After 21 years of dedicated leadership and service, Claudia Andersen, Chief Executive Officer of Tahoe Community Foundation, has announced her retirement. She will continue serving as CEO while the Board of Directors conducts a search for her successor, ensuring a thoughtful and seamless transition for the organization and the Tahoe community it serves. 

During her tenure, Claudia Andersen helped guide the Community Foundation through a period of significant growth and impact. Under her leadership, the organization strengthened its role as a trusted philanthropic partner, expanded its support for donors and nonprofit organizations, and advanced its mission of connecting generosity with community needs throughout the region. The Community Foundation has granted more than $165 million to support nonprofit organizations, community initiatives, and charitable causes that strengthen communities in Tahoe and beyond. 

“Claudia’s leadership has helped position Tahoe Community Foundation as a cornerstone of our region’s philanthropic community,” said Ron Alling, Chair of the Tahoe Community Foundation Board of Directors. “She has guided the organization with vision, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our mission and the Tahoe community. On behalf of the Board, we are deeply grateful for her contributions and are committed to working closely with her to ensure a smooth transition and continued momentum for Tahoe Community Foundation.”

The Board of Directors is preparing for the leadership transition and will launch a search for Tahoe Community Foundation’s next CEO. Andersen will continue serving until her successor is selected and onboarded.

“Tahoe Community Foundation’s future is exceptionally bright,” added Alling. “With a committed board, strong team, engaged donors, committed nonprofit partners, and a clear mission, the Community Foundation is well-positioned for its next chapter of growth and impact.” 

As Tahoe Community Foundation looks ahead, the organization remains focused on cultivating philanthropy, strengthening nonprofit organizations, and helping donors create lasting impact in the communities they love. 

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About Tahoe Community Foundation 

Tahoe Community Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating community philanthropy, serving as a resource for donors to make confident and meaningful investments in their community, and offering nonprofit organizations support, insight, and strategy. Tahoe Community Foundation is a pillar in the community, serving to create meaningful and lasting impact, and to Elevate Generosity in Tahoe and beyond.

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 9/15/2026, Staff Report

The Tahoe Fund announced that it has received a $750,000 grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to lead a science-driven effort to increase wildfire resilience for communities and forest ecosystems in the Tahoe Sierra Region.  

“The Moore Foundation is leading the charge in philanthropic wildfire work on a global scale,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “It’s an honor to be part of their Wildfire Resilience Initiative. With their support, we will be able to expand our impact in the Tahoe/Sierra region and better prepare our communities for potential fire.” 

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Originally published with Keep Tahoe Blue – Newsletter 8/19/2026

Lake Tahoe’s future has never depended on one solution.  It depends on collaboration that lasts, science that guides action, and people who keep showing up when the next threat reaches the shoreline, forest, or boat ramp.  That spirit will be on full display today, August 19, when the 30th annual Lake Tahoe Summit returns to Sand Harbor. Hosted this year by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, the Summit marks three decades of leaders, scientists, Tribal voices, environmental advocates, agencies, and community members working across boundaries for the Lake. Keep Tahoe Blue is proud to have been deeply involved from the start.  The annual tradition began in 1997 with a visit from President Clinton and Vice President Gore that helped launch a new era of bi-state collaboration at a time when Lake Tahoe’s clarity was in decline. Today, that partnership continues through the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, which brings together more than 80 partners and has delivered more than 900 restoration projects across the Basin.   That progress matters. So do the challenges ahead.  This month, we’re looking at resilience in action, new tools to contain invasive weeds, stronger defenses against golden mussels, wildfire preparedness during a hot, dry summer, and a chance to double your impact for Lake-saving work.

WHAT DOES ADVOCACY WORK LOOK LIKE? SUPPORT OUR LAKE-SAVING WORK

For many years, the Tahoe Family Solutions (TFS) mental health team has worked within limited office space, making it difficult to keep pace with the growing need for counseling services in the North Lake Tahoe community. 

That changed this month when we moved our entire mental health program into a dedicated counseling center less than a mile from our main office on Incline Way. The new location features a welcoming reception area, private offices for every clinician, and a dedicated play therapy room designed specifically for children.

Tahoe Family Solutions was founded in 1991 with the primary goal of providing mental health services to the community. As additional needs emerged, we expanded our programs to support children, families, and individuals in new ways while remaining committed to that mission. Today, we serve approximately 200 mental health clients each year, and demand for counseling and related services continues to grow.

