Chamber Board Chair, Jeff Buckingham
… narrowing the gap between town and country

by Susan Stewart

On the surface, a career in dairy farming and a career in telecommunications are as different from each other as … well, as deep sea diving is from repairing computers. But for Jeff Buckingham, who always wanted to be a dairy farmer and ended up owning a telephone company, they have distinct parallels.

"They both involve fascinating and complex mechanical and electrical systems," he says. "and they both involve living beings, one human and the other animal."

Seeing the similarities instead of the differences will serve him well as Buckingham works to bridge the gap between the differing rural and urban perspectives that make up our business community.

In January, Buckingham stepped into Mary Verdin's position as this year's Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board. With one foot squarely in the high tech world of modern telecommunications, and the other foot ankle deep in the fertile soil of his cattle ranch, Buckingham is perfectly positioned to accomplish this goal.

Born and raised Glastonbury, Connecticut, Buckingham grew up next door to a dairy farm owned by one Bert Mosley. "I spent a lot of time with Bert," says Buckingham, "and he told me it was a hard life. But that's what I always wanted to be." So much so, that after two years in New York colleges, neither of which offered degrees in dairy science, he sought out the best dairy school in the country and determined to enroll.

"I had no interest in California," he recalls. "I came here [to Cal Poly] for the best education I could get in dairy science, but I fully intended to go back to Connecticut and farm in the snow."

But by the time he graduated, the Central Coast had claimed another convert and Buckingham was here to stay. Right out of college, he took a job with Contractor's Glass and later with California Cooperage. Then in the 1980s, when the telephone company broke up, the area was rife with opportunities for bright young business people willing to take a risk. Buckingham invested in the first independent phone company in our area, Telecom, which later became Call America.

"My father had been the manager of a small department store back in Glastonbury," said Buckingham. "He loved giving his customers great personal service, and I got that from him." In 13 years, Call America had grown to 200 employees, and Buckingham had come into his own. In 1987, he met Joan Rempe, one of the first long distance operators hired by Call America, and they were married in 1990. They have two children -- a girl Leslie, 15, and a boy Lochlan, 13.

Ten years ago, Buckingham saw an opportunity to have the ranching life he'd always dreamed, and purchased the 540-acre Bonetti ranch on Turri Road. He sold Call America and moved his family from their modest house in Shell Beach into a mobile home on the ranch. They began building their house on the property in 1999 and will complete it this summer.

In 2001, Buckingham returned to the telecommuincations industry, and is currently the president of the "new" Call America.

"I don't think everyone understands that the natural beauty we enjoy here depends on a healthy, viable agricultural economy," he explains. "There is a big gap between what's going on in town and what's happening in the country and the differences are not in the values, but in the perspectives. I want to bridge that gap."

Buckingham admits he was surprised at how little he knew about owning and running a large piece of land. In the coming year, he hopes to bring people together, increase their knowledge, build a greater understanding among ranchers and city dwellers. "When we get too disconnected from the production of our food supply," said Buckingham, "we can't fully appreciate the cycle of life."

"Tourism is our biggest industry," he continued. "So much of the beauty people come here for is controlled by private property owners and I don't think people are aware of how financially fragile some of these areas are. Telling the truth about our interdependence is so important."

Equally important, according to Buckingham, is the involvement of more young people in Chamber business and activity. "We need the energy and ability of young members to keep our chamber vital and vibrant," he said. "We want to be sure they feel welcome; we need them serving in all our jobs, both paid and volunteer."

The San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce is among the top ten in the country, in quality and quantity. Buckingham has served the Chamber in many roles over the years and is proud to take on this one. "If you love San Luis Obispo," he said, "this is a great job to have."

On the ranch at Turri Road, four big goofy dogs greet visitors noisily, five happy cats chase each other over the barn and across the fence. In the corral, an orphaned calf is returning to health and a slender horse named Copper stands ready to ride. Two dairy cows, a Jersey and a Holstein, munch in contentment. They belong to Buckingham's children, Lochlan and Leslie. He smiles. "It's great that my kids turned out to be dairy farmers, even though I didn't."