Board Members

Board Members

Truckee Trails has built and exceptional board of diverse individuals that help the organization in strategic planning, fundraising and advocacy.

Allison Pedley, Executive Director

Allison joined the Truckee Trails Foundation in Spring of 2009. A life-long hiker, back-packer and cyclist, Allison was drawn to the Trails Foundation first and foremost by her love of trails, and the potential in the Truckee area for one of the most spectacular, comprehensive, and connected trail systems in the country. The role such a system can play in keeping our community active and healthy, while reducing the region’s carbon footprint, makes this goal all the more important. Allison has an undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Washington, and a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Vermont where she focused on non-profit and environmental management. Prior to joining the Truckee Trails Foundation, Pedley worked for Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting in Seattle, and several non-profit groups. In her free time, Allison can be seen out exploring trails, slopes, and/or lakes with her husband Scott and daughters Jenna and Lily.
allison@truckeetrails.org

David Shaw, President

David grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and spent much of his childhood exploring the local woods with friends. After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geology at the University of Vermont, he moved to Berkeley and spent the next 10 years working as a hydrologist for Balance Hydrologics on a number of land management projects providing soils, geologic, and watershed hydrologic analyses to support planning for aquatic habitat management and restoration throughout California. In 2008, David moved to Truckee with his family in order to give his children the same opportunity he had growing up: easy access to the woods in the context of a bikeable and walkable community. David is a registered Professional Geologist, holds a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture, and manages the Balance Hydrologics Truckee Office.

Jeanne Kirschner, Vice President

Jeanne grew up back east in Massachusetts and moved out to Truckee in 1990 from Vermont to discover that the fuss about the Sierra snow was true. Using her road bike as her main source of transportation throughout college and for summer jobs, she was determined to take up mountain biking in California. She met and married a Science teacher and had two children. Now that the children are off training wheels, together they seek fun trails to ride together. Jeanne works as the Director of Member Relations for Tahoe Mountain Club, alongside other board member Renee LaChat, whose bikes she has dibs on whenever Renee purchases a new one. She looks forward to assisting in raising funds to create safe and fun trails for families throughout our community.
Jeanne@ltol.com

Renee LaChat, Treasurer

Rene is an avid cyclist both on and off road. She joined the Board of the Truckee Trails Foundation because she envisions Truckee as the most bicycle friendly town in the nation one day. She is committed to both volunteer in the community and help support, improve and build what she love most…trails. She has lived in Truckee for over 15 years and is grateful to live in such a beautiful place in a great community that shares her passion for the outdoors. When not biking in the summer and skiing in the winter, she works as the Director of Finance for Tahoe Mountain Club. She earned an accounting degree at San Diego State University and a master’s degree in accounting from the University of Nevada, Reno.
rlachat@tahoemountainclub.com

Mike Salmon, Secretary

Over fifteen years ago, Mike and his wife Emily’s love of the mountains brought them west. Truckee’s year-around recreation; beauty and small town charm kept them and their two children here. Mike spent fourteen years with Northstar at Tahoe before his current role as Director of Finance for Tahoe Donner Association. An avid backpacker and cyclist, Mike seeks to assist in preserving and enhancing the area’s trail network. Mike also provides his financial leadership as a volunteer for the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association’s Finance Committee. Mike is a CPA and graduated from Florida State University with BA majors in both Accounting and Finance.
mikesalmoncpa@gmail.com

Andy Buckley

Born and educated in Northern England, Andy is a 23 year veteran of the Ski Industry, from Europe to Vail, CO to Northstar, California.  He is currently Director of Skier Services at Northstar, overseeing all mountain recreation departments and recreation development including, Ski & Board School, Race Team, Product Sales & Service, Golf, Mountain Biking and Hiking.  An avid cyclist, Andy has participated in amateur Cat II/Cat I Mountain Bike racing in Vail CO, and of late is a road, XC and free ride enthusiast with some experimentation into endurance racing last year.  Andy organized Team Adventure Ridge, Vail CO and was a Vail town series sponsor 2000-2002.  Currently, he is organizer/sponsor of Team Northstar development and grassroots teams made up of twenty four athletes from Pro to Cat II.

Matt Chappell

2011 single speed Leadville 100 finisher, Marcpro-Strava Cycling Team category 1 mountain bike racer, professional graphic designer, ace wood chopper, picture maker, 20 year snowboarder, wheelie rider, husband, feline owner, creative director, former editor, entrepreneur and trail evangelist in Truckee, CA. “Living the best life I can.”

