For CVCF board member and Valley-native Brandon Esraelian, the Central Valley is more than his hometown: it is a place of belonging. After growing up in the Valley, he knew he wanted to raise his own family here one day. Upon spending seven years away from the Valley, obtaining his bachelor’s degree in business economics with an emphasis in accounting and a minor in philosophy from UC Santa Barbara and his law degree from University of the Pacific, he was ready to return home

For Katie Schmarje Crockett, data has been a driving force throughout her career. Her path has taken her from a PhD dissertation studying HIV data trends and disease mitigation in Uganda to her current work advancing economic inclusion for Central Valley farmworkers. As CVCF’s Senior Data Analyst and Farm Food Future’s (F3’s) Senior Program Officer, Katie sees data not just as a tool, but as a means to understand and address injustice. While completing her dissertation in r

Russel Statham’s philanthropic roots go back to his days as a Fresno State student. Sitting in a classroom, he decided to give after his own life was changed by a donor’s generosity. “I was super blessed to receive the Smittcamp Scholarship while I was a student,” Russel said. “Because others invested in me at an early age, I wanted to give back to pay it forward for other young people to be beneficiaries of the community’s philanthropy as well.” Russel Statham, Ed.D. first