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.

Allie Baracani   (she/her/hers)

Operations Manager

Allie received her B.S. in Public Health from the University of Nevada, Reno. After working various jobs in the healthcare system she followed her passion for business administration and enrolled in the University of Nevada, Reno MBA graduate program. Working with the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation allows her to combine her love of the outdoors with her education background. When not in the office she can be found rock climbing in the Truckee/Tahoe region, camping, or rollerblading through Idlewild Park.    

Chantel Dominguez   (she/her/hers)

Programs and Events Director

Chantel is our Programs and Events Director. She received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Nevada, Reno and, after spending 4 years in Chicago, is thrilled to be back in Nevada promoting environmental sustainability and healthy lifestyles through her work with the Parks Foundation. In her free time, Chantel enjoys eating and cooking with friends, game nights, coffee, and exploring Nevada’s great outdoors.

Devin Sandoval de Genovese   (he/him/his)

Student Stewards Program Director

​Devin served nearly two years as a Naturalist Educator for Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation before starting his position 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.  In his free time, Devin enjoys riding mountain bikes and enjoying Nevada's great outdoors. Devin is excited to be a part of the TMPF team and hopes to inspire youth in the community through the SSP program. 

Elena Larsen   (she/her/hers)

Wetland Restoration Program Director

Elena served as a Naturalist Educator for TMPF in the spring and summer of 2018 and is now working as the Wetland Restoration Program Director.  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.

Hannah Lansverk Sonnenberg   (she/her/hers)

Student Stewards Program Manager

​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!

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.

Sarah Holcombe   (she/her/hers)

Development Director

Most recently living in Montana and originally from Oregon, Sarah is now planting her roots in Nevada. After receiving her degree in Public Relations and Business Administration from the University of Oregon, Sarah quickly found her passion leaned towards the nonprofit and development world working within animal welfare and sustainability - leading to a perfect fit here at Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation. Sarah is excited to explore her new home with her hobbies of snowboarding, backpacking, gardening, and hanging with shelter dogs.  

Sara Monks   (she/her/hers)

VISTA Leader

Sara is serving as the AmeriCorps VISTA Leader at Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation. After earning her BA in English Studies from Illinois State University, she became passionate about giving back to communities across the country. In 2019, Sara served as a Corps Member with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and even her hometown of Chicago, Illinois. She also served as an AmeriCorps Construction Crew Leader with the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity in 2020. She is absolutely thrilled to serve the Reno community and expand her explorations to the Western Region of the US!

Chris Garrity   (he/him/his)

Nature Study Area Development Coordinator

Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Chris is our Nature Study Area Development Coordinator VISTA.  Chris received his B.A. from Colorado College in Ecology where he was also an active member of the swim team.  The opportunity to support the development efforts of the Nature Study Area fits perfectly with his strong interests in the intersection of land use, environmental equity, and climate change. In his free time, Chris is an avid hiker and looks forward to exploring the open spaces of the greater Reno-Tahoe area.

Jacqui Keating   (she/her/hers)

Programs and Events Coordinator 

Jacqui earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Nevada, Reno and is currently pursuing an M.S in Environmental Policy. She is thrilled to join the team at TMPF and prioritizes serving her community. Jacqui has always felt comfortable in the outdoors and looks forward to connecting others to the outdoors through the Healthy Parks, Healthy People programs. She is passionate about protecting our open spaces and bridging the gap between people and their natural environment.

Julie Johnson 

Student Stewards Program Outreach Coordinator

Julie is a Nevada local and earned her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno. She is passionate about community outreach, stewardship, marketing, and is thrilled to be a part of the TMPF team. As the Student Stewards Program Outreach Coordinator, Julie is looking forward to engaging with the Reno community about the incredible parks and open spaces in the area, as well as the many amazing programs TMPF has to offer! In her free time, Julie loves to be in the mountains. You can usually find her backpacking, skiing, and exploring hot springs.

Rachel Carroll   (she/her/hers)

Communications Coordinator

Rachel, a lifelong Reno/Sparks local, grew up with a love of rocks, nature, and outer space. Inspired by NASA's work in exogeology, she went to Truckee Meadows Community College to earn an Associate of Science, Geoscience Emphasis degree. Though she has interest in other worlds, she has dedicated herself to improving this one by working with local non-profit organizations on social media outreach projects to help get the word out about the great things these groups accomplish. Rachel also runs her own small business and in her free time enjoys collecting minerals, video games, and spoiling her corgi.

Ashley Butler   (she/her/hers)

Community Programs Educator

Ashley is local to Northern Nevada. 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. Although she has always felt a connection with the outdoors, that connection grew even stronger during the strenuous times of the pandemic. Ashley relied on her daily walks or hikes to help keep a sense of balance. It is important to her that our local parks and trails are shared, explored responsibly and accessible to all. She is excited to serve her first AmeriCorps term with TMPF, an organization that has positively impacted her family in many ways. When she is not exploring one of our local trails, Ashley devouring ice cream, checking out local community events or cheering on her son.

Isabella Buffalini

Naturalist Educator

(Coming Soon)

Kristina Lee   (she/her/hers)

Naturalist Educator

(Coming Soon)

Peter Jordan   (he/him/his)

Wetland Restoration Lead Technician 

Peter is a Lead Wetland Restoration Technician for TMPF. He began serving with TMPF as a Wetland Restoration Technician in February 2021 and has since become a Lead Technician for our organization. When he's not in the wetland, Peter likes to spend his free time going on hikes, socializing with his friends, and worrying about climate change. 