The expanded facility is more than a new address. It’s part of our ongoing commitment to making quality mental health care more accessible, comfortable, and effective for everyone who walks through our doors.

Creating a Safe, Consistent Space for Healing

One of the biggest benefits of the new office is consistency.

Previously, therapists often had to share space, which meant clients might meet in a different office from one appointment to the next. Now, each therapist has a dedicated office where clients know exactly where they’ll be every visit.

Katie O’Hara, MA, LCPC, who serves as a mental health therapist and clinical manager for  Tahoe Family Solutions, while maintaining her private practice, works with adults, couples, teens, and children. She believes the new location will create a more welcoming, consistent experience for both clients and clinicians.

“This way everyone gets their own space and our clients know where they’ll be every time,” O’Hara said. “There’s something about consistency that I think makes clients feel safe. They’ll be able to look forward to being in the same room every time they meet with their therapist.”

Each office has been designed to feel warm and welcoming, with comfortable furniture, sensory tools, and personal touches.

“Even something as small as having a couch and little fidgets can make a difference,” she said.

The new play therapy room gives younger children a dedicated space where they can process emotions and experiences through play in a developmentally appropriate setting.

Expanding Access to Care

Getting care isn’t always as simple as making an appointment. Transportation, cost, language, and availability can all stand in the way. The new counseling center helps remove many of those barriers.

Located on the public bus route, the office is easier to reach for clients without reliable transportation. Counseling services remain free, ensuring finances are never a barrier to receiving care.

The expanded space will ultimately allow us to increase appointment availability and reduce wait times.

“With the additional money we’re able to get from grants and private donations, we’ll be able to add more hours for our therapists,” O’Hara said.

Language access is another important part of expanding care. The team includes three Spanish-speaking clinicians, allowing many bilingual and bicultural clients to receive services in the language they’re most comfortable using.

“There are just as many Spanish speakers as there are English speakers on the waitlist, so having bilingual therapists providing their services has been incredible,” O’Hara said.

While Tahoe Family Solutions has provided interpreters when needed, she says speaking directly with someone who understands both their language and culture creates a different experience.

“It’s an unmatched experience being able to sit across from someone who you share a similar cultural background with,” she said.

The expanded services have been made possible through generous community support, including funds raised through Shabby Chic, grant funding, and donor contributions.

Comprehensive Mental Health Services

Working with a team of professionals, TFS offers mental health care for children, adolescents, and adults through a range of services, including:

• Child, Adolescent and Family Counseling
• Parent and Child Interactions
• Healthy Family Relationships
• Success in School
• Play Therapy
• Conflict Resolution
• School Adjustment

We also provide psychiatric care through licensed psychiatric provider Dr. Sukhi Johal, who works with children, teens, and adults to evaluate symptoms, diagnose mental health conditions, and develop individualized treatment plans.

Psychiatric services include: 

• Comprehensive psychiatric evaluations
• Medication management for anxiety, depression, ADHD, mood disorders, and more
• Ongoing support and check-ins to ensure treatment is working
• Collaboration with our in-house therapy team for integrated care

The Importance of Mental Health

Although awareness of mental health has improved in recent years, O’Hara believes there is still work to do.

“If someone has a broken bone, they’ll go to the doctor,” she said. “But if someone is going through a broken heart, they’re more likely to think, ‘I’ve got this. I can handle this.’”

She encourages people to think of therapy as routine care rather than a last resort.

“I think going to therapy is kind of like going to the dentist, but for your brain,” she said. “Our mental health is everything. It’s how we interact with the world. It’s how we perceive things. It’s how we form connections, or sometimes struggle to form connections. Our mental health is at the forefront of everything, and it’s just as important as our physical and spiritual health.”

We hope the new counseling center will help even more individuals and families find the support, healing, and hope they need.

Mental health services are currently provided free of charge through Tahoe Family Solutions, although donations are always appreciated. Community support helps us continue expanding access to quality mental health care for everyone who needs it.

Tahoe Family Solutions Staff

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our golfers, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners, this year’s tournament raised more than $100,000 to provide free, life-saving mental health services for service members, veterans, and their families.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated and helped make this event possible.

I’ve attached a few photos from the tournament in case you’d like to include them in your upcoming newsletter. (I will sendyou more photos because the other four wouldn’t attach.)

Thank you again for your continued support of PTSD NOW! and for helping us share our mission with the Incline Village community.