Guide Dogs for the Blind. She came to SLT after doing liaison work in Solano County’s Suisun Valley Ag Region, working with farmers and ag business to promote Agri-tourism and wine grape recognition.
A favorite part of her job is the relationship building between SLT and landowners who choose to conserver their land for future generations to grow food and keep the local agriculture economy viable. With Tracy’s passion and drive to conserve land and create partnerships, SLT has become a key part of the Agriculture Community in Solano County.
If you have questions about conservation easements, private land preservation or transactions please contact Tracy Ellison.
Email: tracy@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-9026
Development & Communications Team
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Laura Livadas
Development Director
Laura joined Solano Land Trust in April 2019. As the Development Director, she is in charge of leading our fundraising team and spearheading campaigns that will expand and share our vision of the Solano County lifestyle and provide access to nature for all. Laura received her BS in Business from Bellevue University of Nebraska and received the 2019 UC Davis Wine Executive Management Certificate. Laura brings over 25 years of business experience, including 4 years in the United States Air Force and 15 years in the wine industry. Her last role was at Vezer Family Vineyard where she served as their vice president of operations. In her spare time, Laura channels her high energy by working out, spending time with her husband Christopher, and running her own jewelry making business.
Email: laura@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-9025
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Michelle Dickey
Donor Relations Officer
Michelle Joined Solano Land Trust in March 2016. She is originally from Big Sky Country, Billings, Montana. Growing up, Michelle spent most of her time outdoors: fishing, hunting, and enjoying the open space of Yellowstone County with her brother and father. She has an ingrained appreciation of wildlife, ranching, and farming. She has worked in marketing and community relations for the last 20 years. The last eight years were spent in the Napa Valley working with non-profit organizations on events, fundraising, and growing relationships between businesses and non-profits.
She is responsible for leading the coordination of fundraising events, assisting with appeals and campaigns, and community engagement. Michelle is excited to be a part of a team dedicated to giving back to the community. Michelle brings a wealth of leadership, marketing, and nonprofit expertise to Solano Land Trust. She loves to hike, cycle, and read in her spare time.
Email: michelle@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-9022
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Miranda Sanborn
Development Specialist
Miranda Sanborn joined Solano Land Trust in November 2021. Miranda grew up in Berkeley and went to Bard College in Upstate New York, where she studied Environmental Studies and Photography. Miranda has always loved being outdoors and has a deep appreciation for the natural world. She has experience in graphic design, marketing, art therapy, working with kids, and spent time working on a sheep and goat dairy farm in Marin. In her free time, Miranda loves hiking, swimming, cooking, knitting, going to the beach, and spending time with her family and friends.
Email: miranda@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 420-1042
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Jason Katz
Communications Specialist
Jason Katz joined Solano Land Trust in February of 2025. He’s originally from South Florida where he founded an award-winning nonprofit literary magazine. Transplanted to the Bay Area in 2023, he brings a lifelong love for land and the environment. Jason studied English and Filmmaking at Union College in Schenectady, New York and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Florida International University. His essays have appeared in many publications including the Paris Review, Bitter Southerner, and Ploughshares Journal. When he’s not working, Jason loves to bop around California with his wife and two kids in their family campervan.
Community Engagement Team
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Di Holokahi
Engagement Specialist
Di joined Solano Land Trust in November 2018. She is a mother of two vivacious children and a wife to a warrior husband. She will be working closely with Michelle and Deanna in the Community Engagement Department. Di has many years of experience in community outreach through years of working with The Salvation Army Kroc Center in Suisun and helping her husband Izi run their family owned music school, The Ukesperiment Music Lessons. Her passion is to encourage, add value, connect, impact, and be an example to others. In her spare time, she likes to plan exciting adventures and activities to do with her husband and kids.
Email: di@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 420-1041
Stewardship Team
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Kelly Santos
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Jasmine Westbrook-Barsukov
Project Manager
Jasmine joined Solano Land Trust in February 2018. She received a BS in Cellular/Molecular Biology and a BS in Rangeland Resource Science from Humboldt State University, and a MS in Animal and Range Sciences from Montana State University. She has worked for the Forest Service, Humboldt Area Foundation, and was a lecturer at Humboldt State University. Jasmine grew up on Samuels Ranch, a sheep ranch in Napa and Solano Counties, where she was captivated by oak woodlands, chaparral, and ecology. Her research has been in sustainable agriculture and targeted grazing for working landscapes. She is delighted to be home in Solano County, and for the opportunity to protect the beautiful lands that inspired her as a child. In her free time, she works on the family ranch, and enjoys hiking with her Great Pyrenees, Kahlan.
