Lori Sarkisian Taylor
Stephen and I came to Healdsburg in 1978 and thought how wonderful it would be to someday live in this valley. Dry Creek had everything we valued, a beautiful valley with good people with good values. Farming had been part of my family experience in Fresno and I always wanted to live in the country.
We started looking at properties in 1990 and almost bought Wagon Wheel Ranch before the forty acres were subdivided. Our boys were young and involved in sports, so we ended up waiting. We were lucky enough to purchase15250 Chalk Hill Road in 2003, a property that had a barn and riding ring where we spent every weekend. We had great neighbors like Earl and Myrna Fincher. In 2015, our immediate next door neighbor sold her home to a couple who never lived on the property, turned it into a VRBO allowing ten guests to stay overnight and sixteen during the day. It became a place for large groups of young people to have loud, drunken parties so we stopped coming up.
My values have always been focused on blending into a community rather than trying to change it to fit my own vision of what it could be. I have a great deal of respect for the history and community of Dry Creek Valley. We have met many people who have become friends and it has been a great experience. Spending time with the Members of the Board, getting to know them and how much they value and care about this valley means a lot to me. I would like to participate in making a positive contribution to keeping what makes this valley special and raising the awareness of the community.
Some of my priorities are:
- Keeping Dry Creek Valley agricultural and supporting small farms and farmers who have built the reputation of this valley.
- Working with Board Members to come up with solutions to bring property owners together as one community through membership and inclusion.
- Looking ahead within the next five, ten, twenty years to keeping the valley agricultural while maintaining a balance with those whose professional careers have not centered around agriculture. Their expertise might bring them into the agricultural fold and benefit the valley.
- Coming up with ideas that can better support our agricultural community by having local products highlighted. The General Store might be a place to start by having local wines, produce and other products from the Dry Creek Valley. Pedrocelli is the only Zinfandel on sale there now.
During the 1990s I studied painting at California College of Arts and Crafts, CCAC. I was a Board Member for nine years at The Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art, formerly called the Herbst Art Gallery honoring California artists, Wayne Thiebaud, Nathan Oliveira, Ruth Bernhard, Manuel Neri and others. I am a Member of the Piedmont Garden Club and The Dry Creek Neighbors’ Club.
Stephen and I raised our children in Piedmont and lived there from 1979 to 2019 when we moved permanently to 5519 Dry Creek Road.
