Join us for an engaging discussion about transitioning your ranching operations to future generations.
June 5, 2024 | 8 AM – 1 PM | SLO Farm Bureau Office
Cost: $25 (includes coffee, light breakfast items, & lunch from Firestone Grill)
As a third-generation Elk Grove native, Jackie grew up adjacent to farming and agriculture operations. Her strong connection to conservation is fueled by her love of nature and desire to protect open spaces and working landscapes. Jackie attended UC Davis for undergrad, double majoring in English and History. She then attended University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Business Law and a certificate in Mediation. Jackie also served as leadership to student organizations, and currently sits on the board of her Sacramento sorority alumni chapter. After law school, Jackie began her career in real estate acquisitions for major telecommunications companies. Bringing over 6 years of experience, she joined the California Rangeland Trust in 2020 where she leads the conservation unit overseeing both conservation easement transactions and stewardship monitoring activities.
Sarah has over 18 years of Ag Lending experience including time as a Commercial Relationship Manager with Umpqua Bank and Vice President at Farm Credit West. She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and received an executive MBA from Pacific Coast Banking School.
Sarah stays involved with her community through several local organizations, she joined the San Luis Obispo County chapter of California Women for Agriculture in 2009, becoming Vice President then President a few years later. She joined SLO County Cattlewomen’s Association in 2011, where she served in multiple leadership roles including Second Vice President in 2015 and 2016, President in 2017 and 2018, Newsletter Chair since 2014, and Bylaws Chair since 2018. After joining SLO County Farm Bureau in 2012, she became a board member in 2016, Treasurer from 2019 to 2020, served as Second Vice President in 2021 and 2022 and has served as President since 2023. She has been a Paso Robles Pioneer Day Committee board member since 2016, a San Luis Obispo County Ag Education Committee board member since 2014 and Treasurer since 2016, a Paso Robles High School Agriculture Department Advisory Committee member since 2016, and Sarah is the Ag Finance Representative on the SLO County Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board after serving as an alternate since 2016.Â
She lives in Paso Robles with her dog Henry and her family runs a fruit and vegetable brokerage in Southern California.
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Todd O. Murphy, MAI, ARA, is a Senior Appraiser with the firm of Central California Appraisals. Todd graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1979 with a degree in Farm Management, and began his appraisal career at that time. For many years, he was a co-owner of the appraisal firm Schenberger, Taylor, McCormick, and Jecker, Inc. Todd holds the MAI and ARA professional appraisal credentials; in 2022, he was awarded the Agricultural Appraiser of the Year by the California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Todd taught various real estate appraisal and real estate economics courses at Cuesta College and, since 2010, has taught the Rural Property Appraisal course in the Agribusiness Department of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Since 1992, Todd has focused on the valuation of conservation easements and conservation-easement-restricted ranches and has provided presentations and/or participated in panels with various organizations on this topic (including the Land Trust Alliance, Urban Land Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and others). Todd lives in San Luis Obispo with his wife Heather.Â
Scott Pilchard is the founder and principal of Western Skies Advisory, in Scottsdale, Arizona, providing financial guidance to farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural enterprises throughout the Southwest. His efforts focus on ownership and management succession for these family businesses, with an emphasis on land conservation and transition strategies. Â
Originally from Clovis, California, Scott graduated in 1984 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Ag Business Management. Out of the office, Scott served as an Honorary Commander of the 56th Comptroller’s Squadron at Luke AFB, is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Arizona Agricultural Education/FFA Foundation, and serves on the board of the Central Coast Alpha Gamma Rho Alumni Association.  Â
He lives in Carefree with his wife Allison, and they have four adult daughters and five grandchildren.Â
Krista K. Sabin is a Partner at Ogden & Fricks LLP and is dedicated to preserving family legacies and serving her community.  Ms. Sabin’s practice is largely devoted to estate planning, wills, trusts, and farm, ranch, and business succession planning.  Her practice also emphasizes general corporate counsel and entity formation issues, real estate and business transactions, and dispute resolution.  Prior to joining the firm in 2005, Ms. Sabin worked as a loan officer specializing in agricultural and commercial loans with a portfolio in excess of $140 million.  Her substantial commercial and agricultural lending background, together with her production agriculture background, provides significant advantages to her clients in succession planning, agricultural issues, and real estate transactions.Â
Ms. Sabin is a long-time resident of San Luis Obispo County having attended elementary school in Paso Robles and graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (B.S. Agricultural Business) in 1995. While working as a loan officer, Ms. Sabin attended Santa Barbara College of Law, where she received her Juris Doctor degree, with Honors, in 2004. Ms. Sabin was admitted to the California Bar that same year and has been working with Ogden & Fricks LLP since 2005. Ms. Sabin is admitted to practice in California and the United States Central District Court of California.Â
Ms. Sabin is active in the community and has served as President of the Arroyo Grande Chamber of Commerce, President of the SLO County California Women for Agriculture, and Secretary of the San Luis Obispo County Women Lawyers Association.  She is also a long-standing member of the SLO County Bar Association and SLO County Cattlewomen’s Association.  In 2017, Ms. Sabin was appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. to serve on the Board of Directors of the 16th District Agricultural Association, home of the California Mid-State Fair, where she served as President for two years.
Nita Vail’s career was inspired by her upbringing on Santa Rosa Island, where she learned offshore ranching, range management, and commercial hunting from her father. She is currently Principal at Vail Ranch Group, specializing in land asset strategies and generational transfer, and is also a Broker Associate with California Outdoor Properties.Â
Previously, Nita dedicated 20 years to the California Rangeland Trust, serving as CEO. Collaborating closely with a dedicated board and staff, they transformed the organization into the largest land trust in the state, facilitating conservation deals covering 350,000 acres. She also served as Assistant Secretary of Agricultural & Environmental Policy for the California Department of Food and Agriculture and has worked with diverse agribusinesses, including Cattle-Fax, Idetek, and Foster Farms.Â
Nita holds a BA in Agricultural Business Management from Cal Poly, an MBA from the University of Santa Clara, and is a graduate of Harvard’s Strategic Public Sector Negotiation Program and the California Agricultural Leadership Program. She serves on numerous boards and advisory boards, including the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Sand County Foundation, Cal Poly Rodeo Boosters, Cal Poly Animal Science Advisory Board, and Santa Cruz Island Foundation.Â
In her free time, Nita enjoys riding horses, rodeo, aviation, travel, practicing Spanish, mentoring, and giving back to her community.Â
For more information, contact Robin Hanson at rhanson@rangelandtrust.org or call 916-444-2096.
California Rangeland Trust is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 31-1631453) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.
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