Email: jasmine@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 718-3234
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Anna Weinstein
Senior Project Manager
Anna joined Solano Land Trust as a Senior Project Manager in December 2023. Anna has a B.A. in biology from Oberlin College and an M.S. in Marine Ecology from Boston University, and has decades of experience in policy and science related to conserving and understanding marine and coastal habitats and species. Anna worked as an environmental scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute, and as a program and campaigns director in her 14-year career at the California and National Audubon Society. She grew up in rural New Jersey and joined 4-H for goats and horses. She spent summers working on her relatives’ 550-acre farm in Michigan, and in her twenties worked for a year as a wrangler at a guest ranch in Northern California. Anna lives with her husband in Albany (Alameda County) and has two daughters ages 19 and 22. In her spare time, Anna spends time with her family, and is a salsa dancer, hiker, horseback rider, and fisherman.
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Barry Hill
Barry Hill, Senior Project Manager, joined SLT in November 2023. Barry graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in biology and later completed an MS in watershed management at Humboldt State University. He began his career as a wildland firefighter in Nevada, Oregon, and California and worked as a hydrologist and geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and USDA Forest Service in California and Hawaii. After retiring from federal service, Barry worked for Santa Clara and Solano County Parks. Most recently, he has worked for conservation and agriculture focused nonprofits in the North Bay Area.
Barry lives in Benicia with his wife and youngest daughter and enjoys visits with his two older daughters and their families. His interests include hiking, kayaking, and volunteer work.
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Olivia Freitas
Field Technician
I received my BA in Environmental Studies from San Jose State in June of 2022. While I was in college, I developed my interest in native plants, insects, and restoration ecology. During my senior year at SJSU, I worked for Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Natural Resource program as an intern. My main project was a western monarch butterfly habitat analysis. I am very interested in the relationships between California milkweed and western monarch butterflies and I hope to study this further in graduate school. I am also a multidisciplinary artist who paints, sews, prints, and works with ceramics, and I love learning about minerals and crystals to use for lapidary and metalsmithing projects. I love to garden and propagate native plants, and I have worked on organic farms in the past. I have two cats and in my spare time, I go backpacking, skateboarding, and hiking.
Email: olivia@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: 408-483-6667
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Solomon Bayoneta
Bio coming soon...
Finance & Administration Team
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Anne Alver
Anne joined Solano Land Trust in March 2009. As Finance and Administrative Director, she oversees financial operations, the annual budget, contract administration, HR functions, insurance, and IT. She is lead staff for the Finance & Investment Committee and Audit Committee and co-staffs the Inclusion and Belonging Committee. Before moving to California, she spent fourteen years in the book publishing industry and holds a BA in English-Professional Writing from Elizabethtown College in PA. Anne moved to California in 2007 and immediately fell in love with the California landscape and lifestyle. Anne also loves hiking, traveling (especially both coasts), and her rescue dog Rufus..
Email: anne@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-8273
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Hadley McDonnell
Hadley joined Solano Land Trust in September 2019. While Hadley grew up in the Bay Area, she only recently returned to Northern California after spending the last 16 years in North Carolina. She is excited to be part of the SLT team, and is responsible for providing support to the administrative and financial functions of the office. In her free time, Hadley and her husband enjoy exploring the area, and spending time outdoors hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
Email: hadley@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 709-9024
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Rebecca Scully
Executive Assistant
Rebecca joined Solano Land Trust in November 2022. Originally from Contra Costa County, one of Rebecca’s favorite things while growing up was learning about our universe. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cal State East Bay, worked several years in cell biology research, and has provided administrative support for various nonprofit organizations over the past 25 years.
After living in a few different areas around the country, she has made her home in Vacaville for the past twenty years with her husband and two sons. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening with native plants, making jewelry, and traveling with her family. Driven by a love for Solano County land, she takes pride in supporting those who provide research, education, habitat restoration, and recreation in the local community.
Email: rebecca@solanolandtrust.org
Phone: (707) 432-0150
Board
Board Meetings
The Solano Land Trust Board of Directors typically meets once monthly on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30pm at the Solano Land Trust office, excluding January, July, and December. Please contact Solano Land Trust at 707-432-0150 for more information and to verify the meeting time and location. The Solano Land Trust office is located at 198 Dobbins St. Suite A | Vacaville, CA 95688.
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Steve Pressley
Term Beginning 2023 | Board President
Steve is the retired Maintenance & Development Manager of the Greater Vallejo Recreation District, where he oversaw the construction and renovation of numerous parks and facilities. He holds a degree in Botany from California State University, Fresno, and is a Certified Arborist, California Special District Leadership Academy graduate, and California Pest Control Advisor.
An avid outdoorsman, Steve enjoys road bicycling, backpacking, and camping. His love of nature drew him to the mission of Solano Land Trust, inspired by retired SLT employee Sue Wickham. As Board President, Steve is involved in the Finance, Governance, and Project Committees. His vision is to increase public awareness about the importance of protecting agricultural and natural habitats and to help develop Solano Land Trust into a major regional stakeholder in land and habitat preservation.
