Governing Board

A thirty-five year resident of North Lake Tahoe, Cindy Gustafson has a long history of both work and volunteer service in the region. Prior to being appointed to the Placer County Board of Supervisors on April 11, 2019, Cindy had careers in the public and private sectors.  After moving to North Lake Tahoe in 1983, she joined a local real estate firm and in 1988 she was hired as the part-time Field Aide to then Placer County Supervisor Mike Fluty, a position she held for just over a year before becoming a full time employee for Perini Land Development. In 1991 she joined the Tahoe City Public Utility District where she worked for 26 years, filling a variety of positions, including serving her final eight years as the General Manager, overseeing the full operations of the District. During her career, she secured and administered $30 million in grant funding for a variety of capital projects including bike trails, sidewalks, water and sewer system upgrades, community buildings, public parks, beaches, and environmental restoration projects. In 2017, she retired from local government and took over as the Chief Executive Officer of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association and North Tahoe Chamber, a position she held until she was appointed as the District 5 Supervisor for Placer County.

In addition to her professional career, Ms. Gustafson’s passion for public service has included a wide variety of elected, appointed and volunteer positions, all of which have required extensive community engagement and implementation of complex public policy strategies. In 2003 she was appointed to the California Fish and Game Commission by Governor Schwarzenegger, where she served four years. Ms. Gustafson also chaired the Marine Life Protection Act Blue Ribbon Task Force, which was charged with developing recommendations for protecting the State’s waters along the North Coast of California. In addition she has dedicated her skills, experience, resources and personal time volunteering on multiple boards and commissions for public agencies and nonprofit organizations that serve a broad range of issues, including transportation, education, environmental stewardship, economic development and land use.

Ms.Gustafson and her husband raised three sons in North Lake Tahoe and in their spare time, they enjoy Placer County’s many outdoor recreational activities.

Hayley Williamson is the Chair of the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, having been appointed Chair by Governor Steve Sisolak effective January 1, 2020. Prior to her Chairmanship, Hayley was appointed Commissioner to the PUCN by Governor Sisolak in 2019. Hayley has also held the roles of Senior Assistant General Counsel and Acting General Counsel for the PUCN. As a PUCN Commissioner and Chair, Hayley has been responsible for developing rules for many important pieces of legislation from the Nevada Legislature, including rules to implement Nevada’s new Renewable Portfolio Standard. Hayley has worked at the PUCN since 2013 and has more than a decade of public utility law experience.

Prior to working at the PUCN, Hayley taught environmental law and environmental science at the University of Wisconsin and at Sierra Nevada College. Hayley has also worked as a ranger for the Dept. of the Interior at Pu’u Honua o Honaunau National Historic Site in Hawaii. Hayley’s work experience also includes work for the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Wisconsin and Federal Trade Commission in Washington, DC. Finally, Hayley has completed internships with the US EPA Region 9, the California Public Utilities Commission, and Senator Finegold and Representative Baldwin, both of Wisconsin.

Hayley graduated magna cum laude from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science; and magna cum laude from Vermont Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctorate. At Vermont Law School, Hayley was an editor of the Vermont Law Review. Hayley also holds a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, where she wrote her master’s thesis on renewable energy and land use issues on the West Coast.

Carson City Representative

I am serving on the TRPA Governing Board because of my support for a bi-state solution to the challenges facing Lake Tahoe. During my tenure on the Board I have used a common sense/consensus building approach to solving problems and have advocated for solutions that protect the Lake while respecting private property rights and the needs of the local economy. I visualize TRPA continuing to lead the effort to promote a new kind of environmentalism – one that is inclusive of diverse interests but dedicated to finding solutions through moderation, sound science and good stewardship.

• Born in Berkeley and raised in Piedmont, CA
• Graduated with a BA from the University of California, Davis in 1979
• President of the Glenbrook Company – 1998 to present
• Vice-President/Corporate Broker of Eden Managements
• Recipient of the Soroptimist International of Carson City’s Women of Distinction Award, the Sam Walton Business Leader Award, the Chamber of Commerce Community Spirit Award and Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow Award.
• Past President of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce
• Member of the Carson City Board of Supervisors – 2003 to 2013
• Carson City’s Appointee to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency since 2003
• President of the Capital City Circles Initiative since 2008
• Spouse – Jay
• Son – Skyler

Ashley Conrad-Saydah translates cutting-edge science and technology into actionable policy through her policy firm, Sowing Change Strategies, with clients including Vibrant Planet, Spatial Informatics Group and the United States Climate Alliance.

