President
Jerry joined the board and became president in 2013. He is also Vice President of Strategic Planning for the Truckee Donner Railroad Society. He served on the advisory committee that helped the California Department of Parks and Recreation set up the SnoPark program. He was chair of the Sierra Club’s Angeles Chapter Nordic Ski Section and led nordic ski trips and backpacks to Yosemite, Yellowstone and throughout the Sierras. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BA from UCLA.
Past President
Larry Bienati joined the Board in 2008 and became its president in 2010. He has been a resident of Homewood for 20 years. Larry has served as a corporate management consultant for many leading organizations in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. He has held faculty positions at Saint Mary's College and California State University at Sacramento at the graduate level. He is a passionate supporter of the Sierra State Parks and refers to them as the "oasis of the spirit".
Vice-President
Susan Grove retired after a 28 year career as a California State Park Ranger and Superintendent. She is dedicated to the Sierra State Parks and the increased quality in life they bring to park visitors, school children, and local business people. She loves to spend time in nature and is an avid hiker and camper. Susan is a native Californian and has personally visited over 200 California State Parks.
Treasurer
Lawrence E. Southern retired as a partner with the auditing firm Peat, Marwick, Mitchell & Co. (KPMG). At the time of his retirement, he was the lead reviewer on the KPMG International Oversight Review Team. He received both his BS and MBA degrees from UCLA.
Larry has served the community through the Boy Scouts of America. In addition to leadership at the Troop level with his eagle scout sons, Larry served on BSA Board Councils in Atlanta, Cincinnati and Monterey. He is a Silver Beaver Award recipient. Larry also served on the Board of the Oklahoma City Symphony and the Cincinnati Opera. Larry's other interests include hiking, road biking and backpacking.
Since retirement, Larry volunteered for ten years as a docent at Point Lobos State Park in Carmel and served for three years as docent training coordinator. He served for one year on the Board of the Tahoe Rim Association. Larry is currently President (8th year) of the Tahoe Trampers. He and his wife, Jean, live in Incline Village, Nevada.
Secretary
Rosalee (Rosie) Smith has been visiting Tahoe since 1945 when she camped with her family at D.L. Bliss State Park. This began her love for the CA Parks. She has had a cabin on Tahoe's West Shore since 1968 and makes it her summer home now. She volunteered to help in the parks in 2000 and has been involved ever since with Living History Day at Sugar Pine Point State Park. She is a docent at the Vikingsholm and Ehrman mansions and also volunteers at the Sierra State Park Visitor Centers. Her passion for the Parks led her to a position on the SSPF Board in 2010.
Honorary Member
It is a great pleasure to have Dr. Helen Smith participating as an honorary board member of the Sierra State Parks Foundation. Dr. Smith has devoted a lifetime of tireless advocacy for the preservation of the Vikingsholm mansion. She spent 14 summers of her youth as a guest of the original owner, Lora Knight. She spent many years conducting tours of the mansion for park visitors and continues to work closely with the State Parks to maintain the mansion as well as perserve the legacy of this fabulous site. She is the foremost historian on all things Vikingsholm, and has published an excellent guide that is now sold throughout the Tahoe region.
Board Member
Rob Weston, owner of West Shore Sports, is known and respected throughout the Tahoe community for his passionate support of the Sierra State Parks. For many years, Rob has donated proceeds from his famous Full Moon Snowshoe Hikes and Kayak tours conducted at Sugar Pine Point State Park. Rob's longstanding involvement with environmental and preservation efforts in the Tahoe Basin have been a great service to our community. Rob is currently serving as the Olympic Snow Trails Grooming Program Volunteer Coordinator.
Freind of the Board
Dick has been a resident of Homewood for 45 years. During his Real Estate career, he became involved with many supportive community organizations including the Coast Guard Auxilliary and the Sierra State Parks Foundation where he was on the Board of Directos for 45 years serving as a member and treasurer. Dick's special interest is supporting the preservation and legacy of the Sierra State Parks historic buildings. His experience and knowledge about the Sierra State Parks continue to be an important benefit to this foundation.
Board Member
Originally from Ponce, Puerto Rico, Norma came to California in the early '70s and holds a bachelors of science degree from UC Berkeley in business administration with an emphasis is in organizational behavior and marketing. Norma served as El Dorado county supervisor from 2005 to 2010 representing District 5. During her tenure as County Supervisor she focused on many issues including economic and workforce development, sustainable communities, forest management, transportation and environmental redevelopment to name a few. Norma uses this experience in her consulting business, Catalytic Connections which focuses on bringing together key partners towards building solutions and implementing projects that provide and economic, environmental, and social benefit.