Sadie Smith   (she/her/hers)

Wetland Restoration Lead Technician 

A born and bred East Coaster, Sadie is excited to be returning to the Truckee Meadows as a Lead Restoration Technician with the Parks Foundation. Although she hails from Vermont, Sadie has had the pleasure of calling many places home; from the Eastern Townships of Quebec where she went to boarding school to the sunny coast of St. Petersburg, Florida where she graduated from Eckerd College with a B.S. in Biology. Her favorite pastimes include playing rugby, creating artwork, or spending any kind of quality time outside enjoying nature. Sadie is looking forward to using her role as a Lead Technician to have a demonstrably positive impact on her new home and help make positive changes to the Reno-Sparks community.

Kayla Beck   (she/her/hers)

Wetland Restoration Technician 

Originally from Pennsylvania, Kayla recently moved to Reno after graduating from St. Lawrence University with a B.S. in conservation biology and a minor in African studies. Kayla has experience as a field researcher and environmental educator, and she is looking forward to engaging with the community as a nature center host. Kayla is passionate about reptiles, amphibians, and insects, and she is excited to learn about the species native to the western US, particularly those that inhabit the desert wetland ecosystem at the Rosewood Nature Study Area! In her free time, Kayla likes to run, hike, craft, and go herping!

Megan Yount   (she/her/hers)

Wetland Restoration Technician 

Megan grew up in Texas and currently lives up in Beautiful Lake Tahoe. She started school at University of California-Santa Cruz and finished with a B.S. in environmental science at Sierra Nevada University in Incline Village, NV. She enjoys spending her free time climbing, camping or spending time with her 5 fur babies. Megan has a huge passion for plants and animals, especially birds, and looks forward to watching her hard work make a difference on the wetland!

Sarah Chvilicek

President

As a past Regional Parks and Open Space Commissioner, Sarah has always advocated for parks and open space in the greater Truckee Meadows. She currently serves on  both the Washoe County Planning Commission and Regional Planning Commission where she still advocates for parks and open space as important elements as they relate to regional planning issues. 

Dawn Smith

Vice President

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. 

David von Seggern

Treasurer

David is retired from the UNR Nevada Seismological Laboratory after a career in seismology.  His last career position was as the seismic network manager for the Yucca Mountain Project, which seeks to make Nevada the repository of the nation’s high-level nuclear waste.  He served as treasurer for the Seismological Society of America for nine years.  David acquired an appreciation of our natural heritage as a college-aged spelunker in Missouri.  He is a past chair of the Executive Committee of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, is a frequent hike leader in the Truckee Meadows area, and loves to explore Nevada’s remotest places. 

David Jickling

Board Member

David Jickling is a lifelong birder and passionate advocate for the outdoors. He has a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan and moved to Nevada with his wife Debbie in 1990. In 1994 David was appointed to the Wildlife Commission by Governor Miller, and served on the commission as the conservation representative until 2000. He has also served as president of the Lahontan Audubon Society and leads field trips and teaches the introductory class of the very popular birds of the Truckee Meadows series.

James Dickey

Board Member

Jim was born and raised in Stockton, California. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. He moved to Reno in 1972 with his wife Laura, to whom he has been married for 41 years. They have 1 daughter and 2 grandchildren. Jim’s passion for parks and open spaces are the results of a lifetime of backpacking and hiking in the Sierras. Jim’s hobbies include cooking, gardening, golf, genealogy, and watching his grandchildren’s sporting events. Jim is also a volunteer coach for The First Tee Program.

Jill Richardson

Board Member

(Coming Soon)

Katie Palani

Board Member

As an active member of the Parks Foundation since 2017, Katie and her two kids, Rowan and Holly, have adventured though many of our region’s parks, trails and open spaces with the Parks Foundation family. She’s been to years of Discover Your Parks Walks (how she found the foundation initially), many Junior Naturalist programs through seasons of AmeriCorps VISTA educators, and a few Trails Challenge adventures. As a new teacher for Washoe County, Katie also sees tremendous value in the programs that TMPF offers to underserved children and families in our communities through the Student Stewards Program and of course, summer camp. We live in an incredibly diverse, accessible region with so much to offer, and Katie is happy to be a part of this team that helps develop awareness, appreciation and stewardship of our open space. She’s a Reno native, has graduated twice from UNR, finally found her passion in education and loves teaching (which is mostly learning). When she’s not in the classroom, you’ll find her with her own kids, exploring Peavine from their front door with the rescue dogs, baking something delicious, skiing, hiking, camping, her nose buried in a guidebook, but more often deep in conversation.

Nate Tippie

Board Member

Nate Tippie is an entrepreneur, product designer, and longtime Parks Foundation supporter. After selling his accounting backup software to Intuit, he joined them as a Product Manager for QuickBooks Online. He studied Finance and Film at the University of Georgia, where he also served as a judge for the Peabody Awards. Nate has been a volunteer, member, sustaining member, and Doggie Ambassador before becoming a board member. He enjoys yoga, camping, and aviation, and lives in Midtown with his dogs, Bennie and Luna.

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. 

Tina Nappe

Board Member

Tina is a long time supporter of parks in Washoe County and Reno. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards within our community and is happy to lend her expertise to furthering the mission of Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation.