Bridget Fithian was born and raised in Mariposa where she developed her love of open spaces. Bridget has worked in land conservation at Sierra Foothill Conservancy since 2009 and in 2015 was selected as SFC’s Executive Director. Since taking over as Executive Director, Fithian has doubled the operating budget of Sierra Foothill Conservancy and expanded land acquisition and engagement programming. She oversees over 64,000 acres of conserved lands specializing in creative solutions to achieve conservation goals and working landscape conservation.

Working with seemingly divergent communities from environmentalists to multi-generational cattle ranchers, to public utility districts, Bridget has helped conserve more than 30,000 acres in the central Sierra. Recent projects have established and expanded Mariposa’s first publicly accessible preserve- adjacent to local schools and protecting the town’s water resource, creating the largest private nature preserve in the Sierra Foothills, connecting 27,000 acres of conserved lands in the San Joaquin River Corridor, and participating in the first Sierra Meadow restoration GHG & carbon sequestration cohort.

Bridget serves as the current board chair for the California Council of Land Trusts, as Board President of the Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council where she founded and chairs the Policy Committee and serves as a liaison to Sacramento on Sierra Nevada issues. She is honored to be a member of the Land Trust Alliance Leadership & Excellence Program. Bridget currently serves as the President and Director of the California Conservation Action Fund. 

Bridget is a graduate of UC Santa Cruz. She lives in Mariposa with her husband and two daughters and enjoys a life filled with family and beautiful open spaces.

Lexi comes to us from the Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD), where she served as Environmental and Land Management Specialist. At the VCRCD, Lexi managed and delivered on current grant programs, while working to develop new programs and projects with a set of diverse partners. While in Ventura County, Lexi also worked for the Rancho Ventura Conservation Trust for support and grant writing purposes, and interned for UCCE Ventura County at the Hansen Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Prior to moving to Southern California, Lexi worked as Project Manager for the Sutter County Resource Conservation District, and also for California State Parks in both Oroville and Big Sur. She has a B.S. in Agriculture – Land Resource Management and minor in Recreation Administration from California State University, Chico, and a Master of Agriculture degree from Colorado State University.

In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and relaxing at home, exercising with her miniature schnauzer, Pepper, and exploring new places with her husband, Richard. Lexi is looking forward to learning anything and everything about conserving the Sierra Nevada foothills for their numerous benefits and natural resource values!

Heather Bromberg moved to the Sierra Nevadas in 2016 to work for the National Park Service at Yosemite. After serving her term appointment, she decided to stay in the Sierras out of love for the natural world available here. Sierra Foothill Conservancy happened to be hiring for Program Support at that time. Originally from New York, Heather earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science at the University of Vermont. After schooling she worked for various organizations: 2 environmental consultants, 1 PhD student, the federal government, county government, and now focuses on non-profit work. Heather has moved back to her home state of New York and continues to work remotely for Sierra Foothill Conservancy.

Allyson grew up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains above Auberry where she developed a passion for everything outdoors; from land conservation and studying biology to physical activity. Most of the endeavors that Allyson has chosen throughout her life remain to involve science, conservation, immersion in the outdoors, and movement. She was a whitewater river guide on the Kings River for four years. She was a zookeeper and environmental educator, working with endangered cat species for over a decade. She has taught science to all levels of students, including Junior College Biology.

Allyson received her Master’s degree in a combination of Biology and Education and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Ecology Option from the California State University, Fresno. Her specialties include ecology and educational curriculum planning. During graduate school, she conducted research on the Mastiff bat at SFC’s McKenzie Preserve. Allyson lived in New Zealand for a brief period, studying the biology and geology of the South Pacific.

Allyson lives with her two incredible children in the mountains where she grew up. She loves cycling, hiking, camping, and anything she can do outdoors, especially with her family and friends! She joined the SFC team in 2018 and is thrilled to be a part of protecting the land that she considers home!

Nancy was born in Mariposa where she spent her childhood exploring the foothills and learning about the local plants and wildlife. She moved back to Mariposa in December of 2015 after spending fifteen years in education.  She is thrilled to call the foothills home once again and feels honored to be part of such a dynamic, meaningful organization.

She is passionate about conservation because of the unique balance and sustainability it offers to local working landscapes, and looks forward to helping build even stronger ties between community members and the land.  In her free time Nancy enjoys hiking, trail-running, and reading.

