Sonoma, CA, April 27, 2026, Bartholomew Foundation today announced the appointment of Rick Toyota as its inaugural Executive Director. Toyota brings more than two decades of executive leadership in hospitality operations, strategic planning, revenue growth, and community engagement—combined with a deep, career-long personal and professional commitment to California winemaking and its history. The Bartholomew Foundation partnered with Potrero Group, a national leadership consulting and executive search firm, to conduct the search.

"Rick brings extraordinary breadth to this role—as a seasoned winery executive, a community leader with deep roots in Sonoma County, and someone who genuinely understands the story this land has to tell," said Anna Pope, Co-Trustee of the Bartholomew Foundation. "He sees the Park and the Winery as one unified mission, and he has the operational depth and entrepreneurial spirit to build something lasting here."

As the Foundation’s first-ever Executive Director, Toyota will build on and integrate its dual mission of land stewardship and wine hospitality. He most recently served as Vice President of Direct-to-Consumer & Hospitality at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville, where he led all DTC revenue channels, tasting room operations, events, and experiential programming in one of Sonoma County’s most visited destination winery environments, overseeing long-term strategic and financial planning across multiple departments.

Toyota’s leadership philosophy is grounded in people, place, and mission. He has consistently led organizations through complex transitions—including post-acquisition integrations, wildfire recovery, and the realignment of revenue strategies—while preserving the culture and identity that make each organization distinct.

“The Bartholomew Foundation is entrusted with the stewardship of both Bartholomew Park and Bartholomew Estate Winery—an extraordinary site at the heart of the estate and widely recognized as one of the key contributors to the creation of California’s commercial wine industry,” said Toyota. “The opportunity to lead an organization that honors this remarkable legacy, as well as the generosity and community spirit that inspired the Bartholomew family to create a private park for public enjoyment, is truly rare. I am deeply committed to working alongside the Foundation’s Trustees to advance its mission of stewardship, preservation, conservation, and celebration, ensuring that this site’s vital role in the history of California wine endures for generations to come.”

Beyond winery leadership, Toyota brings extensive experience in civic and nonprofit governance. He served as President of the Alexander Valley Winegrowers, Chairman of Creative Sonoma’s Advisory Board—the county’s arts and creative economy organization—and as a member of Strategic Sonoma, the county-wide economic development initiative advising the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. These roles have shaped his approach to board collaboration, cross-sector partnership development, and community-centered strategic planning.

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