Elizabeth Blanchard Chess

Ms. Chess was elected a director of the Company in November 2016. She has been actively involved with the Santa Paula and Ventura County agricultural communities and various Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties civic and non-profit organizations for many years. Ms. Chess currently sits on the board of the Museum of Ventura County and on the board of the Ventura Music Festival of which she is past president. Ms. Chess was recently invited and now serves on the Foundation Board of California State University Channel Islands. In the past she served as the Executive Director of the New West Symphony for which she handled management, fundraising, and community relations for five years. Ms. Chess has also had a long career of editing and publishing a quarterly magazine on central coast farming. Ms. Chess has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in history and European history, respectively from the University of Southern California.

Ms. Chess’s extensive experience in, and knowledge of the Santa Paula and Ventura County communities provides the Board with an important perspective in the areas of community relations and responsible use of the Company’s land resources.