Beyond the Boardroom is one of the highlights of NorthBay biz. Each month, the editorial team hand selects a business leader in the community to feature the aspects of their lives—outside of work—through fun and light-hearted questions. Get rid of the suit jacket and tie, slip on those rollerblades you cruise around town on during the weekends, and tell us about your first cassette tape. This year, for the first time, we featured “Local Heroes,” men and women who played a vital role in the community following the October wildfires of 2017. We can’t always squeeze every detail into a profile, so here’s what ended up on the cutting room floor from all 16 issues in 2018.
Craig Reid, chief executive officer
Auberge Resorts Collection
January
What’s your preferred method of getting the news?
The Internet. I look at four-to-five news outlets every morning—including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and Bloomberg.
What do you consider your best quality?
The quality that has helped me the most over the years is my openness to learn from my mistakes or from others.
If you could give one piece of advice to pass on to the next generation, what would it be?
Be positive and show warmth and respect to all.
Loren Davis
Local Hero
Perspectives
What’s your favorite room in your home?
The living room—with my TV and new recliner.
If you could spend an hour doing absolutely anything, what would you do?
Fly aerobatics.
Rob Giordano
Sonoma County Sheriff
February
What did I do professionally before law enforcement?
I was an auto mechanic. I’ve actually been involved in auto repair since I was fourteen. I had an uncle who taught me and I went to work for a shop with him. I got a smog license when I was 16 and was doing smog checks and working at gas stations. When I got out of high school, I wanted to be an auto mechanic so that’s what I did. After a few years, I found it just wasn’t challenging enough for me. I wanted more, and that’s why I got into law enforcement.
Roni Brown
president
Summit State Bank
500 Bonus Issue
What books have made a big impact on you?
“The Artist’s Way.”
What’s the most lavish clothing item or accessory you own?
My four-inch red pumps.
Claudia Vecchio
chief executive officer
Sonoma County Tourism
March
If you could turn into any animal at will, which one would you select?
I’d turn into a bluenose dolphin. They’re smart and seem to be having a (mostly) joyful and carefree life.
What do you consider your best quality?
I’m a lifelong learner. Great ideas and insights can come from anyone and anywhere, and I’m always on the lookout for input that can enhance my understanding of people, places and how things work. Life is a short, brilliant adventure, and I hope to take as much in as I can.
John Farrow
chief executive officer
Farrow Construction
April
Do you have a big family?
No, just my sister.
Are you married?
Yes, 22-years in September.
Misti Harris
community engagement liaison
Sonoma County Sheriffs Office
May
If you could go anywhere for a one-day visit, where would you go?
Somewhere deep in the Amazon. I’d love to spend a day in a wild part of the world, untouched by humans.
Keith Woods
chief executive officer
North Coast Builders Exchange
June
What’s your most memorable airplane flight?
San Francisco to Moscow in 1998. Back in my Chamber of Commerce days, I was asked by the U.S. State Department and U.S. Chamber to spend 10 days in Russia training former generals who were becoming chamber executives. During the layover in Frankfort, Germany, I fell asleep and missed my connecting flight to Moscow. It ended well when they reluctantly stuffed me into a Lufthansa flight to Moscow the next day. At least I learned some German. “Dummer Amerikaner,” apparently means “Stupid American.”
What’s your favorite childhood candy?
Three Musketeers was always my go-to candy bar
John Balletto
Owner
Balletto Vineyards
Best of the North Bay
What’s your favorite board game?
I love Monopoly. How great would it have been to be a part of the early days in New York and Manhattan when construction was just starting? I usually win half the time.
Who are your mentors?
Coach’s Lamb and Castleberry, teacher Pete Barbieri, the Petersen brothers, Warren Dutton, Mel Sanchietti and my SRJC teacher, Steve Olson. Later in life, Pat Kilkenny and Clem Carinalli. They all played apart in who I am today.
John Bucher
Owner
Bucher Farms and Bucher Vineyards
July
What do you love to do outside of work?
I follow Bay Area sports teams and attend games with Diane and our kids. We’re 49ers season ticket holders, and attend as many games as our busy schedule allows. We also try and catch as many San Francisco Giants and Warriors games as we can.
Joseph Flannery
senior vice president and general manager of technical apparel
Newell Brands
Game Changers
What do you consider your best quality?
I am very optimistic.
Chad Krilich
chief medical officer
St. Joseph Health
August
What do you love to do outside of work?
I love to spend time with my family and run the trails at Annadel.
What got you interested in a career in health care?
When my grandmother had a stroke in our living room a year to the day following my grandfather’s passing, I knew I never wanted to anyone to have experience as I did as a 4th grader. That experience, fertilized by an interest in math and science as well as a desire to solve complex problems, lead me to a career in medicine.
The Barrows
co-founders
Foundation Homes International
September
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Christopher: My daughter; she’s the best thing I’ve ever done. That aside, my second greatest achievement would be beating cancer, twice.
Darcy: Our daughter. She wasn’t easy to bring into this world—we had to go through IVF and other hurdles to get her here. Also, the relationship Christopher and I have is an accomplishment—18 years together and counting is not a no-brainer.
Paul Bradley
sheriff pilot
Local Hero
October
What scares you?
Mistakes that aren’t correctable in the moment scare me the most. Every day, us humans make mistakes, which are okay in most cases. Mistakes are how we learn each day what’s good and bad in life. The element of the unknown is always with us, but with routine training, picking apart mistakes, learning from them and applying what we’ve learned—something Henry 1 has been practicing for more than 40 years, helps keep mistakes from happening. To think I’m exempt from mistakes is the first mistake to be corrected. With the Henry 1 crew, and the way we train, not much will scare me.
Steve Dutton
President
Dutton Ranch
Harvest Issue
What got you interested in a career in farming and ag? Has it been a lifelong interest? Growing up on the ranch, I knew of no other job. As a kid, my brother Joe and I loved equipment—that is what got us interested in farming. We still love equipment, but now I also love wine.
What do you consider your best quality?
I am fair, generous and wholeheartedly support keeping agriculture thriving in Sonoma County.
What do you love to do outside of work?
Relax with my girlfriend, Karissa Kruse. And in the past year, I’ve been traveling more and really enjoy exploring other wine regions.
Julianna Graham
senior vice president
Tri Counties bank
November
Where did you go to college?
I graduated from USF with a bachelors degree in organizational behavior. I have an MBA in finance from Golden Gate University and I graduated from Pacific Coast Banking School at the Foster School of Business at UW and have been a faculty member there for more than 20 years.
What do you love to do outside of work?
I love to be outdoors, exercise, cook and best of all play with my grandchildren.
Lawrence Amaturo
Owner
NorthBay biz magazine, Amaturo Sonoma Media Group, Splash Express Car Wash and partner at Jim Bone Auto Group
December
What did you do professionally before you started your own business?
Right out of graduate school, I had the best job working for the TYLENOL division of Johnson & Johnson as a "National Brand Manager.” My bosses had just saved the company from the awful cyanide-poisonings of TYLENOL capsules. They instilled in me the importance of communicating powerful messages with limited words, amazing ad concepts, how to build, and manage and succeed with project-specific teams to create brands selling $50,000,000 to more than $1,000,000,000 in annual sales. But most of all, they showed my how important a ‘sense of urgency’ is when running a business. I lean on these concepts pretty much every single workday.
Do you have a big family?
I’m one of five kids, my wife is one of five kids and we have amazing twin girls who are flourishing as high-school teenagers.
