Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Martis Fund is made up of six directors. Mountain Area Preservation (MAP), Sierra Watch, and DMB/Highlands Group, LLC. Each group appoints two directors. These organizations and the directors they have appointed are described below.
Sierra Watch
Sierra Watch has built a unique, strategic capacity to organize effective conservation campaigns in defense of Sierra landscapes. By engaging legal and planning expertise, mobilizing public participation, and collaborating on creative resolutions, Sierra Watch is securing protection of the Sierra places we love. Faced with development proposals in Martis Valley, local residents and second homeowners started Sierra Watch in 2000. After years of contentious land-use debates, Sierra Watch was one of five organizations to reach settlement agreements with developers and Placer County that collectively fund the protection of priority conservation areas, limit future development, and fund habitat and forest preservation efforts. Sierra Watch’s work continues, by playing a leadership role in defense of Donner Summit and providing strategic resources to support conservation on Dyer Mountain and Mount Whitney. The Sierra Watch appointed Tom Murphy, a Sierra Watch Director, and Sierra Watch representative Matt O’Grady, to the Martis Fund Board.
Thomas Murphy, originally a New Hampshire native, has lived in the Tahoe area for 22 years and has had the privilege to serve on several of the regions community boards, such as past Chair of the Town of Truckee Planning Commission, North Tahoe Resort Association, Squaw Valley Institute, Friends of Squaw Creek, and the Olympic Valley Groundwater Management Committee. He is currently serving as a director for the Sierra Watch. Mr. Murphy’s formal education is in Natural Resource Economics, Resource Management, and Community Development coupled with a focus on Tourism/ Business Management. In his professional career Mr. Murphy has been fortunate to work in all phases of the construction industry through real estate development, logistics, and planning. He also has had the privilege to contribute to the Ski Industry from a rope/ handle tow operator, ski Instructor and coach, to Vice President of Squaw Valley Ski Resort. Tom is a former Board President of the Martis Fund.
Thomas Murphy
Matthew O’Grady is a recognized leader in nonprofit capacity building with 40 years of experience in the sector. He has served for the past several years as an Interim CEO, guiding nonprofits through challenging transitions. Previously he served as founding CEO of the San Francisco Parks Alliance. He completed the merger that created the entity, then led the organization to achievement of numerous political and philanthropic successes. Matt worked with the Taproot Foundation between 2004 and 2010, most recently as the Vice President, National Expansion. Through much of the 1990s, Matt maintained an independent consulting practice, providing strategic planning, governance development, and management assessments for nonprofits and their funders.
Matt has more than 20 years of experience serving on and chairing boards of trustees. Matt O’Grady currently serves on the boards of Climate Ride and the Martis Fund.
Matt O’Grady
Mountain Area Preservation (MAP)
Founded in 1987 by local Truckee residents, Mountain Area Preservation works to assure that critical land use decisions in the Greater Truckee region support and facilitate the preservation of the area’s unique character and are in balance with protecting our spectacular mountain landscapes. The organization’s strength derives from its broad-based membership, skilled board of directors and commitment to finding creative solutions to environmental threats. We work with property owners, developers, residents, local governments, fellow organizations and decision-makers to achieve our goals. In the organization’s 20-plus year history, protecting sensitive lands in the Martis Valley is one of many conservation accomplishments that the organization has achieved which collectively assure the conservation values, recreation opportunities and historic character of the Truckee-Tahoe region will be preserved for future generations. The MAP appointees are Alexis Ollar, Executive Director of MAP, and Dan Haas, MAP’s current Board President.
Dan Haas lived in Los Angeles for 13 years and worked as a cinematographer in the film and TV business. Dan left the beach and the traffic for the fresh air and serenity of the Tahoe-Truckee region. He is currently working as a professional travel and lifestyle photographer. Dan currently serves on the board of the Red Tab Foundation and on the Mountain Area Preservation board. Dan cares deeply for the mountains and the place he calls home and believes in protecting the Tahoe/Truckee region for current and future generations to enjoy. Dan is an avid skier, mountain biker, water skier and when not out on the trails of Tahoe, can usually be found traveling the West with his camera and dog, Maggie. Dan currently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Martis Fund.
Dan Haas
Alexis Ollar has lived and worked in the Truckee-Tahoe area since 2005. She brings 19 years of experience working in the environmental and non-profit sectors to the Martis Fund. Alexis currently serves as the Executive Director for Mountain Area Preservation since 2011, furthering regional conservation and land use advocacy for Truckee-Tahoe. Alexis is the Vice President of the Martis Fund.
