Sandra grew up in Northern California and earned a degree in International Business and a Master’s in Enology from the University of California Davis before moving in 1995 to British Columbia to start Tinhorn Creek Vineyards. Over the next 20 years as winemaker, she was the first in Canada to use Stelvin screw top caps and expanded the marketability of Cabernet Franc. When Sandra stepped into the CEO/President role she continued with innovative initiatives such as driving for BC’s first sub appellation—the Golden Mile Bench–establishing Canada’s only carbon neutral winery and winning both Canada’s safest employer award for Hospitality and Canada’s Top 100 Powerful Women awards in 2016.
In the fall of 2017 Sandra and Kenn began anew, starting Elysian Projects, a beverage and tourism consulting company. She launched the Fortify Conference in 2018 helping beverage businesses manage human resources, marketing and financial issues. She is an active board member on the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association, the BC Hospitality Foundation and Chair of the BC Winery Health and Safety Committee.