A recognized expert in climate change, renewable energy and natural resources policy, Ashley serves on the Governing Board of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and previously served as the Deputy Secretary for Climate and Energy Policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency. She began her government career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then transitioned to Renewable Energy Program Manager at the Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management.

Ashley mentors women through She Shares and serves on the Advisory Board of the UC Davis Graduate Program of Environmental Policy and Management. Throughout her career, she has worked to provide all people access to nature, education, healthy communities, and good jobs.

Ashley earned degrees from Princeton University and the UC Santa Barbara, Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, where she was a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow.

John Friedrich was elected to serve on the South Lake Tahoe City Council on November 3, 2020. John has 30 years of experience in policy and program work related to creating healthy and sustainable communities. Since moving to South Lake Tahoe in 2005, John has served as the Program Director at the League to Save Lake Tahoe, and managed renewable energy, energy efficiency and electric vehicle programs at Liberty Utilities. In 2020, John founded the Tahoe Green Jobs Coalition to help employ Tahoe residents in livable wage jobs such as solar and EV charging installation.  John has served on the Boards of Tahoe Fund and Sierra Nevada Alliance. John lives in South Lake Tahoe with his wife Kim Carr, daughter Rosie and puppy Koko.

Meghan is a seasoned communications executive with a 20-year portfolio of success leading communications strategies, media relations, public engagements, brand messaging, and other initiatives across corporations and the highest levels of government, often in politically sensitive and consequential situations.

Hays has spent a collective eight years as a key communications leader working for President Joe Biden throughout his time as Vice President, a presidential candidate, and now President.  Hays served in the Biden White House as a Special Assistant to the President and Director of Message Planning, orchestrating a strategic message schedule of the President’s public engagements, events, media interviews, and more, to reach the American public and advance his agenda. Hays also served as a spokesperson on behalf of the President and Biden Administration, handled crisis communications, maintains key relationships with the White House press corps, leads strategic planning for his foreign and domestic travels, and served as a senior communications representative to other White House components.

Hays previously served as a Deputy Communications Director for Strategic Planning on the Biden-Harris presidential campaign and transition committee. Prior to that, she worked in then-Vice President Biden’s office at the White House as the Deputy Communications Director.

Between serving in the Vice President’s Office and the campaign, Meghan was the Executive Director of Enterprise Communications at MGM Resorts International, leading communications strategy for the CEO as well as other C-Suite executives. Meghan also had an instrumental role in shaping public affairs strategy and worked closely with federal and state elected officials and regulators.

Prior to joining Biden, Meghan has worked in senior roles on five presidential campaigns, in the United States Senate as well as a gubernatorial campaign. 

Meghan currently lives in New York City.

Elected in 2020 as Washoe County Commissioner for District 1, Alexis Hill is thrilled to be on the Tahoe Regional Planning Board! Alexis grew up in Sparks and has a passion for working to ensure that our local government makes our community’s lives better. She worked public policy and city planning for more than a decade at the cities of Sparks and Reno. Alexis has also worked in the nonprofit sector at the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and at Kids & Horses, a nonprofit for special needs children and adults. She holds a political science bachelors degree from Texas A&M and a graduate degree from UNR in public administration and policy.

​Vince Hoenigman began his career in high technology, helping found ibis consulting, a San Francisco based IT services company that merged into Proxicom Inc., becoming a leading internet services provider.  Proxicom was listed on the NASDAQ Exchange in 1998. After retiring from Proxicom, he co-founded Citymark Development, a real estate development company that specializes in urban-infill housing in Southern California. Since 2000, Citymark has built nearly 2,000 residences and been a leader in revitalizing urban communities.

