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Meet the Team

Staff Members

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Heidi Anderson   (she/her/hers)

Executive Director

Heidi has five years of non-profit and programming experience serving as Executive Director of the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon and the Panhandle Humane Society. She's incredibly passionate about TMPF's mission and her experience in managing educational programming helped the Students Stewards Program flourish since she began working here as AmeriCorps Program Director.

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Devin Sandoval de Genovese   (he/him/his)

VP of Education

​Devin served nearly two years as a Naturalist Educator for Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation before starting as Student Stewards Program Director. He is originally from Grass Valley, California. He received his B.A. in English from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a minor in Spanish  In his free time, Devin enjoys riding mountain bikes and dirt bikes, and exploring Nevada's great outdoors. As VP of Education, Devin is excited to be a part of the continued growth of TMPF, and hopes to inspire the community through the SSP program. 

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Elena Larsen   (she/her/hers)

Nature Study Area VP

Elena served as a Naturalist Educator for TMPF in the spring and summer of 2018 and is now working as the VP of Rosewood Nature Study Area.  She's a local, and is extremely excited and proud to be working to restore an abandoned open space back to a functional ecosystem in her hometown.  In her free time, Elena can be found obsessing over dogs or participating in trivia nights.

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Hannah Lansverk Sonnenberg   (she/her/hers)

Youth Education Director

​Hannah is the Parks Foundation's Student Stewards Program Manager. She began her time here as an AmeriCorps Naturalist Educator in 2018. Originally from Bozeman, MT, she received her B.S. in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA and has spent the last several years working for non-profits in Montana and Connecticut. Hannah is an avid birder and is looking forward to sharing her love of science and the natural world with her new community!

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David Hadel (he/him/his)

Development Director

David is our Development Director, homegrown right here in the Truckee Meadows. He has a background in media, sales, serving the public, graphic design, radio and voiceover. He enjoys hanging out with his wife and raising their daughter, backyard chickens, two chihuahuas and one cat. You'll see David on the trail, backpacking, disc golfing, skiing or boarding and at live music events. He is thrilled to be with Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation to engage our community and support our open spaces.

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Jay Howard

Trails Program Manager

Jay is our new Trails Program Manager, and will be working to implement the goals of the Truckee Meadows Trails Initiative. He comes to us after a 30 year career with Nevada State Parks. His time with State Parks involved several years being a recreation specialist for the Nevada Tahoe Resource Team, and 13 years as park supervisor for Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park (Sand Harbor, Spooner Lake and Backcountry, Cave Rock, and Van Sickle). Jay loves the outdoors and is an avid hiker and mountain biker. And let's not forget, professional volunteer. Jay enjoys working with the Thunderbird Lodge Preservation Society and Tahoe Mountain Bike Patrol.

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Ashley Butler

Camp Manager

Ashley is local to Northern Nevada but has spent her fair share exploring other areas. Like many locals that leave the area, something about Reno drew her back and she is happy to call Northern Nevada her home base once again. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.A. in Speech Communications and Journalism. Ashley's career has offered opportunities in the nonprofit sector, government and education. She has always had a passion for exploring and connecting with nature. She welcomes the opportunity to help the youth of our community build a relationship and appreciation for the outdoors as well. 

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Matt DeBray   (he/him/his)

Communications Manager

Matt is the Communications Manager for Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation. After serving with TMPF as an AmeriCorps VISTA in 2017 he worked to promote AmeriCorps programs throughout Nevada for four years and is excited to be back at the place that started his journey in the nonprofit world. Matt studied Radio Television Production at the University of Montana and brings over a decade of experience to the TMPF communications team. When he isn't working you can find Matt watching baseball, hiking with his family, or being pulled behind a boat.

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Kevin Lynch  (he/him/his)

Americorps Compliance and Community Service Manager

Kevin is a local to the Truckee Meadows where he received his Master’s of Education from the University of Nevada-Reno with a focus on Career and Technical Education. He enjoys hiking with his wife, geocaching with his daughter, and running or reading all by his lonesome. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and a former AmeriCorps employee, he is excited to continue supporting national and community service with the Truckee Meadows Park Foundation.

