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Board of Directors

Meet the Board

Jim Plake - President

Jim spent his youth in western Colo., settling on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe in the mid-60’s. He enjoyed a 30 year career with the City of South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, retiring from the position of Fire Chief in 1997. He’s been happily married to Pam, his wife of over 30 years. His daughter, Tamara, her husband Dave, and two grandchildren reside in South Lake Tahoe. His son Glen travels the world as a ski personality.

Rick Gardner - Vice President

Rick has spent his entire life on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. He’s married to Kelly and has four children, RJ, Becka, Whitney and Michael. His children have all participated in the Foundation programs. Few have done more for the youth of our community than the Gardners through their family owned businesses, The Red Hut and Gardner Construction.

Dick Schwarte - Treasurer

Dick, a Wisconsin native, first skied Heavenly in April 1969 and has had a season pass there ever since. After moving permanently to SLT in 1972, Dick started his own real estate business, married, raised three daughters, and currently has 8 grand children. Currently, Dick chairs the Community Disaster Resource Center (formerly the Angora Fire Fund.)

Michael Allen - Member Representative Heavenly Mountain

Michael joined the Heavenly marketing department in 1991. He assumed the role of Ski School Director in 1995. In 2002 he expanded his role to Director of Skier Services with oversight of the Day Care, Guest Service operation, Tickets & Passes, on Mountain Host program Scanning and Ski School. Michael is married to Heather, with two children, Natalie (13) & Lyndsey (10). Michael is an avid sportsman, and frequently enjoys tennis, Moto-Cross, and the mountain lifestyle.

Garth Alling - Board Member

Garth is a second generation Tahoe resident and is an alumni of the Heavenly Valley Blue Angel race team. He has a tremendous level of enthusiasm for the support of skiing and snowboard opportunities for youth. He is the coordinator for the Foundation Scholarship Program. Garth is unmarried and employed by Hauge Brueck.

Lon Rusk - Community Representative

Lon was born and raised in California. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area, he was exposed to Lake Tahoe at a young age. While attending the University of California at Santa Barbara, he worked summers as a craps dealer at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, closing the Thrifty Gambler in 1969. Currently he is the president of Lakeside Inn and Casino and is an avid skier. He is happily married with two sons.

Terri Arnold - Fundraising Representative

Growing up in the foothills of El Dorado County developed Terri's passion for sports and the outdoors. She has lived in Tahoe for nearly 20 years and is raising her four-year-old twins with her husband Eric. She has been with US Bank for 18 years and is currently a District Manager overseeing Easter California Community Banking. She loves her job. Most importantly, she loves family life, snowboarding, golfing and laughing. She admits to cracking herself up all day long.

Purpose

The Board of Directors for the Heavenly Ski and Snowboard Foundation guides and oversees the course of the organization and provides leadership in planning for the future. The present Board, established in 2008, brought to the organization a new approach and a vision to provide an opportunity to all of the youth in our communities a chance to ski or snowboard. It’s also the Board’s vision to strengthen and enhance the foundation’s excellent competitive programs. In the past two years much has been accomplished in both areas, but the task is far from finished.

The Board will continue to meet the many challenges of our future with the same enthusiasm, being open to input from the membership that will benefit and enhance the organization as a whole.

Other Important People

Aimi Xistra-Rich - Executive Director

Aimi grew up in Oregon, beginning her career in the snowsports industry at Mt. Hood Meadows. She moved to South Tahoe in 1998 and graduated from San Francisco State University in 2005. She previously was public relations at Heavenly Mountain and wrote for the Tahoe Tribune. She's very motivated to provide ski and snowboard opportunities to all youth. She lives in Tahoe with her husband Dan Rich and their two children, Mila (4) and Drake (2).

Kelly Krolicki - Special Advisor to the Board
Kelly is very passionate about creating opportunities for youth to participate in snowsports activities. She has been an essential part of the Heavenly Foundation for many years and drives the force behind the creation and development of new programs. She is also very involved in school groups like the Boosters. Kelly is happily married to her husband Brian and they have two daughters, Carolyn (12) and Elie (8).