Board Officers
Ian Anderson, President
Ian Anderson joined the board in 1999. He is past president of the Solano County Farm Bureau, current vice president of the California Association of Wheat Growers and chairman of SLT’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Committee. A graduate of Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural management, he is a fourth generation grain and sheep farmer in the Montezuma Hills.
John M. Vasquez, Vice President
John Vasquez joined the board in 2006 as the representative of the Solano County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to serve as supervisor for Solano’s 4th District in November 2002. Currently he is a co-owner of the family business, Vasquez-Deli. John has served in the California National Guard and the Alaska National Guard. John served as the youngest Vacaville city councilman for four years and as administrative assistant to former Supervisor Bill Carroll. His community involvement includes trustee of the Vacaville/Elmira Cemetery District for 17 years, a member of both Vacaville and Fairfield/Suisun Chambers of Commerce and a volunteer for several community action committees including The United Way, Farm Bureau, Native Sons of the Golden West, Vacaville Fiesta Days participant (El Rancho Vasquez – 39 years straight), member of the Friends of the Solano County/Dixon May Fair and former trustee of the Vacaville Museum.
Darrin D. Berardi, D.C., Secretary
Dr. Berardi joined the board in 2006 and is on the Development Committee. He is the clinic director of Berardi Chiropractic Clinic in Fairfield. He attended Fairfield High and Solano Community College before graduating from Life Chiropractic College West in 1989. Berardi is a past president of the Fairfield-Suisun Rotary Club and current secretary of the Fairfield-Suisun Twilight Rotary Club. Currently on the Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce board of directors, he is also a member of the Sons of Italy Northern Solano Lodge and the Monticello Cycling Club. He lives in Fairfield with his wife and son. In his free time he enjoys mountain biking, hiking and golf.
Jeff Dittmer, Treasurer
Cattle rancher Jeff Dittmer is a retired firefighter and a member of the Cordelia Fire District. His father, Bob Dittmer, sold Rush Ranch to Solano Land Trust in 1987. Jeff serves on the Agricultural Conservation Easement Committee.
Bob Berman, Immediate Past President
In 1986, Bob Berman assisted in the establishment of the Solano County Farmlands and Open Space Foundation (former name of Solano Land Trust), and also served as the Foundation’s first president from 1986-1996. He currently serves on the Fee Acquisition and Mitigation Committees. Bob is a member of the Tri-City and County Cooperative Planning Group Citizens Advisory Group, and was a member of the Benicia Planning Commission from 1986 to 1994. In 2000, Bob received the Bob Walker Bay Area Conservation Open Space Conservation Award from the Bay Area Open Space Council, and in 2003 he received the Carquinez Strait Heritage Award from the Carquinez Strait Heritage Area Committee. As an environmental planner with 38 years of experience, he is owner of Nichols-Berman, an environmental impact assessment firm, headquartered in Benicia, California.
Board Members
Frank J. Andrews, Jr.
Frank J. Andrews, Jr. is the owner and manager of Andrews, Lando & Associates and a founder and manager of ASB Properties. He currently manages several residential projects locally and elsewhere in the United States. Prior to forming Andrews, Lando & Associates, Frank acted as project manager for Rancho Solano, a 1,200-unit housing development in Fairfield, California, and was president of Andrews Management Services Company, Inc. Until 1989, he was a vice president and superintendent of underground construction for Amos and Andrews, Inc., a mechanical and general engineering contractor based in Fairfield. Mr. Andrews is chairman of the board of directors of First Northern Bank of Dixon, a former president of the Solano Economic Development Corporation and the Solano Land Trust.
Elizabeth Fry
A board member since 2008, Elizabeth Fry is a Vacaville real estate broker and the owner of Showcase Properties. She is also affiliated with Cabela's Trophy Properties. She has been a member of the Vacaville Public Education Foundation since 2004 and is a co-founder and president of the Solano Midnight Sun Foundation, which raises money to help women suffering from breast cancer. She is a member of the Northern Solano County Association of Realtors.
Jane Hicks
Jane Hicks joined the board in 1999, but has been a docent at SLT's Jepson Prairie Preserve since the docent program began in 1982. She is the regulatory branch chief, San Francisco District, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She also serves as a commissioner for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission. Jane is a resident of Vallejo.
John Isaacson
John Isaacson joined the board in 1992. He is a past president of Green Valley Landowners Association and a resident of Green Valley. John is chief of crime suppression for the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
Albert M. Lavezzo
Mr. Lavezzo joined the board in 2007. He is president and chief executive officer of the law offices of Favaro, Lavezzo, Gill, Caretti & Heppell, with offices in Vallejo and Fairfield. He is also past chairman of the board and general legal counsel of Surety Bank, now merged into First Bank and Trust. Mr. Lavezzo has an impressive record of community involvement including past chairman of the Travis Air Force Base Regional Armed Forces Committee; past chairman and current board director of the Solano Economic Development Corporation; past City of Vallejo councilman; past chairman of the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce; past board director of the Vallejo Convention and Visitor's Bureau; and, past president of the Solano County Bar Association.
Russell Lester
Russ is co-owner of Dixon Ridge Farms and a fourth generation California farmer. Russ began farming organically in 1989 and has helped shape many organic farming concepts and practices for orchards. An advocate for farmland protection, Russ is a member of the California Advisory Committee for American Farmland Trust. He has been a featured speaker at national conferences on farmland protection and organic agriculture. In addition, Russ is past president of the Winters Joint Unified School District as well as the Solano County Agricultural Advisory Board. He attended University of California at Davis and recently completed a two-year fellowship with the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Russ serves on the Agricultural Conservation Easement Committee.
Frank Morris
Frank Morris has served on the Solano Land Trust board since July 1999. He is currently a member of the Executive Committee. He also represents SLT on the Solano Transit Authority Pedestrian Advisory Committee. As a resident of Green Valley, he was elected to represent their interests with the Land Trust. Frank has been involved with water quality and environmental investigations for over 30 years and enjoys kayaking, hiking and exploring Bay Area back roads. He coordinates the Lake Berryessa Watershed Partnership, and sits on the Putah Creek Discovery Corridor Committee to promote water quality and environmental education. He also enjoys wrenching on vintage sports cars and motorcycles.
Sean Quinn
Sean Quinn joined the board in February 1998, and served as president from October 2002 to January 2006. He currently sits on the Executive, Fee Acquisition and Rush Ranch Capital Campaign Committees. He is on the board and Executive Committee for the Solano Economic Development Corporation, the board of the Solano Workforce Investment Board, the board of the California Academy for Economic Development and chair of the California Economic Development Advisory Committee for the Department of Housing and Community Development. He is a past president of the California Association for Local Economic Development, and the director of community development for the City of Fairfield.