Dave Olson
Chair
President, DJLJ LLC
Dave Olson has over 42 years of restaurant industry experience and began his career with OCAT, INC. in June of 1984 as a District Manager. He was promoted to the position of Director of Operations in September of 1990 and then promoted to Vice President/General Manager in December of 1997. As Vice President/General Manager, he oversaw the Company’s expansion into Casual Dining with Chevy’s Fresh Mex and Fuzio Universal Pasta restaurants. Olson also supervised the opening of five Chevy’s restaurants, two Fuzio restaurants and the addition of 15 Taco Bell restaurants in the Fresno market from 1997 through 2004.
Seana Day
Vice Chair
Partner, Culterra Capital /Better Food Ventures
Seana Day is a native of Stanislaus County and currently resides in her hometown of Turlock, CA. Seana brings over 20 years of investment, M&A advisory and technology experience to Culterra Capital and Better Food Ventures. Prior to her involvement in food and agriculture, Seana was a technology investment banker at AGC Partners in London, Ridgecrest Capital Partners in the Bay Area and Headwaters MB in Denver. Her background also includes Head of Restructuring and Operations at Versata Enterprises. Seana currently serves as a Board Member of Dave Wilson Nursery and Swan Systems and is a member of Stanislaus New Leadership Network.
Dillon Olvera
Treasurer
President & CEO, Beard Land and Investment Co.
Dillon Olvera currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Beard Land and Investment Co (BLI). Dillon served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of BLI from August 2016 to December 2017. He served as Chief Financial Officer for Innov8 Partners from February 2013 to July 2016. From September 2008 to February 2013, Dillon served as Vice President, Finance for 5.11. From 1996 to 2008, he held various Director of Accounting and Corporate Controller positions for publicly traded software companies. Dillon started his career as a Senior Accountant at KPMG LLP, a Big Four accounting firm in the Silicon Valley. He holds a B.A. in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a Certified Public Accountant in California.
Chris Tyler
Secretary
Investment Manager, Terravest Capital Partners, LP
Chris Tyler is a former portfolio manager and equity research analyst for Great Gable Partners, a Bay Area hedge fund, and the Managing Partner of Terravest Capital Partners. He has served as Deputy Chief of Staff for California State Senate District 12, City of Modesto Planning Commissioner, Board Member of Modesto’s State Theatre and Co-Founder and Treasurer of the Miracle League of Stanislaus State.
Bill Jackson
Immediate Past Chair
CEO/President, VA Rodden Co.
Bill Jackson’s family is part of the rich agricultural history of Oakdale and Stanislaus county, and the family’s legacy dates back to the mid-1800s. Today, VA Rodden includes the diversification from cattle holdings to include almonds, walnuts, wine grapes and silage. For that heritage and for his own innovations and work ethic, Jackson was named the 2011 Livestock Man of the Year by California’s livestock industry and the California Chamber of Commerce.
Maria Arevalo
Attorney, Law Firm of Maria L. Arevalo
Maria Arevalo currently serves as Chair of the Stanislaus Community Latino Giving Circle and as Chair of the Modesto City Golf Advisory Committee. She has been a member of several community organizations, including the Merced Rotary Club, the Stanislaus Mental Health Board, and the Six Cups to College Program. From 2005 until her retirement in 2014, Maria worked as the Executive Director for the Merced County Employees Retirement Association (MCERA). Prior to that, Maria served as Deputy County Counsel for Merced County. She has also worked for the Office of the Public Defender in Stanislaus and Merced Counties and had a solo private practice for several years. Maria moved to Modesto in 1978 to work for California Rural Legal Assistance. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and has a law degree from Berkeley Law.
Chris Courtney
CEO, Oak Valley Community Bank
Chris Courtney is President & CEO of Oak Valley Community Bank. Chris joined Oak Valley Community Bank in 1996 and became President in 2004 and Chief Executive Officer in 2013 after having previously served the bank as EVP Chief Operating Officer and EVP Chief Credit Officer. Chris has over 25 years of diverse banking experience, having worked for a major bank, a mid-size bank, and another community bank prior to joining Oak Valley. Chris has a B.S. in Finance and an MBA from California State University, Sacramento. Chris lives in Turlock with his wife and two children.