Mr. Hoenigman is deeply committed to helping improve the community, the environment, and the lives of children and the disadvantaged. He has spent the last twenty years working with nonprofit organizations to better the community, serving on the board of directors of Larkin Street Youth Services, Team Prime Time, Our Children’s Earth, The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), Saint Anthony’s Foundation, and the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). He also serves as an appointee to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Board of Governors.

Mr. Hoenigman holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from UCLA and a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Michigan. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughter and loves to spend as much time as possible in the mountains and on the waters of Lake Tahoe (or visiting his son at college).

James A. Settelmeyer was appointed as Director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (NDCNR) by Governor Joe Lombardo on January 6, 2023. Settelmeyer is a fourth-generation Nevada rancher with over 25 years of public policy experience spanning all aspects of natural resources and agriculture at the state and local level. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education/Agricultural Science from the California Polytechnic State University in 1994. He was a Nevada legislator for 16 years and held several leadership roles on multiple committees and subcommittees throughout his tenure. Prior to becoming an elected representative, Settelmeyer served as the Chair of the Carson Valley Conservation District, as well as Chair of the Nevada State Conservation Commission. Additionally, he was on the Small Business Administration Ombudsman as a representative for Region IX from 2008-2012.

Brooke Laine serves as County Supervisor for District 5 of El Dorado County. Ms. Laine is a native of South Lake Tahoe. Following high school graduation, she left South Lake Tahoe to pursue her education at the University of California, Santa Cruz where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. After graduation, she moved to Sacramento where she worked as a legislative analyst for the California Commission on the Status of Women. Upon returning to her roots in 1990, Ms. Laine and husband Jose began raising their two boys. She operated a small family business for 20 years. She also worked in the banking industry for ten years. In 1997, Ms. Laine was first elected to the City of South Lake Tahoe’s City Council at the tender age of 33. She was appointed in 2012 to fulfill a vacant two-year term on the City Council and was re-elected to the City Council in 2016. El Dorado County voters elected Ms. Laine to the County Board of Supervisors in 2022.

Brooke currently serves on the California Tahoe Conservancy, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Transportation District, South Lake Tahoe Basin Waste Management Authority, South Lake Tahoe Redevelopment Successor Agency, California State Association of Counties, and the South Lake Tahoe Recreation Facilities JPA.

Alexandra Leumer is an environmental attorney specializing in climate and conservation policy. As a consultant, she has worked on legislation and budget efforts related to transportation electrification, environmental protection, and the state’s various efforts to elevate natural climate solutions in its plans and policies. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Environmental Law Foundation since 2011 and was recently appointed Board Chair and President. Prior to consulting, Ms. Leumer was the Director of Public Policy for the Western States at ChargePoint, where she led engagement on state, local, and federal policies to accelerate transportation electrification and increase access to EV charging. Ms. Leumer spent eight years as a climate policy analyst at The Nature Conservancy where she helped develop policy and projects focused on nature-based adaptation to climate change, with her main focus on the intersection of climate change and ecosystem conservation. Her family has been in Tahoe for five generations, and she grew up spending her summers there. Since 2020, she has lived in Tahoe much of the year, spending her free time on the mountains and in the lakes in the Tahoe area. Ms. Leumer holds a J.D. from Golden Gate University and a B.A. in political science from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Julie is a seasoned government affairs, environmental conservation, and communications leader with decades of experience in the public and private sectors. She was selected as Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) in 2022 and has held an executive position at the agency since 2003. TRPA was the first environmental interstate compact agency of its kind in the United States. The agency is charged with the environmental protection of Lake Tahoe, the second deepest lake in the United States and the ancestral home of the native Washoe.

Julie earned her master’s degree in journalism from Temple University in Philadelphia and is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. She is a Ph.D. student in environmental science at the University of Nevada, Reno focusing her research on the intersection of science and public policy, building on her experience at Lake Tahoe balancing environmental preservation in a $5-billion tourist-based economy.

She is the past Co-Chair of the nationally-focused Network for Landscape Conservation and has contributed writings on destination stewardship to the global conversation on overtourism.

Originally from Delaware, Julie now resides in South Lake Tahoe’s Christmas Valley with her husband and dogs. She is active in the community and is the former Chair of the Barton Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees. She enjoys skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and traveling.