Tom Baxter, Chris McNamara, and Tom Seeliger bring extensive professional experience and deep passion for Lake Tahoe to the board

The Tahoe Fund welcomes Tom Baxter, Chris McNamara, and Tom Seeliger to its Board of Directors. Each of the three bring valuable professional experience plus deep connections to the Tahoe region that will help advance the efforts of the organization to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.

“I’m pleased to welcome Tom, Chris, and Tom to the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors and excited about the invaluable experience and leadership each brings to our efforts,” said John Jones, Tahoe Fund board chair. “All three have strong histories of supporting the Lake Tahoe environment that will be beneficial as we continue to pursue opportunities aligned with our mission.”

An attorney who specialized in finance and was a partner at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles and New York for 30+ years, Tom Baxter formed several nonprofit organizations for clients and friends. A resident of Glenbrook, Nevada, Baxter’s appreciation for the Sierra and the Tahoe region was fostered through summer visits to his grandparents’ cabin on Upper Echo Lake, built by his grandfather in the 1920s. A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, he has hiked the entirety of the John Muir Trail, climbed the California 14ers, worked summers in Alaska, and taken mountaineering trips to Mexico, Peru and Europe.

“A dedicated trail advocate and outdoor entrepreneur based in Zephyr Cove, Nevada, Chris McNamara has taken a hands-on approach to transformational local infrastructure. His leadership helped bring the Ski Run Boulevard revitalization and Ski Run Park to life in South Lake Tahoe, and he and his wife helped establish the Tahoe Fund’s Trail Endowment to create a sustainable funding model for the long-term care of the region’s extensive trail network. McNamara is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of GearLab, the founder of SuperTopo guidebooks, and the President of Orogenesis Collective, which supports a 5,000-mile trail from Cabo to Canada. An accomplished climber, he is a former world-record-holding big wall climber with over 80 ascents of El Capitan, a pioneering wingsuit BASE jumper with a dozen first descents in the U.S. and Baffin Island, and the founder of the American Safe Climbing Association.

Tom Seeliger is a sixth-generation Northern Nevadan who grew up in a multi-generational family business rooted in the Basin and was raised with a deep appreciation for Lake Tahoe’s community lifestyle and natural beauty. Over the course of his career, Seeliger has worked as a geologist, environmental engineer, and in finance for over 25 years. He served as a director of Edgewood Companies for 12 years, as well as an advisory board member and shareholder. His outdoor pursuits include backcountry skiing, mountain biking, flying and traveling—interests he shares with his sons whenever possible.

We are seeking a local or regional artist to design and paint a large-scale exterior mural on the side of the Cascade Kitchens building, South Lake Tahoe’s first-of-its-kind food hall and community gathering space. This mural will serve as a storytelling canvas—capturing the essence of Tahoe while celebrating the Tahoe Fund’s work across our three focus areas: The Forest, The Lake, and The Experience. The mural sits above newly installed bike racks, made possible thanks to Tahoe Fund donors. 

The Tahoe Fund’s mission is to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy. We support environmental improvement projects throughout the Basin that reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, improve the health of the lake, and make it easier to get around, enjoy, and take care of Lake Tahoe. Thanks to thousands of generous donors, we have helped our partners complete more than 250 projects around the Lake. 

The selected artist will create a visually compelling piece that reflects the spirit of the Tahoe Fund’s mission and also incorporates elements of what makes Tahoe special: our landscape, our love of outdoor recreation, and our strong community. The mural should feel inspiring, approachable, and rooted in Tahoe—something that resonates with both locals and visitors. Paint will be donated by Kelly Brothers Paint. 

This project is an opportunity to contribute a lasting piece of public art in South Lake Tahoe and inspire others to get involved in our work to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.  

Project Goals

• Beautify a community-facing wall at Cascade Kitchens above their bike racks
• Celebrate Tahoe’s natural environment and outdoor identity
• Celebrate Tahoe Fund’s work across our three focus areas:  The Forest, The Lake, and The Experience. Learn more here or at tahoefund.org 
• Create an engaging, photo-worthy visual that draws people in

Artist Eligibility

• Open to local and regional artists (preference for those connected to the Tahoe Basin)
• Experience with large-scale outdoor murals preferred

Site Details

• Location: Cascade Kitchens, South Lake Tahoe
• Wall dimensions: 71.5″ x 107.75″
• Surface type: Stucco and painted concrete
• Visibility: High-traffic, community-facing location

Budget & Support

• Artist stipend: $3,000
• Paint provided by Kelly Brothers Paint

Timeline

• Call for Artists Opens: May 11, 2026
• Submission Deadline: June 14, 2026
• Artist Selected & Notified: by Friday of June 26, 2026
• Installation Period: July – early August 2026

Submission Requirements

Please include the following:

• Brief artist statement and interest in the project
• 2–5 examples of past work (murals or similar scale preferred)
• Initial concept sketch or idea for the mural
• Estimated timeline for completion
• Contact information

How to Apply

Applications are now closed.

The Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) is advancing the next phase of coordinated East Shore Trail Parking improvements with construction set to begin in May 2026 on the SR 28 North Parking Project (Phase 2 of the Tunnel Creek Parking Project), near Incline Village, Nev. The project is part of the East Shore Trail expansion, and a broader regional effort to improve safety, enhance recreational access, and better manage parking along the SR 28 corridor.

The project is being delivered in partnership with the Tahoe Fund, Nevada Department of Transportation, Washoe County, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Nevada Division of State Lands, Nevada Division of State Parks, and other regional partners.

The project will provide 38 paid parking spaces immediately north of the existing 90-space paid parking area at the East Shore Trailhead located on SR 28 in Incline Village. In addition, the project includes a public transit shelter on SR 28 just north of Lakeshore Drive for southbound transit passengers. Finally, the project includes environmental restoration of an eroded shoulder area on the west side of SR 28 known as Rocky Point to protect Lake Tahoe’s clarity.

“This is another important step in a larger, coordinated effort along the East Shore,” said Jim Marino, Executive Director of the Tahoe Transportation District. “By expanding and improving parking management in key recreation areas, we are reducing congestion, improving safety, and supporting sustainable access to Lake Tahoe as we prepare for the eventual construction of new sections of the East Shore Trail.”

TTD awarded the construction contract to F.W. Carson Company of Incline Village, Nevada, a local contractor with extensive experience delivering transportation and infrastructure projects in the Tahoe Basin.

“This moment is years in the making,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the hard work of our agency partners, we’re thrilled to see these first steps in what will eventually be the expansion of the East Shore Trail.”

The East Shore Trail Parking Expansion Project builds on ongoing regional parking and mobility improvements designed to address high seasonal visitation and better manage limited capacity in one of the most heavily used recreation corridors in the Tahoe Basin.

As part of this broader strategy, TTD is working with the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit on additional improvements to parking areas which are planned for opening in Spring 2026, including:

• Chimney Beach (seasonal paid parking beginning June 1)
• Secret Harbor (seasonal paid parking also beginning June 1)
• Spooner Mobility Hub (construction beginning in May)

Once open, the Chimney Beach Trailhead will provide approximately 130 parking spaces in conjunction with parking enforcement and removal of roadside parking spaces to improve safety along the SR 28 corridor. The Secret Harbor Trailhead has approximately 30 spaces. Eventually both parking areas will offer connections to the Tahoe East Shore Trail, which is currently in design.

These coordinated efforts are intended to reduce unsafe roadside parking, improve emergency vehicle access, prevent water quality impacts from compacted road shoulders, and encourage the use of transit, biking, and other alternative transportation options along SR 28.

Stay informed and plan ahead

Construction activity and visitor impacts will vary throughout the season. The public is strongly encouraged to sign up for project updates and alerts at: SR28projects@tahoetransportation.org

TTD will continue coordinating with F.W. Carson Company and partner agencies to provide construction updates as the project moves forward at www.tahoetransportation.org/projects/sr-28-north-parking-project/

For details on Tahoe Transportation District and its current projects, visit www.TahoeTransportation.org or call (775) 589-5500.

Last Saturday, something special happened on the shores of Lake Tahoe.

Community members, partners, and supporters of the Tahoe Waterman Foundation gathered for a traditional Ho‘ola‘a Wa‘a (Canoe Blessing) ceremony to welcome a new adaptive outrigger canoe to the Lake.

With support from our amazing donors and partners, the Tahoe Waterman Foundation is growing its adaptive paddling program with a new adaptive outrigger canoe, designed to bring paddlers of all abilities onto the water together. The canoe’s adaptive seating allows individuals with limited mobility or balance challenges to paddle alongside coaches, family members, and peers, creating opportunities for healing, connection, and joy on the lake.

This new canoe builds on the success of the Foundation’s first adaptive outrigger, which helped more than 60 adaptive athletes and participants get out on the water, many for the very first time. Beginning this summer, the new adaptive outrigger canoe will expand programming at Waterman’s Landing. 

We’re proud to support projects like this that expand access, build community, and help more people experience the healing power of Lake Tahoe.

Thank you for helping make moments like this possible.

After thousands of votes from across the Basin, one project rose to the top. Congratulations to the Wildfire Alert Camera!

From the very first round of the Sweet Sixteen, this project stood out as a clear favorite, and there’s a good reason. Over 100 Tahoe area fires have been stopped before reaching one acre thanks to the ALERTWildfire camera network, run by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Seismological Laboratory. This camera, funded in partnership with Tahoe Prosperity Center, is helping to close a major gap in the detection network. 

This winner is a powerful reflection of the community’s shared priority of reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire and the critical role early detection plays in protecting Lake Tahoe.

While this project is taking home the additional $10K, thanks to our generous donors, all 16 featured projects received a combined $700k in funding this past year.

Thank you to everyone who voted, shared, and supported our Tahoe Project Madness. We saw record participation this year, inspiring us to do even more to improve the Lake Tahoe environment for all to enjoy.

Learn more about our winner here. 

	Wildfire Alert Camera Early detection stops small fires before they become catastrophic. More than 100 Tahoe fires have been contained under one acre thanks to the ALERTWildfire camera network! Help cover blind spots in the network with another camera.