Britta Foster
Partner, TIV Agency
Britta Foster is a partner at TIV Branding, a boutique marketing agency based out of Sonoma County. In addition to her professional work, Britta and her husband, Jeff Foster, started the Modesto chapter of Blessings in a Backpack in 2012 which now feeds more than 1800 students each week. Additionally, Britta is an active supporter of many local organizations including the Stanislaus Family Justice Center and the Gallo Center for the Arts. Britta and Jeff have three children.
Johnny Garcia
Co-Owner, Got It All Insurance Agency
President/CEO, Stanislaus Latino Chamber of Commerce
Johnny Garcia has been in the Insurance Industry for more than 13 years and is a co-owner of Got It All Insurance Agency, located in Modesto, CA. He is a Stanislaus County native and proud Fresno State graduate. Johnny is actively involved in the community and currently serves as the President/CEO of the Stanislaus Latino Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Welcome Team Member and Ambassador for the Modesto Chamber of Commerce. Johnny is married to his wife, Adriana, and they have two children.
Michael Gianelli
Managing Attorney, Gianelli Friedman Jeffries
Michael Gianelli is managing attorney at Gianelli Friedman Jeffries whose practice areas include estate planning, trusts, complex litigation, business and commercial law and mediation. Mike has been a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law with the California Board of Legal Specialization for over 25 years and has workshop training in mediation and served as a neutral on several successful mediations.
Khani Gustafson
CEO, CB Gustafson Consulting LLC
Khani is, by profession, a social worker with 30 years of diverse field experience. She began her career with Stanislaus County juvenile justice, before entering the mental health/behavioral health space. Khani then began her tenure as Executive Director of Stanislaus County Children’s Council, where she worked to address critical health and wellness needs of children, youth and families. She later joined the team at the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions (CIBHS) in Sacramento, where she operated as a Program/Project Manager to develop and implement policy and practices to improve mental health and behavioral health services. Khani is now retired and ready to pursue her passion work.
Louis “Lou” Friedman
Attorney, Gianelli Friedman Jeffries
Lou Friedman’s law practice emphasizes the areas of Estate Planning, Finance, Business Organization, Succession Planning and Asset Protection. He has vast experience advising family owned and closely held companies and has spent decades working in this field as a CPA, attorney, and senior officer of a family owned business. Some of his local positions have included the Gallo Center for the Arts, Modesto Rotary Club, Sylvan Unified School District and the Stanislaus Business Forum Steering Committee.
John Lazar
Broker-Associate, Century 21 M&M Associates
Lazar is a realtor with Century 21 M&M and Associates in Turlock. He served eight years as Turlock’s mayor and 14 years as a Turlock City Council member. He continues to contribute to the community as a member of the Emanuel Medical Center Governing Board, the We Care Program – Turlock Board and Turlock Rotary Club.
Evan Porges
Member at Large
President, Porges Properties
Evan Porges was previously President of Prime Shine, the largest privately-owned car wash chain in California and the 15th largest chain the country. Since guiding Prime Shine through its sale in 2018, Evan has focused more of his time around championing our community. Evan has donated his time and talent to several non-profits, including serving as Chairman of the Board for the Gallo Center for the Arts. Mostly recently, Evan helped launch Profit With Purpose: A Porges Social Enterprise Project, designed to give nonprofits and mission-driven businesses a step-by-step structure to launch new business ideas to earn revenue to sustain their mission over time. Evan has a B.S in Political Science from Arizona State University.
Yamilet Valladolid
Director of Government and Community Affairs, Golden Valley Health Centers
Yamilet Valladolid is a lifelong resident of Stanislaus County. Yamilet is the Director of Government and Community Affairs for Golden Valley Health Centers, a non-profit organization that offers health care to families in Merced, Stanislaus, and San Joaquin counties regardless of language, cultural and financial barriers. Yamilet is an advocate for social justice, equity in health, leadership and education and is involved in several boards and coalitions on a national, statewide, and local level around these areas. She enjoys mentoring 1st Gen College Students and spending quality time with friends and family. Ms. Valladolid holds a Master's degree in Public Health and is committed to paving the way for others to follow their educational and leadership goals.