July 26, 2011
The Tahoe Fund, a new nonprofit that is partnering with public agencies to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural and recreational resources of Lake Tahoe, has named five new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the Board this month are:
- Blaise Carrig, the co-president of Vail Resorts, including Lake Tahoe’s Heavenly Valley Resort;
- John Friedrich, a former staff member of the Yosemite Conservancy and the League to Save Lake Tahoe;
- Trish Ronald, an environmentalist, long-time League to Save Lake Tahoe and Tahoe Baikal Institute board member, and Bay Area business woman;
- Terry Watt, a conservationist formerly with the San Francisco environmental and land use law firm Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger; and
- Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley ski resort.
“This is an impressive group of new board members, both in terms of commitment to Lake Tahoe and the experience they bring to the Tahoe Fund,” said Cindy Gustafson, Tahoe Fund Chair of the Board. “The Tahoe Fund prides itself in having board members that represent every aspect of the Tahoe Basin community.”
Carrig was COO and CEO of Heavenly Valley Resort on Lake Tahoe’s south shore from 2002 to 2010 before being promoted to co-president of Vail Resorts Inc. His knowledge of the Lake Tahoe community and Heavenly’s strong support of Basin organizations such as Sierra Nevada College and the nonprofit Tahoe Baikal Institute have earned Carrig local accolades.
Friedrich advocated for sustainable solutions and citizen engagement on key Tahoe Basin issues while program director at the League in 2007. He has over 20 years experience in non-profit organization leadership, the majority of which has been in the field of environmental and community sustainability.
Ronald helped found the Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water Quality Coalition during her 21 years as a League to Save Lake Tahoe board member, and was instrumental in negotiating support among environmental and community organizations for a revised master plan for Heavenly Valley. She also helped develop the Tahoe Baikal Institute environmental exchange program between the U.S. and Russia.
Watt has worked closely with organizations such as the Planning and Conservation League (PCL) and the Nature Conservancy, and her Terrell Watt Planning Consultants firm has provided planning and land use expertise to numerous state and local organizations. She was awarded the PCL’s prestigious Carla Bard Award for Individual Achievement in 2009.
Wirth brings a long-time passion for the mountains, and business and ski industry acumen to the Tahoe Fund board. He was named Squaw CEO in August 2010 after a successful career as a senior executive with Intrawest and Colorado’s Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation. A former backcountry ranger, wilderness ranger and Hot Shot fire crew member, Wirth has 25 years of experience working for mountain resort operating companies in North America and Europe.
(Other Tahoe Fund board member bios)