Who We Are

Heather Golden Jensen

Board of Directors - Chair

Heather Golden Jensen is the principal owner of Golden Ag Assistance LLC. Ms. Golden Jensen provides detailed technical assistance regarding current agricultural issues and regulatory compliance advice for her agri-business clients. Ms. Golden Jensen also holds a California real estate license. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Ag Land Trust since 2016 and is the Secretary of the Trust.

David Gill

Board of Directors - Vice Chair

David Gill is the Founder and Co-owner of Rio Farms, a major California agricultural concern headquartered in the Salinas Valley.  Mr. Gill oversees the current operations of over 14,500 acres of specialty vegetable crop production.  Mr. Gill has served on the Ag Land Trust Board of Directors since 2008.

Louis Frizzell

Board of Directors - Treasurer

Louis Frizzell is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and financial planner and has been licensed in the State of California for over four decades. His practice includes advising numerous farming concerns and farmland owners in Central California. Since joining the Ag Land Trust Board of Directors in 2007, Mr. Frizzell has been the Treasurer of the Board of Directors and helps to manage the Ag Land Trust’s finances, including serving as the chief liaison for audits.

Laurence London

Board of Directors - Secretary

Laurence London is an independent consultant and the owner of Fitotec Consulting, LLC. Mr. London’s company specializes in bioremediation of wastewater, soils, and lagoons.  Mr. London is also a California Pest Control Advisor and Certified Crop Advisor with sustainable category.  He formerly was an organic inspector covering agri-business entities in the United States and Mexico.  Mr. London was a former Adjunct Professor and Director of Agriculture Innovation and Technology at Hartnell College which has campuses throughout the Salinas Valley. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Ag Land Trust since 2020.

Marc Del Piero

Board of Directors

In 1984, Marc Del Piero became the founding President of the Ag Land Trust Board of Directors and currently is its full time CEO and Managing Director. A native of Monterey County and the fourth-generation son of a California farming family, Mr. Del Piero served on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors from 1981-1992, served as the Attorney Member of the California State Water Resources Control Board from 1992-1999, and was an Adjunct Professor of Water Law at Santa Clara University School of Law (his alma mater) from 1992-2011.

Aaron Johnson

Board of Directors

Aaron Johnson is a Partner and attorney with the law firm, JRG Attorneys at Law. JRG is a major regional law firm headquartered in Salinas, California. Mr. Johnson pursues an expansive practice specializing in land use law, real property law, business transactions (including complex agri-business issues), business entity formation, corporate strategies, and family law. Aaron joined the Board of Directors of the Ag Land Trust in 2011 and has served as the President of the Board.

Anker Fanoe

Board of Directors

Anker Fanoe is the President and CEO of Pacific Valley Bank. Mr. Fanoe holds a degree in Economics from the University of California – Santa Barbara. A native of Monterey County and a banking professional with nearly three decades of senior executive experience, he has been actively involved as a leader in the lending industry and regularly addresses the needs of many of the largest agri-business concerns in Central California.  Mr. Fanoe has served on the Board of Directors of the Ag Land Trust since 2020.

Mike Novo

Board of Directors

Mike Novo served as a senior land use planner for local governments on the Central Coast for over 33 years. He holds a degree in Geography from San Francisco State University. For nearly a decade, Mr. Novo served as the Monterey County Planning Director and was responsible for all land use decisions within the unincorporated areas of Monterey County’s  3,771 square miles. Mr. Novo has focused on agricultural land preservation and protection as one of his passions since becoming a planner. He served as a founding Board Member of the San Benito Agricultural Land Trust. Mr. Novo joined the Board of Directors of the Ag Land Trust in 2020.

Richard Nutter

Board of Directors

Richard Nutter served as Agricultural Commissioner for Monterey County from 1971 to 1998 and is recognized throughout California as an expert on agricultural issues, farmland protection issues and issues related to pesticide regulations.  Mr. Nutter has been on the Ag Land Trust Board of Directors since 1993, previously serving as Board President. 

Bob Roach

Board of Directors