ACHIEVE TAHOE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Guest Services and Outreach Coordinator
Blair is new to Achieve Tahoe and is an avid snowboarder, skateboarder, and whitewater rafter/kayaker. She is originally from North Carolina where she received her degree in Health Promotion and Exercise Physiology from Appalachian State University in 2009. She has a background working with various nonprofits, specifically in community outreach and operations. She has been both a river guide and snowboard instructor, and is excited to share her love of outdoor sports with our participants.
Job Titles:
- VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
- Communications & Program Coordinator
Brendan is an avid skier, wake-surfer, and mountain biker. He built a successful volunteer program for The Salvation Army of the East Bay Area before moving to Tahoe full-time. He is excited to meet our volunteer team and to help Achieve Tahoe fulfill it's mission. Please contact him if you have any questions about volunteering.
Job Titles:
- PROGRAM COORDINATOR
- Volunteer Coordinator
Carlyn joined Achieve Tahoe as an intern during the 2018/19 season and has since worked as a Seasonal Instructor and Program Coordinator. She received her degrees in Journalism and Photography from the University of Nevada, Reno as well as a Certificate in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. She enjoys many outdoor recreation activities and loves being able to share them with others.
Job Titles:
- Investor
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer
- Partner at Newport Asia LLC
Investor. Mr. Legallet is a partner at Newport Asia LLC, an independently owned investment management firm headquartered in San Francisco. Chris has a B.A. in economics from UCLA, '83 and MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management, '88, where he serves as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Center for Global Management. Chris is a life-long skier and has been involved with Achieve Tahoe for over twenty years, since his daughter Genna first learned to ski at the center. He is also a past president of the Board of Xenophon Therapeutic Riding Center, a non-profit that offers life-changing experiences through equine-assisted activities for children with disabilities.
Job Titles:
- ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
- Executive Director
Cindy joined Achieve Tahoe in 1991. She is a graduate of University of California at Davis (BS Human Development and Elementary Teaching Credential) with experience in teaching and office management. Her focus at Achieve Tahoe is all things administrative, and then some! Her organizational skills, energy, and positive customer service keep the organization running smoothly.
Job Titles:
- Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Directors
Doug is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point (BS Engineering) and CSU Sacramento (MBA and MPA). He is a disabled Vietnam Veteran who has been a leader in the adaptive sports movement since 1970. Doug lost a leg in Vietnam and learned to ski on one leg in 1968. He won three national slalom championships and was one of the first amputees certified as a ski instructor by the Professional Ski Instructors of America in 1972. He was inducted into the Ski Hall of Fame in 1990 and the Disabled Ski Hall of Fame in 1997 for contributions in the development of adapted skiing nationwide. We are proud to consider him our founder.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Secretary
Attorney. Ms. Twaddell has been an active participant and supporter of Achieve Tahoe for many years. She is a certified Aging-in-Place specialist with awards in universal design. Elizabeth is currently working towards her MFT/LPCC degree in counseling psychology. Both of her daughters have volunteered with Achieve Tahoe.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
of International Staffing Operations at Robert Half International. Mr. Scileppi has been with RHI, the world's largest specialized (professional sectors) recruitment firm since 1988. Greg is an outdoor enthusiast and has a passion for flying (taildraggers to jets). He is Past Board Chair of Notre Dame Girls High School of San Jose, CA. His educational background includes a B.A. in Business Administration.
Haakon joined Achieve Tahoe in 1992 as a volunteer ski instructor and has been a part of the organization ever since. He took over as Executive Director in 2013. Haakon has a background in Human Resource Management and two degrees from Stanford University. He has an innate knack for bringing the staff and volunteers together as a team and leading them with professionalism and enthusiasm. Haakon enjoys sharing his love of sports with people of all abilities.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board of Directors
of Emerald Bay Wealth Management. Ms. Sullivan brings deep experience in financial analysis, portfolio management, private equity, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. She holds a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Hass School of Business at the University California at Berkeley. Hannah is a CFA® or Chartered Financial Analyst® charterholder as well as CFP™ or Certified Financial Planner™ certificant. She holds the Series 65 FINRA license. She has taught skiing to people with disabilities at Achieve Tahoe for 10 winters, and is certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America in various disciplines.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director / Philanthropist
and Tahoe Enthusiast. Ms. Hickingbotham has helped many non-profits, such as the League to Save Lake Tahoe, achieve success. Her personal experience as the mother of a son with a disability uniquely qualifies her to provide insightful guidance to Achieve Tahoe. Jessica is a graduate of UC Davis. Her family has been enjoying and supporting Lake Tahoe for many generations.
Job Titles:
- Program Coordinator
- COMMUNICATIONS and PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Josephine joined Achieve Tahoe as an intern in 2019, and has been with us ever since. She received her degree in Religion from Dartmouth College in 2017. She then moved to France where she taught English to French undergraduate students. Though she liked teaching in a classroom, she quickly realized that her true passion was teaching outdoors and making the outdoor activities she loves inclusive and accessible to all. Josephine leads our communications and delivers programs.