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Austin Cooper  (he/him/his)

Wetland Restorations Manager

Bio Coming Soon!

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AmeriCorps VISTA Members

@tmparksfoundation

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Shaye Rogers

VISTA Leader

Shaye recently completed an AmeriCorps term in Avon, Colorado with Youthpower 365. She has a trade school diploma in Culinary Arts, and plans to pursue a degree in Nonprofit leadership. When she is not serving with the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation, she can be found watching her favorite Netflix series or cooking a delicious meal!

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Ann McLaughlin

Membership Development Coordinator

Born and raised in the West, Ann has a life-long love of the Sierras. Recently completing her master’s at UNR in communication studies, she is looking forward to joining the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation team as their Membership Coordinator and making new friends in the community. Eager to share her enthusiasm for the outdoors she looks forward to inviting locals to come outside and reap the benefits of our lovely open spaces. In her spare time, she can be found in the garden with her cat or on an “explore” in one of the nearly 200 wonderful parks in our area!

Caroline Grossman

Caroline Grossman

Student Stewards Program Outreach Coordinator

Caroline earned a BA from the American University School of International Service in Washington, DC where she studied Environmental Sustainability and Global Health; she also minored in French and Art History. She grew up recreating outdoors in upstate NY and western MA, but is passionate about preserving access to the outdoors everywhere. She relocated to the Reno-Tahoe area after leaving DC in May 2022 to complete a State-National Americorps position where she worked on preserving access to the near 200-mile Tahoe Rim Trail system. In her free time, she enjoys trail running, camping, second-hand apparel, and artwork. She is excited to apply her previous experiences to TMPF as an AmeriCorps VISTA to inspire young environmentalists, create healthier ecosystems, and even healthier lives!

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Erin Larsen (she/her/hers)

Communications Coordinator

Erin graduated from Western Washington University with a BA in Communications in 2020. She is excited to work with the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation as the Communications Coordinator, because it allows her to combine her love of the outdoors and volunteering as an active member in her community. Outside of work Erin loves hiking, swimming, rock climbing, and drinking lots of coffee. 

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Jennie Johnson

Wetland Restoration Outreach Coordinator

Jennie is serving her second Americorps VISTA term as the Wetland Restoration Outreach Coordinator. She is from right here in Reno and went to the University of Nevada, Reno for a degree in Cultural Anthropology. She’s excited to use her marketing background to teach people about the parks and opportunities in their community. She enjoys running, hiking, sunshine and events such as Moms on the Run and the American River Half Marathon.

AmeriCorps State/National Members

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Brittany Leavitt

Naturalist Educator

Brittany is originally from a small, rural town in southern Nevada. She grew up herping with her family in the mojave desert. She attended UNR and studied MANY things before settling on Wildlife Ecology. Her summers in college were spent teaching STEM camps and she was a substitute teacher during the school year, which made her fall in love with education. Currently, she is finishing up a degree in both elementary and secondary science education. Seeing a kid get excited about science is unlike any other feeling. If you ever have a question about reptiles or toads, she is your go-to gal!

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Sara Rutherford

Rosewood Nature Study Area Education Coordinator

Sara is the Rosewood Nature Study Area Education Coordinator.

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Suzanne Bernard

Lead Rosewood Nature Study Area Education Coordinator

Suzanne is the Lead Rosewood Nature Study Area Education Coordinator.

Tara Tran

Tara Tran

Community Programs Educator

A proud Nevadan, Tara grew up in Las Vegas, but moved to Reno in 2015 to attend UNR. They graduated with a BA in Anthropology and Art and later spent 2 years working as archeological field technician. Inspired by their time spent in nature as a field tech, they’re now enthusiastic to share the beauty of the outdoors with their community through the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation. You can often find them enjoying open spaces and making food, art and music with their friends.