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Deborah Durr Ferras
Deborah is a respected attorney practicing law throughout the North Bay Area. A shareholder with Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti & Heppell, PC, she settled in Vacaville in 1989 and was admitted to the bar in 1991 after graduating from University of California at Davis School of Law. Her legal practice focuses on estate planning, probate, trust administration, guardianship, and conservatorship.
Married to her husband Jonathan for 35 years, they have one adult son, Brett, who will attend the University of California at Davis in fall 2024. Since moving to Solano County, Deborah has been deeply involved in her community. She has served on the board of the Vacaville Sunrise Rotary for over 15 years, including a term as president, and is involved with the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce and the Solano Economic Development Corporation. She also routinely donates estate plans to the Solano Land Trust.
Deborah has been a dedicated member of the Solano Land Trust Board for several years, serving as Board President, Chair of the Executive Committee, Chair of the Governance Committee, and as a member of the Project Committee. Her passion for preserving open spaces in Solano County, through both private ownership and public-private partnerships, drives her active involvement with the Land Trust and her ongoing support of its goals.
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Carolyn West
Term: 2020 – 2029 | Agricultural Representative
With a career in travel planning and business development, she co-founded Meetings Plus in 1987 with her husband, Tom, growing it into a top Meeting and Incentive Travel provider known for exceptional service and creativity. After selling to Maritz Travel in 2002, they pursued winemaking, establishing Rock Creek Vineyard in 2007 in Green Valley, focusing on red wines and olive oil.
Settled in Green Valley since 1990, she actively supports local conservation efforts. Serving on the Board of Directors for the Green Valley Agriculture Conservancy, she helped create Friday Nights at the Farm and contributes to the Solano Grown program and Solano Land Trust Community Outreach Committee.
With four children, 12 grandchildren, and a great-granddaughter in California, her dedication to family, nature, and preserving agricultural heritage through community involvement remains central to her life.
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Aldo Jordan
Term Beginning 2021 | Business Community Representative
Fluent in both English and Spanish, Aldo’s educational background includes a BA in Industrial Engineering and an MBA certificate, which have been instrumental in his professional journey. Aldo has over 21 years of comprehensive experience in the metal recycling industry where he has held various management roles. He is known for leadership and cultivating a culture that values individual skills and empowers team members to excel.
Currently the founder and president of The Metals Agency, he lives in Benicia with his wife Stephanie and two sons.
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Curtis Stocking
Term Beginning 2017 | Business Community Representative
Curtis is a seasoned Real Estate Broker and a native of the Vacaville countryside. He and his wife, Susie, have been married for 30 years and have raised four children together: three daughters and one son. Growing up in a family business has provided Curtis with a deep understanding of the needs of both customers and business owners.
Curtis has been actively involved in the community, serving in various leadership roles. He has been President of the Vacaville Police Activities, Chairman of the Vacaville Chamber of Commerce, Director of the Solano Community Foundation, and the Solano Midnight Sun Foundation. He has been committed to the Wreath Project at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon since its opening in 2006 when he and his family spearheaded fundraising efforts to purchase wreaths for the fallen during Christmas.
In addition to his community involvement, Curtis was recently elected as President of the Board of Directors for the Northern Solano County Association of Realtors for 2017.
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Lorraine Fernandez
Term Beginning 2020 | Member-at-Large
Lorraine, a UCLA graduate with a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology, has been a dedicated resident of Solano County since 1985. With a 44-year career spanning financial services, workforce development, economic development, and early childhood services, she brings extensive experience to her role at Solano Land Trust.
Lorraine spent thirteen years with the Workforce Development Board of Solano County, managing programs to assist job seekers and businesses. She also served as an Economic Development Specialist with the City of Fairfield for three and a half years. In January 2017, she joined First 5 Solano as a Program Manager, focusing on systems change, fund development, and special projects.
Active in her community, Lorraine enjoys faith-based activities, volunteering at a private school, road trips with her husband, and spending time outdoors. Living in Suisun Valley since 1999, she is passionate about protecting agricultural lands and open spaces, supporting farmers, and inspiring community engagement with Solano Land Trust.
Lorraine’s journey with Solano Land Trust began at First 5 Solano, leading to her roles on the Diversity and Belonging Committee, the Committee of Land and People, and the Audit Committee. She remains committed to supporting the Trust’s mission and vision.
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Jennifer Leonard
Board Secretary
Jennifer Leonard has lived in Solano County since 2001 and is the mother of three daughters who also reside here. Passionate about outdoor education and preserving wild spaces, Jennifer actively enhances the quality of life for Solano County residents. In addition to the SLT board, she serves on the boards of two other community-based organizations: Vacaville Public Education Foundation, which provides enrichment opportunities for local students, and Access Adventure, facilitating outdoor recreation and therapy for neurodiverse, low mobility individuals, and underserved communities through partnerships with horses.
