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Staff

STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION:

(Scroll down for biographies of each staff member)

Sponsorship Manager

Victoria (Rossi) Carlisle

831-775-3109

Cell 619-518 5039

vcarlisle@carodeo.com

General Manager
Barbara Causley
831-775-3105
Bcausley@carodeo.com

Interim General Manager

Jim Slaten
831-775-3105
jslaten@carodeo.com

Facility Maintenance

Orlando Garcia
831-775-3190
ogarcia@carodeo.com

Marketing Coordinator
Amanda Gianolini

831-775-3185

agianolini@carodeo.com

Ticket Office Manager

Brenda Hernandez

831-775-3130

bhernandez@carodeo.com

Marketing Manager
Mandy Linquist

831-775-3102

mlinquist@carodeo.com

Facility Administrator
Sheri Durgan Varner

831-775-3103

sdurgan@carodeo.com

Accounting Manager

Suzette Gertsch

831-775-3101

sgertsch@carodeo.com

Victoria Carlisle, Sponsorship Manager

Born and raised in the Salinas Valley, Victoria Carlisle is passionate about all things sponsorship-related in our community. After spending her college years in San Diego, she moved back to Salinas in her late 20s. After a brief stint in the produce industry, Victoria joined the California Rodeo Association in 2012. She enjoys spending time with her husband and her kids, and all the joys of raising a family here in her hometown. She is passionate about giving back to her community through the staging of the California Rodeo Salinas and working with sponsors to provide a one-of-a-kind experience.

Barbara Causley, General Manager

Most recently holding the title of Velocity Tour Manager with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR), Causley was born and raised in Salinas and has always been passionate about the Western sports industry. Before her tenure with the PBR, Causley interned at the California Rodeo Salinas and Rodeo Austin. Her skill set includes budget management, event production, marketing, sponsorship involvement, managing multiple teams to execute world-class events, and more. She also developed “Cowboy Safe Plans” during the pandemic for venues across the country to continue hosting events during the pandemic that followed local and regional regulations. The program was later adopted by the National Football League to return to having its events.

Orlando Garcia, Facility Maintenance

Orlando H. Garcia started volunteering with the California Rodeo Salinas in 1998 and has never left. Orlando proudly took charge of the Grandstand Committee as the Chairman in 2013 and became a director in 2018. In 2023, he earned his 25-year pin for volunteering and became a valued staff member, holding the title of Facility Maintenance.

Amanda Gianolini, Marketing Coordinator

Amanda Gianolini is a long-time resident of the Salinas Valley with a love for rodeo, the Western lifestyle, her family, and friends. She is proud to be a part of the California Rodeo Salinas’s effort to give back to the community and honored to be involved with the long-standing tradition of the California Rodeo Salinas. She enjoys concerts and live music, time with her family, and outdoor activities including hiking, spending time at the lake and riding horses.

Brenda Hernandez, Ticket Office Manager

Brenda Hernandez has worked as the Ticket Office Manager of the California Rodeo Salinas for 4 years. A first-generation Mexican American and Salinas native, she grew up attending the Rodeo each July and then became a volunteer and continues to work for an organization that gives back to the community. In her free time, she enjoys attending concerts and spending time with her family.

Mandy Linquist, Marketing Manager

Mandy Linquist was born and raised in Salinas and grew up attending the California Rodeo Salinas. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business with a focus on marketing, a minor in wine and viticulture, and a Master of Science in agriculture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The most rewarding thing about working for the California Rodeo Salinas, and what’s kept her here for almost two decades, is going to work and giving back to the community at the same time. She enjoys spending her free time traveling and going on outdoor adventures with her husband and kids.

Sheri Durgan Varner, Facility Administrator

Sheri Durgan Varner, Facility Administrator, has been employed with the California Rodeo for 22 years. Her primary focus is Facility Management, booking the Complex, Stadium and managing the horse barn. Her love for the Rodeo began as a child when her family kept horses in the same barn she manages now, and she couldn’t wait for the Rodeo to come to town every year! Sheri was born and raised in Monterey County and lives in Prunedale with her husband and son.