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(VISALIA, CA) - Like many nonprofits, SRT is governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors who dedicate their time to guiding the organization and helping it meet its mission. From time to time, Currents profiles these committed community servants who believe deeply in the value and important of conservation. Our hope is that you get to know who these leaders are and get a sense of just who is shaping the organization’s priorities and strategies. For this quarter’s edition we are featuring SRT Board Vice President Brian W. Grant. Below is an excerpt of an interview Currents recently conducted with him about present and future issues involving SRT.

CURRENTS: What initially prompted you to join the SRT Board? How long have you served? 

BRIAN W. GRANT: I have served on the board since December 2015. I was on the board of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy with Soapy [former SRT CEO Mulholland] and when I left Tejon Ranch and therefore the Conservancy Board, Soapy asked me if I would be interested in joining the SRT board. Of course I said yes.  

Currents: How did you originally develop your value for and understanding of the importance of Conservation?

BWG: I feel like I was raised with it. My father was always involved in conservation, and because I was familiar with SRT when my dad and Dagny Corcoran lived on Battle Mountain Ranch, I have been a part of SRT ever since.

Currents: What keeps you plugged into the Conservation cause more broadly, and SRT more specifically? What inspires you to continue, and which aspects of SRT do you find most interesting/challenging?

BWG: What keeps me going and interested in conservation are the number of solutions SRT does and will provide in the uncertain future. We will see changes to California agriculture and land use patterns that we have never seen before: the implementation of SGMA; the drought; and aging agrarians are increasing the pace of this change. I see SRT’s role being incredibly important over the next 20-plus years in helping manage this change and bringing about positive outcomes.

Currents: What are the top land and water protection priorities that SRT is, should be, or will be tackling, and why are they important? 

BWG: A large part of the conserved lands in SRT’s region has been in the foothills and mountains, that will likely shift to more conserved ground being on the San Joaquin Valley floor. As productive agricultural lands come out of production, SRT is in a good spot to help responsibly conserve valley floor properties in a sustainable way that is a net benefit to neighbors and communities.

Currents: What are you most proud of in terms of your contribution to the organization up till now? What would you like to accomplish in your remaining time? 

BWG: I am most proud of the team–staff, board, supporters, consultants and advocates–that SRT has assembled. We truly have the team to take on the tough issues facing our area and provide solutions for the communities and landscapes in our area. The future is bright for SRT and my hope is that we add to the great team we already have and are looking forward and providing leadership as we drive for solutions to the upcoming issues we are facing in our region.

Currents: What is your professional life currently about? What synergies might it offer your work with SRT? 

BWG: As an agricultural businessman, I hope to continue helping guide SRT’s future growth in understanding the needs of California agriculture, including the business equations that drive it, to allow the organization to be the go-to land stewardship organization in Central California. 

Currents: What outside interests, hobbies, and/or pursuits are you currently engaged in, if any? Where are you based (home/work)? Family details, etc. 

BWG: Along with my wife, Edyta, most of our time is spent at activities for our two daughters, 11 and 9. Between soccer, volleyball, tennis, piano, theater, skiing and family trips, I only get out to pursue my primary passion, fly fishing, a couple of times a year.

Currents: When you look into the future, what constitutes mission success for SRT? 

BWG: Generally, we need to keep managing SRT to keep being the first-class organization it has become, we cannot lose sight of the foundation we have built while we look to the future. Specifically, we need to work really hard to be ahead of the land use changes coming: SGMA; drought; and shifting water priorities will change our landscape faster in the next 20 years than at any time since statehood.