John Eaton

Long time Truckee resident John Eaton, M.D. is an avid hiker and mountain biker. He is a certified cross-country ski instructor; rode his bike across the country; and has a passion for forestry. In addition to his valued input as a TTF board member, John is president of the Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, and serves on the boards of the Truckee River Watershed Council and the Martis Fund.  John is also on the Citizens Advisory Group on the Martis Valley Aquifer.  John’s past involvement includes serving on the Open Space Subcommittee during the Eastern Nevada County General Plan Update and on the Citizens Advisory Committee for Nevada County’s Natural Heritage 2020 program. He is a founding member of the Truckee Donner Land Trust and is a graduate of the Sierra Business Council’s Leadership Seminar.
jmemtmn@yahoo.com

Paco Lindsay

Paco’s passion for bicycling and enjoying the outdoors lead him over thirty years ago to start Paco’s Truckee Bike and Ski. He is an avid bicyclist and cross country skier, and enjoys hiking with his wife Carol and their dogs on the area’s trails. Moving to Truckee in the 1970s and seeing a big need for more and better trails as well better bicycle facilities, Paco soon fell into the role of a local bike and trail advocate. He was on the Nevada County Bike and Trails Planning committee in the 1980s. When Truckee incorporated in the 1990s, he spent three years on the Truckee Citizen’s Advisory Committee helping the town create the current Trails and Bikeways Master Plan.

As a TTF board member, Paco hopes to help transform Truckee into a fabulous bicycling and “multi use” trail connected community, taking the current town’s trail plan and making it all a reality. Truckee is an outdoor Town, often being lauded as a top USA mountain town. Paco feels being eventually named and acknowledged a top bicycling and trail town would be a great crowning achievement for Truckee, TTF, and all the citizens who love the outdoors.

Steven Poncelet

Steven is an avid mountain biker, runner, and skier and was drawn to the Truckee Trails Foundation because of his love of trails and his belief that they are key part of healthy and sustainable communities.  He grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and has been enjoying trails all over the world.  He is currently the Truckee Donner PUD’s Public Information & Conservation Manager and joined the District in the summer of 2008.  Prior to joining the TDPUD, Steven worked locally for the Sierra Business Council where he held the position of Vice President, Operations & Development.  He has over 20-years of professional experience in engineering, sales, and marketing working in the energy industry and the Silicon Valley.  He holds an MBA in Marketing and Environmental Management from the University of Washington and a Mechanical Engineering degree from Tufts University.  Steven has been a full-time resident of Truckee since 2002 with his wife Lauren O’Brien and 3 children Sydney, Quinton, and Zachary.

Andy Scott

 

Andy was born and raised in Washington State and has called the Sierra Nevada home for the past decade, passionately exploring their boundless peaks, trails and wilderness areas. He lives in Truckee with his wife Megan and their two young daughters Keira and Aili. Andy races bikes for the Tahoe-based Marcpro-strava cycling team (http://marcpro-strava.com) and is involved in numerous other cycling advocacy activities while also serving on the Tahoe Donner General Planning Committee.

In addition to his passion for family, community and the outdoors Andy brings the Board experience and skills forged as a successful entrepreneur and business executive helping build three digital media companies over the past 17 years (http://www.linkedin.com/in/andyscott999). He is committed to helping the Truckee Trails Foundation and partner organizations implement the thoughtful vision of a world class network of trails and pathways in the greater Truckee/Tahoe area. Andy has a BA from Dartmouth College.

John Svahn

John Svahn began at the Truckee Trails Foundation in the Fall of 2007 after a seventeen year-long career in the bicycle industry. He was raised in the Washington D.C. area and holds a B.S. in Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland. John is also the Trails and Public Access Director at the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and still works part-time at a local bike shop.

In 1998 John moved to Truckee, with his wife Heather, to enjoy the mountains and community. Upon arrival they enjoyed all of the plusses of mountain living, but missed one thing about living in the D.C. area- the ability to easily get around Town by foot or bicycle. Not soon after, John became involved in local trails advocacy as a volunteer with the Town, the United States Forest Service, the Truckee Donner Land Trust, and later the Truckee Trails Foundation.

When not at one of his jobs, or bicycle riding, John is probably Nordic skiing, hiking, running, or windsurfing on one of our local lakes.
svahn@usamedia.tv

Nancy Woolf

With a background in law and public policy and a love of the mountains, Nancy has been a natural addition to the Board. She has an undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Massachusetts and a law degree from University of Wisconsin/Madison. She practiced law in the Midwest, the Bay Area, and before agencies in Washington DC before moving to Truckee in 2000 with her husband Fred Paladino and their family. Taking a sabbatical from the practice of law, she has made raising her three boys her focus for the last ten years. She can often be found on trails throughout the area accompanied by her two large dogs.
ncwoolf2002@yahoo.com