
Archives


Carol Yeaman-Sanchez
Carol Yeaman-Sanchez serves as the Development Director for the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, where she leads efforts to recruit and retain members while expanding the organization’s sponsorship and partnership programs. In her role, Carol oversees member and partner relations, secures new sponsorships, and fosters collaborations to support the organization’s mission. She plays a key role in driving partnerships for signature events, including the Paso Wine Fest, set for May 15-18.
Carol first joined the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance in early 2020 in an administrative capacity. After a brief hiatus, she returned as Membership Manager in June 2022, where she excelled in strengthening relationships with members and partners. Now, as Development Director, Carol continues to enhance the organization’s presence both locally and beyond Paso Robles, supporting its growth and success in the wine industry.

Courtney Benham
Courtney Benham grew up in Bakersfield, California, one of six children, on the tree-nut farm his parents owned. Courtney and his siblings experienced the rigors of farming almonds, pistachios and other nuts first-hand. After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, he spent a few years in the professional tennis circuit. By that time, his father had added winemaking to his agricultural interests and Courtney went to work for his father’s label, Lost Hill. That experience gave him the springboard to pursue a career in the wine industry.
After years in the custom-crush winemaking business, Benham’s entrepreneurial spirit took over with the creation of Blackstone, his first major label. Benham built Blackstone into a category leader in under a decade, then sold the brand in order to pursue a new acquisition, Martin Ray. While searching warehouse space in San Jose, Benham stumbled upon 1500 cases of library wine from pioneer California winemaker, Martin Ray, in 1990. He purchased both the wine and the name and has spent the last few decades pursuing a simple philosophy to make consistent, terroir-driven, 100% single varietal wines, worthy of the historic name.
To establish roots for the Martin Ray brand, Benham purchased one of California’s oldest, continuously operating wineries in the Russian River Valley, Martini & Prati. Since 2003, he has been updating and transforming the property into a modern-day production facility and tasting space. While implementing these updates, Martin Ray joined the Sonoma County Sustainability program and is currently working toward 100% sustainability. Driven by experience and intuition, Benham has always directed the course of his brands through assessment of the market, love of fine wine, and the value of quality. He continues to push the boundaries of great winemaking with true varietal character for the discerning masses. His business model brings together a unique blend of terroir, modern-day craftsmanship and hospitality. These qualities allow him to create consistent top-tier wines, inspired by the historical significance and philosophies of Martin Ray.

Joe Ruiz
Joe is a seasoned CPA with extensive experience in accounting and finance. He began his career as a Manager at PriceWaterhouse, gaining Big 4 expertise, and later held Vice President roles at Fortune 500 companies, including Pacific Mutual Life and Edison International. For over 15 years, Joe successfully operated his own firm, Ruiz & Company, CPA’s, working with small and privately held businesses.
In San Luis Obispo County, Joe has collaborated with a diverse range of industries, including wineries, farmers, ranchers, and service companies. He also served as the Director of Finance at Martin Resorts. Joe excels in identifying key organizational factors that impact success and profitability, implementing strategic changes to improve operations and drive growth.

Glenn Proctor
Glenn Proctor joined Ciatti in 2003 and became a partner in 2007. Glenn advises wineries on supply positioning and works closely with growers and wineries in marketing their grapes and wine. He specializes in spot and contract bulk wine and grapes sales from all regions of California. He has over 23 years of experience in wine supply strategy, wine-grape quality improvement, brand strategy, and business development. Glenn was previously the Vice President of Winegrowing for Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines, and before that was a Director at Benziger/Glen Ellen Winery during its rapid growth in the early 1990’s.

Eric Hickey
In 1988, Eric Hickey began his hands-on training at Laetitia in the cellar alongside his father, who was a Production Manager at the time. In his 20s, he traveled to France through a U.C. Davis extension program and immersed himself in the wines of Rhône, Burgundy, and Bordeaux. In 2000, Hickey was named Head Winemaker, earning a reputation for making elegant estate wines that showcase the character and diversity of the Arroyo Grande Valley AVA. He has since taken on the role of Senior Winemaker and General Manager.
Hickey oversees production, focusing on sparkling wine and Pinot Noir; his winemaking philosophy is simple, and his style is fundamentally about bringing balance, finesse, and showcasing the essence of the fruit. Expanding the long-standing sustainability program, Hickey helped Laetitia become one of the region’s first Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified vineyards in 2008. His commitment to resource stewardship and social responsibility are hallmarks of his desire to produce high quality wines in alignment with respect for the environment. In 2024, he became a partner in the business, ensuring the continued longevity of the Laetitia brand, one of the original and most storied sparkling producers on the central coast.