Wetland Restoration Technicians

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Irene Dickison

Lead Wetland Restoration Technician 

Irene was born and raised in Reno and graduated from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2020 with a degree in Zoology and a minor in Studio Art. She has spent the last few years working in different places across the country such as upstate New York surveying insects for a farmscape ecology program, working with the Entomology Department at the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans and most recently an Invertebrate Zookeeper for the Toledo Zoo in Ohio.  She has a strong passion for lesser loved creatures like invertebrates and reptiles. In her spare time Irene enjoys exploring the local landscape, keeping pet reptiles and invertebrates and making a variety of art. She hopes to teach people to love the unloved and understand their important roles in our ecosystems.

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Hayden Wright

Wetland Restoration Technician 

Hayden is from Shingle Springs, CA, and I am currently enrolled at UNR. He grew up on a nature preserve, and my ultimate career goal is to be a watershed management/restoration ecologist. The mission of TMPF really resonated with him since it fits perfectly into the fields he is interested in.  He is looking forward to learning about Nevada plants. In his free time, he likes to go trail running, fishing, and hiking. He really enjoys traveling and exploring new places with friends. This is Hayden's second term as a Wetland Restoration Technician!

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Courtnay Lewis

Wetland Restoration Technician 

Courtnay earned a Bachelor's in Environmental Biology from Colorado State University, Pueblo in 2017 after having worked in hospitality for many years. Courtnay is originally from Texas, but has lived and worked all over the West as a biological science field technician. She joined Americorps in October as a wetland restoration technician because Nevada was calling to me. She's really excited about working on this project and with this group of people!

Board of Directors

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Jill Richardson

Board President

(Coming Soon)

Image by Side Project

Laura Fillmore

Board Vice President

(Coming Soon)

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Dawn Smith

Treasurer 

Dawn moved to Reno from Washington State for a job with Renown. She enjoys hiking and exploring new areas. Dawn is thankful for the opportunity to get to know and be involved in education and stewardship of the local open spaces. She is a past AmeriCorps VISTA member through the Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (R.A.R.E) in Oregon. Dawn previously worked with natural resource agencies to help document and preserve habitat in her role as G.I.S. Coordinator of Wallowa County. 

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Sophia Kirschenman

Board Member

Sophia is a native Nevadan who grew up exploring the many outdoor wonders of the Truckee Meadows and the Sierra Nevada. She is dedicated to protecting our wildlands and connecting communities by creating shared outdoor spaces. After getting her master’s degree in international environmental policy and living for a handful of years in Colorado and California, she is excited to be back in her hometown, working as a park planner for Washoe County and serving on the Parks Foundation's Board of Directors. 

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Stephanie Mazza

Board Member

Stephanie is excited to bring her creative and marketing experience to the TMPF board. Originally from Sonoma County, California, she has happily called Reno her home since 2016. Stephanie has worked as a graphic designer for over a decade and currently serves as Senior Art Director for Estipona Group, a full-service marketing agency in Reno. There, she leads accessible and inclusive creative solutions for public health campaigns, government agencies, and educational institutions. In her free time, she can be found snowboarding and exploring hiking trails and parks with her husband, daughter, and four-legged running buddy, Galena. 

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Kendall Nolan

Board Member

Kendall moved to Reno with her company in 2017 and quickly became involved in the community.  In addition to TMPF, she is involved with several other local organizations.  When she isn't working or volunteering, Kendall enjoys spending time with her family, exploring Northern Nevada, travel, reading, cooking, and several forms of arts and crafts.

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Catherine McFeely

Board Member

Catherine Mcfeely grew up in a small town surrounded by the stunning Lassen National Forest, where her father worked as a US Forest Service ranger. From an early age, Catherine learned the importance of preserving parks, trails, and open spaces; instilling in her a deep respect and appreciation for nature's beauty and natural resources. After moving to Reno twenty years ago to pursue a career in Recreation and Parks Administration, Catherine's passion for promoting the health and wellness benefits of outdoor activities grew stronger. With over 24 years of experience as a certified therapeutic recreation therapist, she has helped integrate the areas geriatric population into the community through outdoor adventures utilizing many of our parks. As a 7 year volunteer and now serving board member of TMPF, Catherine is dedicated to finding innovative ways to promote growth, cultivate awareness, and instill appreciation of Northern Nevada's open spaces.

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