Non-Profit to Celebrate Founding Donors on August 12th

TAHOE CITY, Calif. and INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – July 31, 2012 – The Tahoe Fund is encouraging supporters of Lake Tahoe to break out their croquet whites for a good cause. The environmental non-profit is preparing for its 2nd Annual Founders Circle Summer Dinner, to be held at Edgewood Tahoe’s historic Friday’s Station on Sunday, August 12th. Billed as a night to celebrate the organization’s early funders and the Lake, the event will include “Tahoe Croquet” and a gourmet dinner on the lawn. Senators Feinstein, Heller and Governor Brown have all confirmed their attendance.

Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund aims to become a major source of private funding for vital environmental improvement projects in the areas of recreation, conservation and education. The organization brings together many interests within the Tahoe basin, with a board of directors comprised of leaders from California and Nevada, North Lake Tahoe and South Lake Tahoe, public and private organizations, environmentalists, and developers. The Fund is also the organizing sponsor of the 2012 Lake Tahoe Summit sponsored by Senator Dean Heller on the morning after the Croquet Party at Edgewood Tahoe.

“There is a lot to love about Tahoe,” said Tahoe Fund CEO Amy Berry, “This magical night will celebrate all that is amazing about Tahoe and recognize our Founders for their support of our vision to ensure Tahoe continues to be enjoyed by many generations to come.”

The Tahoe Fund launched its first major fundraising campaign, the Founders Circle, in March 2011. Since then the organization has raised more than $650,000 in pledges from individuals, businesses and private foundations. The campaign is set to conclude at the end of this year. The Fund will continue to raise funds for environmental projects like bike trails, hiking trails, watershed restoration and stewardship education.

For more information about the Tahoe Fund Croquet Party and the Founders Circle, please email info@tahoefund.org or call 775-298-0035.

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 and funding 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.

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.

Tahoe Recreation and Conservation Projects Benefit from Mancuso Appearance for Tahoe Fund License Program

TAHOE CITY, Calif. and INCLINE VILLAGE, NV – April 10, 2012 – The non-profit Tahoe Fund has completed shooting video and still photography featuring U.S. Olympic and World Cup legend Julia Mancuso promoting the Lake Tahoe license plate. Reno photographer Jeff Dow and TahoeTV’s Eric Brandt of Squaw Valley delivered the images of Mancuso, captured Friday atop Squaw Valley on a bluebird day.

In one of the spots, Mancuso says, “As an Olympic and World Cup skier, I’ve seen some of the best that nature has to offer – and Lake Tahoe is special!  When you enjoy the outdoors as much as I do, you know how important it is to protect the Lake. Now, at tahoe-plates-dot-com you can get two free lift tickets when you buy a Lake Tahoe license plate. It helps fund bike paths, hiking trails and conservation work at the Lake.”

Print ads, TV spots and radio public service announcements will highlight Mancuso talking about the Tahoe plate, the two free ski lift tickets that buyers can receive, and how 96 percent of the plate sales and renewals help pay for conservation and recreation projects at Tahoe.
(Production photos available here)

About the Tahoe Fund
The mission of Tahoe Fund is to restore and enrich 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 Tahoe Fund raises private money to supplement the dwindling public funds available for such projects.

About the Plate for Powder Program
The Plate for Powder program is the name of the non-profit Tahoe Fund’s efforts to market and motivate sales of the Tahoe specialty license plates made available by the State of California and State of Nevada Departments of Motor Vehicles. Ninety-six percent of Tahoe license plate sales and renewal income supports the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, which focuses on bike paths, hiking trails, parks and conservation. Projects (map) are implemented in California by the California Tahoe Conservancy and in Nevada by the Nevada Department of State Lands. Plate purchasers can receive two free lift tickets for the current ski season when they purchase a plate through tahoeplates.com.