MEET OUR BOARD

JENNIFER PEARSALL KOBERT, VICE PRESIDENT

Jennifer Pearsall Kobert is a Lake Tahoe native, as well as a twin, daughter, wife, mom and entrepreneur. Jenn has spent her career working to empower women in developing nations through the support of their artisanry. After growing up on the shores of north Lake Tahoe, Jenn attended Middlebury College in Vermont. After college, Jenn's love for travel and culture led her on a two year volunteer project in Central America, working at a rural elementary school dedicated to environmental education. She founded (and still manages) Sefte Living, LLC,  a lifestyle brand dedicated to supporting artisans in the high Andes of Peru. Along with her husband and two young daughters, Jenn returned to the Tahoe Truckee Area in 2018. When not juggling life as a mom, business owner, TDLT Board Member, and whatever else is on that day's agenda, Jenn finds solace, passion and community in the mountains and enjoys running, skiing, and mountain biking the peaks around Truckee.

PACO LINDSAY

Paco Lindsay arrived in Truckee in 1974 and immediately saw Truckee as his home. Being from Iowa, he was enamored of the beauty of the Northern Sierra, the uniqueness of Truckee, and the mountainous terrain. Holding various year-round jobs, including at the infamous Flop House and as a cook in the Passage, Paco began his own summer business, Paco’s Truckee River Bicycle, out of his garage. With his interest in Nordic skiing, the bike shop became a Truckee institution, Paco’s Truckee Bike and Ski. Paco joined the Land Trust’s Board to bring to it a wealth of experience in finance, trail building and advocacy.

LINDA ORANDI

Linda Orandi became interested in land preservation and public access early on growing up in rural Minnesota, where she developed a love for the outdoors and backcountry recreation. Moving out west, Linda learned of the impacts of nonprofits on open space. With a home at Northstar, Linda has a strong connection to the northern Sierra. She brings experience to the Truckee Donner Land Trust in business management, board governance and fundraising from her work in her family’s Pistachio business and as board chair for a nonprofit that provides education, nutrition, and health care for children in Kenya. She enjoys mountain biking, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing with an appreciation for geography and botany.

TED OWENS

Ted was raised in northern California in a family of outdoor enthusiasts, enjoying skiing, backpacking, fishing and hunting. He majored in Political Science at Cal Poly SLO after which he went to work as a government affairs manager for a state-wide insurance association. Trading in the suits and ties, he moved to Truckee full time in 1989 to join his father in the family construction business. Ted is a member of the Truckee Rotary Club, a charter member and past President of the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe, and a member of the Truckee Masonic Lodge #200. He served on the Truckee Planning Commission and the Town Council and was selected in 2003 to serve as Truckee Mayor. Ted was elected to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors in 2004 and 2008 where he served as Chairman of the Board in 2005, 2008 and 2012. As Supervisor, Ted served on several state-wide boards including California’s Sierra Nevada Conservancy representing the Central Sub-region.

JP PATKAY (PIERRE)

Pierre and his family are passionate about outdoor activities and land preservation.  Pierre recently retired and dabbles in a few nonprofits.  His professional experience spanned 50 years in engineering and executive roles at HP, Quantum, 3Com, and several start-ups. Most recently, he co-founded On Tap Consulting to advise early-stage companies.  Pierre studied at Harvey Mudd College and Stanford University. 

BLAIR PORTEOUS

Having grown up in the Canadian Rockies, the mountains have always been an important part of Blair's life. Now splitting his time between the Bay Area and Truckee, with his children on the Northstar Ski Team, Blair brings a passion for the region and working with the Land Trust to preserve the area's treasures for public recreation for years to come. A founder of Sage Modern, Blair Porteous has extensive experience in sustainable building both in the Bay Area and in the Truckee/Tahoe area. He enjoys hiking and skiing, and was hooked on the Land Trust on a backcountry ski to visit Frog Lake to start visioning a backcountry hut.

MARC RANDOLPH

A longtime homeowner in the Truckee area, Marc Randolph has been biking, hiking, skiing, and running our local trails for more than 30 years. An entrepreneur and company founder for more than four decades, Marc is best known for starting Netflix. Today, he serves as an advisor to multiple startup companies, a mentor, CEO coach, and as a board member for numerous businesses.

APARNA REDDY

The Land Trust is excited to welcome Aparna Reddy to our Board. She joined the Porter Simon law firm in Truckee as an associate attorney concentrating on general business, business formation, employment, and real estate matters. After graduating from Wooster High School in Reno, Aparna completed her B.S. in plant biology at UC Davis and, while working in the lab one summer, learned of opportunities to work in science and law. She then decided to go to law school and chose Santa Clara University School of Law where she received a J.D. and her M.B.A. from Santa Clara University. Aparna is an avid mountain biker, skier, and paddle boarder who loves being in the mountains.

MIKE SABARESE

Mike has been coming to Truckee since 1975 and moved here in 2001. He has been a financial executive and CPA for more than 40 years as well as president of several small businesses in the Bay Area. As a partner, he was involved with the growth of the Yakima Roof Rack Company as well as the shipping and real estate industries. He enjoys working with nonprofits in the Sierras and loves to preserve the environment here.

SIDNEY SCOTT, PRESIDENT

Sidney Scott graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine, where she was active in the Outing Club, and went on to earn a PhD in Biochemistry from UC Davis, where she continued her research in cell biology. After years of escaping to the mountains on weekends to enjoy the outdoors, Sidney, her husband and two young children made the move to Truckee in 2004, and then to Donner Summit in 2012. Sidney and her family grew immersed in the mountain lifestyle, sharing adventures together - climbing and skiing peaks in the Sierra backcountry. She enjoys skate skiing at Royal Gorge, rock climbing and backpacking.

DANIEL SIMMONS, TREASURER

The Land Trust is delighted to welcome Daniel Simmons to our Board of Directors. A retired faculty member and professor emeritus at UC Davis School of Law, Dan is a sought after tax specialist who brings critical domain expertise to the Land Trust. In his words, “There’s very little we can do in today’s society that doesn’t have tax implications,” and that includes land preservation. And he also brings the passion: Simmons is president of Far West Masters Ski Racing Association and competitive alpine racer affiliated with Squaw Valley Masters ski team.

JEAN SNUGGS, SECRETARY

Jean moved to Sacramento from Chicago in the mid-70’s. For over 40 years, her family has owned a Serene Lakes cabin, which has served as their base for cross country skiing, backpacking, hiking, and cycling. Jean’s introduction to TDLT was the Royal Gorge acquisition. She has served as a community member on the TDLT stewardship committee. Jean is known for her optimism, for loving to be outside, for respecting the environment, for staying active (and fit), for being passionate about education, and for enjoying the processes and challenges of organizational work. She retired from a 40-year Physical Education and Athletics career; Jean was a coach, teacher, and then Athletic Director/Instructional Dean in the CA community colleges. She was active with the USA Track & Field NGB and the Sacramento Sports Commission. She is a volunteer guide for local and international Ski for Light events.

BRITA TRYGGVI

Brita is an experienced land use planner and small business owner. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master of Urban Planning from California State University, San Jose. Brita and her husband, Art, moved to the Tahoe-Truckee area after completing college and graduate school. For the past 30-plus years, Brita has been employed in either the private or public sector in northern Nevada. Brita served on the Truckee Planning Commission for 10 years, and she is a member of other organizations such as the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation. She and her husband recently retired and now have time to pursue more of their interests, including downhill skiing, kayaking, hiking, gardening, birding, and traveling.

ADVISORY COUNCIL