James H. Jackson, MBA, CPA

Managing Member & Chief Executive Officer

Jim founded the original Royal Bluff Orchard and oversaw the initial planting of 70 acres in 1982. He has managed all TNRBO orchard properties since then, raising more than $25 million in investor funding to finance the expansion to 675 acres.

Jim had a successful career as a Certified Public Accountant in the Seattle, WA area for more than 36 years. Jim is a founder and a former director of Seattle's First Sound Bank and he also sat on the board of directors of the YMCA.

Jim graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in forest management from Nichols College. He served his country in the U.S. Navy as a Vietnam-era veteran and received his Masters Degree in Business Administration from California State University San Diego.

Julia Bringolf, MBA

Vice President of Finance & Administration

Julia has been with The New Royal Bluff Orchards since 2013. Julia became an MBA graduate in 2019 from Seattle University. She serves a dual role as TNRBO VP and CEO for Cash Butte Distillery. In 2019 Julia led a team of three to a finalist position in the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition writing the business plan for Cash Butte Distillery.

Manuel Martinez

Vice President of Operations

Manuel joined Royal Bluff in 1990 and has steadily worked his way up to Vice President, a position he was promoted to in 2022. He is experienced in all facets of orchard management, and has received extensive classroom training in topics such as orchard operations, labor management, and entomology.

Dean Gardner

Chief Financial Officer

Dean has more than 40 years of experience as a finance professional, including the last twenty years in the Eastern Washington tree fruit industry.

Dean is also the administrator of The Washington State Tree Fruit Industry Networking Group on LinkedIn, with more than 1,500 members. Dean comments periodically about the industry, its strengths, and its weaknesses in his LinkedIn Group. He is candid with his readers. While TNRBO is a follower of Dean’s group, we do not sponsor his independent activities.