Appointment Comes As Non-Profit Ramps Up Efforts to Grow Awareness and Raise Funds for Environmental Projects in Tahoe
TAHOE CITY, Calif. and INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – May 30, 2012 – The Tahoe Fund today announced the appointment of Amy R. Berry to the new position of CEO. Originally founded in 2010 and supported by volunteer board members, the naming of a CEO is a major milestone for the organization and its mission to raise private and public funding for environmental projects in Lake Tahoe.
Berry joins the Tahoe Fund from ACCIONA Energy North America, where she was the director of marketing and communications and a member of the management committee for the North American arm of one of the world’s largest renewable energy companies. A seasoned business executive with a successful career in building brands, developing corporate strategies, attracting media attention to causes, and fostering community relations, Berry will begin her new role on May 30th.
“Amy Berry is the ideal choice to lead the Tahoe Fund at this important point in our development,” said Cindy Gustafson, Tahoe Fund chair of the board. “She has the experience and energy to help us build the organization into a major source of funding for important conservation, education and recreation projects in Tahoe. Her business background and passion for Lake Tahoe will strongly resonate with Tahoe stakeholders, Tahoe Fund donors and her staff.”
The first priority for Berry will be the Lake Tahoe Summit, hosted this year by Senator Dean Heller and sponsored again by the Tahoe Fund. The annual event, held on August 13th, will bring together federal, state and local leaders to discuss the future of Tahoe. She will also be focusing on the Tahoe Fund’s second annual fundraising dinner on the evening of August 12th, hoping to build on the success of last year’s event that raised more than $600,000. Both events will be held at Edgewood in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
“It is an honor to take on this new role and to accept the responsibility for leading the Tahoe Fund,” said Amy Berry. “I was immediately drawn to this opportunity by the mission of the organization and the inclusiveness of the Board to bring together so many different interests and voices from across all of Tahoe. I look forward to working with the board, our donors, and all of the members of the Tahoe community to find solutions and funding for projects that will lead to a sustainable future for the Tahoe we all know and love.”
Berry is a nine-year resident of the Reno/Tahoe area. Prior to being recruited to ACCIONA in 2010, she was the marketing director for Windspire Energy (formerly Mariah Power) in Reno, where she rebranded the company and helped bring renewable energy to communities across the US. She worked for local marketing agency, Bauserman Group, and Tahoe Quarterly Magazine prior to Windspire. Before moving to the region, Berry was a Partner at Ogilvy & Mather in New York City, where she worked on IBM’s global advertising. She has a certification in planning from the International Association of Public Participation and a degree from Brown University.
Berry was chosen by the board of directors of the Tahoe Fund from an initial pool of over 60 candidates developed in a nationwide recruiting campaign by an executive search firm.
(Photo of Amy R. Berry: http://www.tahoefund.org/media/logos-and-images/)
About the Tahoe Fund
The mission of Tahoe Fund is to restore and enhance the extraordinary natural environment of the Lake Tahoe Basin by building broad support for projects and programs that increase the enjoyment of the region for current and future generations. The Fund focuses grants on the core areas of conservation, recreation and education/stewardship.