Jennifer has been in public education since 2015 and currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Community Engagement and Communications at the Solano County Office of Education. Her role involves connecting community organizations to identify common goals and needs, pooling resources to support educational efforts for Solano youth and families.
She chose to work with Solano Land Trust due to its longstanding reputation and relationships within the county, positively impacting residents’ connection to the land and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations. Jennifer serves as board secretary, member of the Project Committee, member of the Inclusion and Belonging Committee, and as a docent for SLT.
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Roger Merrill
Term Beginning 2020 | Business Community Representative
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.
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Wanda Williams
Term: 2023 – 2032 | Solano County Designee
Wanda Williams is a distinguished leader and public servant in Solano County, currently serving as Supervisor for District 3. Elected in November 2022, she made history as the first African American woman on the Solano County Board of Supervisors. With a commitment to her community, she has been a champion for economic revitalization, affordable housing, and expanding internet access in underserved areas.
Supervisor Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in Public Service and a minor in African American Studies from the University of California, Davis. Her educational journey also includes earning three associate degrees from Solano Community College.
Her civic engagement is extensive, having founded several community initiatives and serving on numerous boards, including the Solano Community College Educational Foundation and the Black Elected Officials of the East Bay. As a member of various organizations such as the Fairfield-Suisun Rotary and the National Council of Negro Women, Supervisor Williams continues to advocate for and contribute to the well-being of Solano County residents.
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Bruce Brazelton
Term Beginning 2024 | Agricultural Representative
Bruce is a third-generation farmer at Brazelton Ranch, known for producing hay and a selection of stone fruits like apricots, nectarines, peaches, and Satsuma mandarins. A UC Davis graduate with a degree in plant science, he founded his own company in 1980, focusing on agricultural irrigation systems across Solano, Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties.
His involvement in the agricultural sector is marked by his service as both chairman and member of the Solano County Agricultural Advisory Committee, as well as his participation in the Habitat Conservation Plan Committee. Presently, Bruce is a board member of the Solano County Farm Bureau, where he continues to support and promote agricultural interests in the area.
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Joe Martinez
Term Beginning 2024 | Agricultural Representative
Joe Martinez is President and CEO of family-owned Martinez Ranches, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2024. With a degree in pomology from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a teaching credential from UC Davis, Joe leads a company that oversees 1,500 acres, offering custom work such as irrigation installs, harvesting, and other services involved in nurturing fruit and nut orchards.
Joe also serves on the Board of Directors of the California Farm Bureau and owns and operates a walnut and pistachio processing facility, handling thousands of tons of nuts and fruits each year. -
Mary Burczyk
Term Beginning 2024 | Green Valley Landowners Association Appointee
Mary is a retired corporate executive and business consultant with extensive experience across various industries, including real estate, retail, technology, and travel. She began her career in nonprofit organizations and is currently President of the Green Valley Landowners Association.
She holds a B.S. in Psychology and English from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA in Nonprofit Management and Marketing from Northwestern.
Mary’s passion for land stewardship stems from her childhood spent enjoying the outdoors, which continues to influence her commitment to thoughtful development and conservation. As a representative of GVLA on the SLT Board, she aims to broaden regional engagement and promote land conservation as a vital ecological asset. In her free time, Mary enjoys swimming, golf, traveling, walking her dogs, and spending time with her grandchildren.
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Jeanne Scherer-Kluge
Term Beginning 2024 | Agricultural Representative
Jeanne manages sustainability for her family’s farms in Solano and Lake counties, focusing on regenerative farming practices. She has decades of experience as a California attorney, with a legal career that included handling environmental and infrastructure issues.
A recognized expert, Jeanne has volunteered with the National Academy of Sciences and chaired committees for the National Transportation Research Board. Semi-retired, she is passionate about conservation and land preservation. Jeanne enjoys gardening, fishing, and family time, and is excited to support farmland preservation and community connection on the board.
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Jessie Hernandez
Jessie Hernandez is a Senior Planner for the City of Fairfield with over seven years of experience leading complex, multi-agency planning efforts that promote sustainable growth and equity. Jessie has managed major initiatives including Fairfield’s Sixth Cycle Housing Element, General Plan Update, and Climate Action Plan. With degrees from Pratt Institute (MS, City and Regional Planning) and Occidental College (BA, Urban & Environmental Policy and Spanish Literature), Jessie brings deep expertise in long-range planning, community engagement, and consensus building.
Jessie’s passion for equity and environmental justice is what led her to become a planner and continues to shape her work. Outside of work, Jessie loves to travel and explore both cities and the outdoors. She stays active through running and tennis—currently training for a half marathon—and enjoys live music, time with friends and family, and swimming in lakes and rivers.