Job Titles:
- Program Director
- GUEST SERVICES DIRECTOR
Marina started with Achieve Tahoe as a participant and learned how to monoski in 2000, and joined as a staff member in 2011. She has a Bachelor's degree in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley and dual Master's degree in Art History, Theory and Criticism and Art Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Marina leads our team of friendly reservationists, coordinates group scheduling, outreach and communications. She is a Tahoe native and enjoys assisting our participants in experiencing the freedom and joy of outdoor recreation in Tahoe.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Director
- PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Michael started at Achieve Tahoe as an intern in 2007. Michael holds a degree in Recreation Therapy from Lehman College, The Bronx, NY, and certifications from the American Canoe Association and the Professional Ski Instructors of America. He puts his experience and education to use by managing all of our program delivery throughout the year. Michael enjoys sharing his passion for outdoor adventure sports with our diverse team of volunteers and participants.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Board Chair / Retired Business Executive
Retired Business Executive. Mr. Rayfield was in the semiconductor industry for 35 years. He held sales and marketing positions initially and the last 20 years held Senior Operating positions at Cisco Systems, NVIDIA, Micron Technologies, and AMD. He has been active in Achieve Tahoe for more than 10 years as the father of a student, PSIA instructor, and recently a Board member. Mike graduated from University of Vermont after studying Electrical Engineering and Pre-med. Mike, his wife Gina, and their two children reside full time in Truckee.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Head of the Wealth Client Group at Allspring Global Investments
- Rene Picazo
of Wealth Client Group. René Picazo is head of the Wealth Client Group at Allspring Global Investments. René and his teams are responsible for the distribution of Allspring investment products through national, regional, and independent broker-dealers; private banks; insurance companies; retirement platforms; and registered investment advisers. He also oversees some of Allspring's largest and most complex client relationships. He is a proud member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) and he also serves on the national board of the Wells Fargo Foundation, an organization that donates over $400 million a year to non-profits that support underserved populations
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Vice Chair / Retired Business Executive
Retired Business Executive. Mr. Byrne enjoyed a 27 year career with Anheuser-Busch in a variety of brewery operations and information technology roles, including as Vice President and Chief Information Officer. Bob also served as Senior VP and CIO for St. Louis based Spartech Corporation and has managed a business optimization consulting practice. His undergraduate degree is in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and he has an MBA from Pepperdine University. Bob is a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and has served Achieve Tahoe as a snow sports instructor and summer program volunteer since 2016.
Job Titles:
- PROGRAM COORDINATOR
- Guest Services Director
- Sports Instructor
Scott first started with Achieve Tahoe to support his son Bryan in adaptive skiing. Scott joined the team as a snow sports instructor in 2016. Scott holds degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of Chicago. Scott's ambitions are now directed towards coaching participants, educating volunteers, and improving program delivery. Having seen the positive impact of outdoor activities on his son Bryan, Scott is dedicated to sharing the same with others.
Job Titles:
- Development and Events Coordinator
A native of Massachusetts, Sophie moved to Truckee in 2008, when she began as a volunteer ski instructor with Achieve Tahoe. Since then, she has acquired over two decades of non-profit experience, working with various organizations, from Noteable Music Therapy Service to Reps 4 Recovery to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern Nevada. Sophie now lives in Reno with her husband and two step kiddos, and is active in the performing arts community. She is thrilled to be to joining Achieve Tahoe, and looks forward to sharing her passion and experience with our team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Vintner Ambassador. Born and raised in Manistee, Michigan, Stuart moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in the early 1980s, beginning his wine sales career, meeting his wife, Suzanne, and settling down to raise their family. He first started in national sales as a national sales manager for Chalone Vineyards and was the first national sales manager for Shafer Vineyards in the 1980s. In 2005 he sold his company to focus exclusively on Pride Mountain Vineyards, where he was Director of National Sales and is now their Vintner Ambassador. In this position, Stuart travels extensively with his wife and winery co-owner, Suzanne Pride Bryan, to further the winery's philanthropic efforts at the nation's finest and most prestigious charity wine events, while bringing awareness of Pride wines to new fans. Suzanne and Stuart live full time in Truckee at Donner Lake.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director, past Chair / Lawyer
and Partner with McNamara, Ambacher, Wheeler, Hirsig & Gray LLP. Ms. Gray has extensive experience in all aspects of civil litigation, with an emphasis on personal injury, wilderness recreation law, sports injuries, scaffold construction injuries, and mold injuries. Wilma has an undergraduate degree from Queen's University and is a graduate of New College of California School of Law in San Francisco. Born in Canada, she grew up living with winter sports. Today, personal activities include traveling, outdoor recreation, hiking, canoeing, rowing, skiing, cycling, and golf. She is also a volunteer snowsports instructor.