Management Team

Jay Ellis, Founder

Mr. Ellis is a founder and general partner of SRCM. He began his 25 year career on Wall Street with Credit Suisse First Boston and in 2007 opened the first Institutional Sales office for Morgan Stanley in Dallas, Texas where he worked until April 2012. Mr. Ellis is an avid outdoorsman and began an extensive study of the Rocky Mountain West ranch market in 2002, tracking virtually every transaction in this market since then. He has developed extensive relationships with professionals at land trusts, land reliances, fishery & habitat enhancement firms and ranch brokerage firms, uniquely qualifying him to manage the Fund.

T. Boone Pickens, Partner

During his long career, legendary entrepreneur and energy expert T. Boone Pickens founded one of the nation’s largest independent oil companies, Mesa Petroleum, and BP Capital, a successful private investment firm that focuses on investments in the energy sectors. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast and conservationist, Mr. Pickens bought his first Texas Panhandle ranch (2,926 acres) in 1971. Over time, he assembled 68,000 contiguous acres of mostly overgrazed land and transformed it into Mesa Vista Ranch, a wildlife jewel that serves as a national model for the preservation of native habitat and wildlife. He has considerable experience in buying ranch land and developing it into recreational properties. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation recognized Mr. Pickens for his “stewardship of the land” by inducting him into its Conservation Hall of Fame in 2012.

Ron Bassett, Strategic Advisor

Mr. Bassett has been associated with Mr. Pickens and his companies since 1969, holding various positions of responsibility, including controller, chief financial officer and chief operating officer of several subsidiaries of Mesa and other ventures or businesses owned or controlled by Mr. Pickens. He has extensive agricultural experience and has participated with Mr. Pickens in ranch, wildlife and fisheries development.