Land Trust of Napa County CEO Joel Tranmer was born in Polson, Montana, where his dad was teaching school on the Flathead Indian Reservation. The family moved to the North Bay when he was 6 months old and to Napa when he was 2. These days, he and his wife, Kathy, live in a house his parents built in the 1960s on Mount George.
After college, Tranmer spent the first 10 years of his working life in Silicon Valley designing and writing software for a medical information system company. At 34, he quit that job and started a company manufacturing home insulation from recycled newspapers. It eventually became the largest cellulose insulation manufacturing company in the country. When the company sold to Louisiana Pacific, Tranmer retired (for the first time).
So how did he become involved in the Land Trust? “My father was one of the founders of the Land Trust of Napa County in 1976,” he reveals. “I was on the board for six years, chairman of the board for two years and now I’m CEO. Napa County is a very special place and worth protecting.”
What got you interested in land preservation?
I’ve been an avid hiker and backpacker as long as I can remember. I love to hike, backpack, climb mountains and ride my motorcycle. I also love to travel, fly fish and play golf. Kathy and I also have a home in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
What’s your favorite quote?
Albert Einstein: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” Another version of “If we do what we’ve always done we’ll get what we’ve always got.”
At what time of day do you feel your best?
First thing in the morning. It’s very peaceful before the business world wakes up and people begin to interrupt your thoughts.
Did you ever have a nickname?
“Joe the Jet.” I was a football running back in high school, but I didn’t actually play a lot. Once, I got into a game, was given the ball, and was running down the field toward the end zone with no one near me. Then I was caught from behind by a very large defensive lineman. After that, my friends called me “Joe the Jet”—they still do.
Do you have a pet peeve?
People who answer cell phones when they’re already talking to someone in person. They might not even know who’s calling, but they act like whoever it is must be more important than the person they’re already talking to.
If your MP3 only played one song, what would it be?
“Somewhere Over the Rainbow” or Al Ferrier’s old country classic “If Your Phone Ain’t Ringing (That’s Me Not Calling You).”
What real person do you wish you could be more like?
My father. He was a kind, gentle and intelligent man and I never saw him compromise his principles.
Window or aisle seating?
Window. I love to look down on our planet to see what it looks like from a high altitude. I like to imagine what people are like who live in those houses and ranches in the middle of nowhere.
Describe one of your scariest outdoor moments.
I climbed Mount McKinley 17 years ago with a group of 10 climbers and three guides. For a great percentage of the time we were on the mountain, we were roped together in four-person teams for safety purposes. We were climbing across a glacier that had several large crevasses, and we walked over an ice bridge that was hidden by snow. I was the third person across the bridge and it broke through when I walked over it. Everyone did what they were supposed to, and I didn’t fall into the crevasse. It was very scary, but once I realized I was supported by the team, I was fine.
What’s your idea of a great dessert?
French vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and nuts on top.
