Team — Northern Sierra Partnership

Our Team

Partners

Corey was appointed as Feather River Land Trust’s Executive Director in April 2024, after serving for 5 years as the organization’s Development Director. As Executive Director, Corey is focused on working with the Board of Directors, staff, partners, and donors to strengthen FRLT’s capacity to be successful now and well into the future—leading strategic and financial planning, fundraising, operations, and partnership development.
Corey was born and raised in the Feather River region and is passionate about conserving it. She brings over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit and social impact sectors to her work—including serving as Program Operations Director for an international NGO focused on sustainable development and Director of Operations at financial technology startup First Access. She has a Master of Public Administration degree from Columbia University and a BA in Social Sciences from California State University, Chico.

Corey Pargee Executive Director

Feather River Land Trust (FRLT)

As SBC President, Steve Frisch manages SBC’s program staff and programmatic development. In his years at SBC, Steve has managed a variety of programs including Placer Legacy, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy effort, and the Working Landscapes Initiativ… — As SBC President, Steve Frisch manages SBC’s program staff and programmatic development. In his years at SBC, Steve has managed a variety of programs including Placer Legacy, the Sierra Nevada Conservancy effort, and the Working Landscapes Initiative—a program that has protected 30,000 acres of working farms and ranches that are essential to the region’s economy, wildlife, and cultural legacy. Steve also manages sustainable business and building projects to encourage the adoption of socially responsible business and development practices. Prior to joining the Sierra Business Council, Steve owned and operated a small business in Truckee, California and was president of the Truckee Downtown Merchants Association.

Steve Frisch President

Sierra Business Council (SBC)

Dan Porter has over twenty years of experience as a forest ecologist and conservation leader. During that time, he has focused on protecting California’s coastal and inland forests and promoting a nature-first approach to forest restoration and management. At The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Dan is responsible for developing and implementing the California Chapter’s statewide forest conservation strategies, with an emphasis on the Sierra Nevada region. Along with his California based team, and a national network of TNC colleagues, Dan helps form and move state and federal forest policies, leads large forest restoration partnerships, and raises funding for real estate transactions and large-scale conservation campaigns. Dan earned a BS from UC Davis and an MA from Humboldt State University. In his free time, Dan can be found hiking, cycling, and skiing with his wife and their two daughters.

Dan Porter California Forest Program Director

The Nature Conservancy (TNC)

Heidi Krolick has over 20 years of experience in land conservation and community engagement. Prior to joining TPL, she was the Executive Director at the Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and enhancing more than 140,000 acres of watershed lands across California. Prior to her 13 years with the Stewardship Council, she acted as a Restoration Specialist and Project Manager with an environmental consulting firm where she concentrated on the development and implementation of landscape scale conservation and mitigation projects, prepared habitat restoration plans, and led environmental permitting and compliance efforts with local, state and federal agencies. Heidi holds a master’s degree in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Lincoln University in New Zealand, and bachelor's degrees in Environmental Studies and Geography from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She serves as a long-standing board member of the Sacramento River Watershed Program, and in her free time, she can be found exploring the wonders of the outdoors. She especially loves hiking, camping, and skiing in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada with her husband and their two children.

Heidi Krolick Conservation Director

Trust For Public Land (TPL)

John is an active member of the trails community in Truckee and North Tahoe, and is involved in local trail planning commissions. John holds a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Heathe… — John is an active member of the trails community in Truckee and North Tahoe, and is involved in local trail planning commissions. John holds a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources Management from the University of Maryland. He and his wife Heather have made Truckee their home since 1998 and are usually found running, skiing, or mountain biking on their local trails.

John Svahn Executive Director

Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT)

NSP Staff

Lucy Blake joined the Northern Sierra Partnership as President in July 2011, after chairing the Partnership’s Governing Council for almost two years. For the past thirty years, Lucy has worked at the intersection of conservation and business, as fou… — Lucy Blake joined the Northern Sierra Partnership as President in July 2011, after chairing the Partnership’s Governing Council for almost two years. For the past thirty years, Lucy has worked at the intersection of conservation and business, as founder and President of the Sierra Business Council, facilitator of the California Desert & Renewable Energy Working Group, and CEO of the Apollo Alliance, among other roles. Lucy has been honored with a number of state and national awards including the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Award from the California Council for Economic and Environmental Balance (CEEB) and the MacArthur Award, awarded to individuals for exceptional creativity and initiative. Lucy owns and operates a cattle ranch in the Sierra Valley where she has worked first-hand to build the economic and ecological productivity of the landscape. In her free time, she and her family love to hike, ski, backpack, and otherwise explore the expansive beauties of the Sierra Nevada. She currently divides her time between the San Francisco Bay Area and her ranch in the northern Sierra.

Lucy Blake President

Alexis Richardson joined the Northern Sierra Partnership in 2024 after a 15-year career as a Licensed Acupuncturist and Executive Director of a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. She believes that a strong connection with the natural world is essential for personal health and well-being. Alexis combines her nonprofit management experience with a deep commitment to protecting natural resources for future generations. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the beauty of Northern California with her husband and two children, as well as hiking, backpacking, surfing, and gardening.

Alexis Richardson Operations Manager

Maggie Wise joined the Northern Sierra Partnership in 2024 after working on behalf of public lands with Tahoe National Forest. She holds a B.S. and M.S. in Outdoor Education, Recreation, and Leadership. Her professional and personal passions reside in the human dimensions side of natural resources, specifically in igniting and grounding connection to ourselves, nature, and each other through adventure, facilitation, reflection, and gathering. In her free time, you can find her running for hours on end, backpacking with her partner through Wilderness areas, pretending she's a contestant on "The Great British Baking Show," writing poetry, or curled up with a cup of tea, a piece of dark chocolate, and a book.

Maggie Wise Deputy Campaign Director

Governing Council

Lida Urbanek (Chair)
Ned Barnholt
Darrel Cruz
Bob Gilliom
Charles Holloway
Dan Kalafatas
Ken Kurtzig
William Landreth
Sharon Lane
Lee Lockie
Michael Mantell
Dan Martin Becky Morgan Jim Morgan
Paul Newhagen
Elizabeth Patterson
Fraser Preston
Claire Spaht

Emeritus

Veronica Arthur
William Cronk

Arthur Hall
Robert Joss
Guy Saperstein
Jason Subotky
Elizabeth Weil

Lida Urbanek, Chair

Lida’s love affair with the Sierras began when she and her husband moved to California, in 1965. Hiking and skiing with family amid Tahoe’s peaks, Lida became passionate about preserving the area. Today, Lida enjoys time at Rubicon Bay at Lake Tahoe and in Palisades Tahoe with her family and friends.

Lida’s commitment to conservation reflects her professional work in policymaking, service, and innovation. Born in Prague and raised in New York, she earned a BA in Russian history and literature from Harvard and an MA in political science from San Francisco State. This was followed by a position at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution researching cold war issues. A longtime Bay area resident, Lida has served on the Atherton General Plan Committee and over many years held leadership roles in the League of Woman Voters. For 17 years, she was on the BOD of KLA-Tencor, a leader in semiconductor equipment manufacturing. To support tomorrow’s innovators, Lida created and oversees a scholarship program for children of KLA-Tencor employees, plus several other university scholarship programs.