Billy Freeman, CRM, CPRM serves as Rangeland  Program Manager for SFC and has worked for the organization since November 2011.  Billy manages SFC’s Rangeland management programs,  which include grazing and monitoring plans on SFC’s 6,500 acres of grazinglands on the Preserves.  He also oversees grazing leases on SFC properties and selected conservation easements.  As part of our stewardship team, Billy helps ensure the conservation values are maintained and enhanced on SFC conservation properties throughout our area of interest. Lastly, Billy also manages the Sierra Lands Beef cattle enterprise.

Billy worked in the cattle business for several years in California, Montana and Oregon before coming to SFC.  He held positions with Basin Angus in Montana and worked in Bovine Embryology with Precision Embryonics in Glide, Oregon. Billy’s experience in the cattle business exposed him to many different management and cattle marketing situations on rangelands in the western US. Being a part of a large scale seed stock operation taught him about the selection and development of quality cattle, and also key aspects of developing a successful, profitable, and sustainable program.

Billy holds a degree in Agricultural Systems Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Master’s in Natural Resources Stewardship from Colorado State University. He is also a Certified Rangeland Manager as well as a Certified Professional in Rangeland Management. He regularly participates in conference proceedings on behalf of SFC and has been published in articles discussing conservation grazing.

Some of June’s most cherished childhood memories revolve around camping excursions in the redwoods and exploring tide pools in her hometown of Santa Cruz. She is thankful for her parents, who nurtured her appreciation for natural landscapes, as she finds her greatest joy in spending time outdoors.

Since moving from the coast to the Sierra Foothills in 2021, June has developed a deep affection for the scents and subtle hues of Mariposa’s trees, creeks, and meadows. A true “people person,” she brings 16 years of dynamic non-profit experience from Point Reyes Station and is excited to join the remarkable Sierra Foothill Conservancy team to advance the vital mission of preserving natural lands for now and forever.

June is a mother of two, a certified grief recovery specialist, and a performing artist. She is dedicated to enhancing organization, engaging a more extensive member and donor network throughout the SFC service area, and fostering strong relationships across invisible borders. She is also eager to contribute to childhood educational programs that promote dignity, connection, presence, and a spirit that reflects nature’s generosity.

During her free time, June enjoys running, singing, and playing outdoors with her friends and family.

Lauren was born and raised in Mariposa. She graduated from Concordia University in Business Administration and Marketing from Irvine CA. She continued her education by attending photography school by the beach for several years before returning to the family property to help manage the tree operations in 2011. Her time in Mariposa includes several years working at the Mariposa County Planning Department and most recently Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (MCRCD). At the MCRCD and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) partnership office she assisted in conservation planning for both forest and rangeland in Mariposa County.

Her evolution at SFC from a Conservation Project Manager to Conservation Director began in the summer of 2014. Since then Lauren has been directly responsible for conserving over 5,000 acres in Conservation Easements, and her grant writing has resulted in the award of over $6 million in funding for conservation, stewardship and restoration projects.

She finds working for an organization whose mission so closely entwines her home county and surrounding area is truly rewarding. In her free time she can be found riding the range, with a camera, capturing the essence of the Sierra Nevada foothills she calls home.

Gary has worked in natural resource management in various capacities for the past 25 years. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Planning from Sonoma State University. He specializes in habitat restoration and project management. Prior to working with Sierra Foothill Conservancy, Gary was engaging youth and young adults to restore the environment, improve parks and enhance the community. Upon moving to Mariposa in 2013 he served on the Board of the Upper Merced River Watershed Council.  Gary enjoys various outdoor activities such as mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing and camping.

As Stewardship Program Manager some of Gary’s responsibilities include resource management and maintenance of SFC’s 10 preserves, grant writing, monitoring conservation easements and working with landowners as well as the stewardship program development. While with SFC he has been successful in implementing several restoration and enhancement projects. Gary has been with SFC since April 2014.

Angie is SFC Finance Manager responsible for all aspects of GAAP accounting, billing and grant invoicing. She was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Yosemite/Mariposa area eighteen years ago when she married a long time Yosemite employee. She has a BS in Accounting and worked for the park concessionaire for six and half years and had spent eight & half years with Yosemite Conservancy overseeing their El Portal accounting/finance department.

Angie is excited with her role at SFC and is greatly honored to be part of another non-profit that values land conservation, preservation and environmental education. She will be working closely with the Executive Director and Operations Director for the financial stability and sustainability of SFC.

If Angie is not working in front of her computer crunching some numbers, she is busy with her children’s activities, helping with community and school fundraising, going for a walk/hike with family/friends in Yosemite or around Mariposa, or doing other outdoor activities on her weekends, like skiing.