Our Story

It doesn’t get more local than Stephanie Bacon. Stephanie was born in Truckee, and is raising her two boys in her hometown, where she also teaches at the local elementary school and coaches youth sports. Stephanie loves the outdoors, but she tends toward the less extreme forms of recreation like hiking, biking on wide and easy trails, and taking the chairlift to ski. She loves gathering with friends and has recently discovered the joy and energy of connecting with new people and fresh ideas.

Stephanie is passionate about the value of labor and the role that work plays in creating a sustainable, integrated, and healthy community. She has worked as a union organizer and President with the goal of bringing professional working conditions and salaries to educators. She has been a political activist throughout her career, working with the California State Legislature, labor associations, and political action groups. She believes in the transformative power of education, and is a lifelong learner. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD at the University of Nevada, Reno. The focus of her studies is in literacy as a tool for equity.

Born in Telluride Colorado, then moving to Truckee at age 11, Nicole has always followed the beauty and adventure of the mountains. Raised by two small mountain town loving professionals, Nicole learned from an early age an amazing work ethic and compassion for the community around her. She started working as a busser at Squaw Valley ski resort at age 12 and has worked in everything from food service to retail over the years, finally end up serving her community in healthcare. She began working in the local Truckee hospital in 2000, received her degree in nursing in 2013, and is now working as a home health nurse in the very community she grew up. Nicole is a single mom of 3 amazing teenagers, volunteers for the American Red Cross, Achieve Tahoe, and the RN Response Network.

Anna moved to the Tahoe area in 1992 to pursue the mountain lifestyle. She was an avid snow boarder and mountain biker. She continues to enjoy hiking and spending time on and around our local lakes and rivers. To support her lifestyle, Anna worked during the day as a liftie at Homewood then later in the rental shop at Northstar. She always had two jobs, the ski resort in the day and waiting tables at night. She loved this time in her life and balanced her work, which she loved, with lots of play time outdoors.

Lisa has been a resident of the Truckee community for the past twenty two years. She was drawn to the mountains for skiing but decided to call it home given our year round activities and the warmth of our town. She enjoys our community with her husband Keith and their three active teenagers.

Lisa’s passion for community engagement is evident given her contributions as past President of the KidZone Museum, decade long foster care mom for animals through the Humane Society, engagement with the Eddy House for homeless and at risk youth, and co-ownership of truckee love. As a Board Member of Worktempl, Lisa will work to expand our offerings through business partnerships.

Tom has lived in the Truckee-Tahoe area since 1987 and has been creating alpine landscapes for almost 25 years. He likes to say that he has been playing in the dirt for over 60 years! He started his business with one of his brothers as Blide Brothers Landscape. Tom thought that one day the business might become “Blide and Sons Landscape”, but he had three beautiful daughters who refused to trade in their curling irons and makeup for shovels and dirty fingernails. Needless to say, he is very involved in the Truckee community, and volunteers his time and materials for local trail and school improvements. You will find most of Tom’s design and high-end installation work in Martis Camp, Lahontan, Northstar, and around Truckee and Lake Tahoe.

Tom attributes his success to the hard work provided by his ‘second family’, a core group of five or six men, some of whom have loyally worked with Blide Landscape for over 10 years. Tom knows the value of hard work and he practices what he preaches. His favorite part of the job is being behind the helm of his skid steer or excavator, or on the jobsite planting trees and shrubs, placing pavers or installing irrigation systems. Tom wants to get more involved in his community and is well aware of the acute shortage of laborers and workforce housing in Truckee and surrounding communities today. He supports Worktempl and its mission to help support our local workers with supplemental income so that they may continue to live and work in our community.

Marc was born in San Francisco, California in 1966 and graduated from San Francisco University High School in 1984 and went on to earn a degree in Geography and Economics from the University of Colorado.

Marc started his rafting and kayaking career while in Colorado and deepened his passion over the next 10 years as he worked as a guide and led expeditions in the United States, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Africa, Chile, Turkey, and Siberia. In 1991, Marc was selected to be a member of Team California who won the World Championships of rafting in Costa Rica (‘92), Turkey (‘93) and 4th place in Africa (‘95).

In 1992, after years spent as a guide, trip leader, and manager on rivers around the world, Marc made his dream a reality by founding, with his close friend and business partner Laurence Alvarez-Roos, Bio Bio Expeditions. For 30 years Marc has worked very hard, both in the office and in the field to create a first-rate international adventure travel business. Marc also shared his love for teaching by spending 3 years teaching high school geography. Over the years Marc has seen his business grow to one of the most well-respected adventure travel companies in the industry – selected to provide safety for the 2000 International Whitewater Championships, featured in National Geographic Adventure and Outside Magazines. Marc himself was featured in Paddler Magazine as one of the world’s top 10 most active river guides.