She completed her Masters of Science from Humboldt State University, focusing on Geospatial Science and the Environment & Community Masters program. While in school, Alexis worked for the University as a Graduate Research Assistant conducting community GIS applications for local conservation initiatives. She also worked for the California Center For Rural Policy as a Research Assistant focusing on agriculture mapping for the Humboldt County Community Food Assessment and Food Policy Council. Before graduate school, Alexis worked as a Traveling Trainer for Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. She taught educational programs focused on environmental stewardship in the United States lower 48 states for two years with her husband, Topher.
Alexis was also the Director of Trail Use at the Tahoe Rim Trail Association for four years. She managed environmental education programs, restoration, recreation, trail-building programs, wrote and administered grants, managed Americorps members, and led volunteer work and community training on and off the trail. Her passion for natural resource conservation and environmental stewardship began in Hawaii, where she finished her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science from Hawaii Pacific University.
After college, Alexis worked in Hawaii State Parks, focusing on local watershed restoration projects, water quality monitoring, youth education, and restoration programs. When not advocating for the environment and community she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, backpacking, snowboarding, camping, traveling, making jewelry, and gardening with her husband and daughter Finley in her spare time.
Alexis Ollar
DMB Pacific Ventures and The Highlands Group LLC
DMB/Highlands Group LLC is the developer of the Martis Camp real estate community and is comprised of the Highlands Companies and DMB Associates. The Highlands Companies specialize in creating premier residential golf communities. Together with partners such as DMB Associates, the Highlands Companies have developed projects characterized by superb golf courses, outstanding clubhouses and an overall array of first-class amenities, including Lahontan and Martis Camp. The DMB Highlands Group, LLC has appointed Terry Connelly, a Partner, to the Martis Fund Board and Mark Johnson, a Partner, to the Martis Fund Board.
Terry Connelly has had the privilege of enjoying the Sierras since his childhood. Today, as an avid mountain biker, hiker, skier and golfer, he is continually reminded of the importance of protecting and preserving our outdoors for our current and future generations. Terry’s initial career choice as a Certified Public Accountant specializing in real estate development eventually led him to working directly in the real estate development industry. Over the past 35 years, he has had a leading role in various real estate development projects, including master planned golf communities, multi-family and commercial ventures. While managing a diverse portfolio of projects over the years, he was responsible for the executive leadership in land use, site planning, development, government approvals and working with governing agencies and concerned groups to bring meaningful projects and concepts to realization. The balance of projects meeting mutually beneficial goals such as impact on local services and affordability, while still being economically sound, was at the forefront of all negotiations.
Terry Connelly
Born and raised in Virginia, Mark E. Johnson attended Germanna Community College and Mary Washington College. He has been in the golf business since 1979 and is a member of the Professional Golfers Association of America. Mark participated in the development and golf start-up operations at Singletree Golf Club in Edwards, Colorado, Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club in Blaine, Washington, Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, Arizona, The Estancia Club in Scottsdale, Arizona, Lahontan in Truckee, California, and most recently, Martis Camp in Truckee, California.
Mark Johnson served as an Executive Vice President of Martis Creek Corporation and was a limited partner with Highlands Investment Group XI and XV. Mark served as the COO of the Martis Camp Club through 2021, and currently is a Project Manager for the Club. Prior to his involvement with Martis Camp, Mark served as President and General Manager of the Lahontan Golf Club and served on the board of directors and as President and General Manager of Lahontan Community Association. Mark is the Board President of The Martis Fund.
Mark E. Johnson
Board Advisors:
Eneas Kane, DMB Pacific Ventures
Nick Hackstock, The Highlands Companies
Tom Mooers, Sierra Watch
David Welch, Sierra Watch
Larry Orman, Sierra Watch
Emeritus Board Members:
Nikki Riley, MAP
Eneas Kane, DMB Pacific Ventures
Nick Hackstock, The Highlands Companies
Tom Mooers, Sierra Watch
Isaac Silverman, Sierra Watch
David Welch, Past Martis Fund President, Sierra Watch
Larry Orman, Sierra Watch
Mark Kehke, DMB Highlands & Pacific Ventures Management
John Eaton, MAP
Stefanie Olivieri, MAP