Anuj Girdhar
Anuj Girdhar is the CFO at O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, one of the fastest growing portfolios of B-Corp certified brands in the US. With almost 20 years of experience in the Wine Industry, Anuj oversees short- and long-term strategic finance and planning for O’Neill. Anuj’s professional career started in Atlanta as a Consultant for Accenture with a focus on technology. After completing his MBA, Anuj spent the next 16 years at E. & J. Gallo Winery in a variety of roles in the US and UK including New Product Development, Demand / S&OP, EMEA Operations, Pricing, and as the Finance Director for Luxury. In 2021 Anuj joined O’Neill as a strategic CFO overseeing all financial functions including M&A.
Anuj lives with his family in the east bay and has a BSEE from Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.

Mike Pattison
I have been with Sam’s Club/Walmart Inc. for 9 years. My journey started in 2015 as a Buyer, before transitioning to Sr. Buyer in 2016, and Sr. Director in 2018. During this time I led the Spirits and Adult Beverage Omnichannel businesses. As the Spirits lead, I oversaw all Merchandising and Replenishment activity. As the Adult Beverage Omnichannel lead, I spearheaded the development and execution of the Division’s Omnichannel strategic roadmap. In 2020 I left Adult Beverage to take on a Omnichannel Sr. Director role in Dry Grocery where I had responsibility for the Coffee category. In May of 2022 I was Named Vice President, DMM, Adult Beverage & Tobacco for Sam’s Club. In addition to my core business responsibilities, I also lead several companywide initiatives.
Prior to joining Sam’s Club, I spent 10 years working for Anheuser-Busch and Boeing in various Strategy & Planning, Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Analytics roles. I also did two District Manager internships with Aldi back in college. Extending into education, I have an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and a BSBA from the University of Missouri (both Corporate Finance emphasis).
I am a native of St. Louis, and married with two children – wife Sarah, daughter Maris (10), and son Jace (7). My hobbies include working out, watching football, slow smoked BBQ, golf, hiking, and spending time with family and friends.

Terry M. Lease, Ph.D.
Dr. Lease joined the faculty of the Department of Wine and Viticulture in September 2019 from the hospitality and tourism management school at Florida International University and the school of business and economics at Sonoma State University. He currently teaches Branded Wine Marketing, Senior Project – Wine Business, Wine Business Strategies, and Global Wine and Viticulture.
Dr. Lease’s research and professional interests reflect the broad nature of the business of wine and include consumer behavior in the wine market, wine tourism, wine ecommerce and social media, wine exporting and distribution, wine pricing, and consumer preferences and decision making for wine. His research methods include case studies, surveys, and empirical data analysis. Dr. Lease’s recent conference papers and publications explore consumers’ perception of Chenin Blanc, the impact of social media practices on sales in U.S. wineries, and determinants of a restaurant’s selection of wines for its wine list.
Dr. Lease earned his Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, Master of Taxation from Baylor University, and BSBA with a minor in German from Wake Forest University.
Wine is Dr. Lease’s passion. He earned the Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). He has visited many of the major, and a few minor, wine regions of the world to expand his knowledge of wine and the global wine industry.

Jenny Heinzen
Jenny Heinzen is California’s top Vineyard Broker for acclaimed wine industry clients, investment funds, and high-net-worth individuals. Beyond insider expertise and long-standing relationships, clients benefit from Jenny’s in-depth understanding of the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area and extensive real estate experience across Napa Valley and beyond.
With over 10,000 acres sold across 50+ vineyard transactions, Jenny is a top 1% agent in the country by dollar volume and holds the record for selling the highest-priced estate in Paso Robles wine country. From 2000 to today, she continues to grow Vineyard Professional Real Estate into a market leader. Accomplishments include the #1 searched listing on Realtor.com and frequent quotes in Bloomberg, Wine Business Monthly, and more media outlets.
A California Central Coast native, Jenny grew up in a real estate investment family and earned a Master’s in Agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo before becoming a licensed broker in 2004. She has served as President of the Napa Valley Women’s Council of REALTORS® and was named a “30 under 30” by the National Association of REALTORS®.
To learn more about Jenny Heinzen and Vineyard Professional Real Estate please visit https://vineyardprorealestate.com/