PTCF is led by a Board of Directors of like-minded volunteers with a desire to give back to the Palisades Tahoe Community. Like you, each member of the Board deeply loves and celebrates the mountains we call home and perpetuates the stoke of riding at Palisades Tahoe.
The PTCF Board of Directors draws upon the diverse expertise of its members who have backgrounds in finance, business, design, education, snow sports, and law, among other professions.
Although the Board collaborates closely with Palisades Tahoe leadership, it exists and operates independently from, and does not participate in the day-to-day operations of, Palisades Tahoe. Additionally, members of the Board do not serve to represent any one team or group. Rather, each Board member serves to promote everyone that makes up the Palisades Tahoe Community.
We are constantly searching for new directors to bring additional perspectives and unique expertise to the Board. If you are interested in serving on the PTCF Board, please send an email to contact@ptcommunityfoundation.org expressing your interest. We would love to begin a dialogue with you!
Board Members
Brad Alvarez, President
Born in the Bay Area, Brad grew up as a weekend warrior on the slopes of Alpine Meadows, where he was a member of the ski team and the ski team coaching staff as well as a volunteer for Achieve Tahoe through high school. His passion for skiing continued into college, as a member of the Harvard Ski Team for four years. Brad moved to Alpine Meadow full-time in 2020 and when he is not skiing or shoveling snow, he spends his time as in-house legal counsel to Percheron Capital, a private equity fund based out of San Francisco.
Brad joined the PTCF board in 2016 as a means of staying connected to the community while on the east coast and became the President of PTCF in 2020. As one of the few board members with no children participating on the Palisades Tahoe Teams, Brad’s commitment to PTCF is driven by his desire to give back to a community that taught him how to work hard, compete and interact with teammates. Through PTCF he hopes to share those same lessons with today’s youth and inspire a life-long passion for snow sports in others.
Jim Giacobazzi, Treasurer
Learning to ski at Wolverton Ski Area in Sequoia National Park, Jim possibly holds the Board’s record for the most rope tow laps. As President of Deposition Sciences Inc, Jim brings over 20 years of executive management experience to the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation board, including expertise in business development, product/technology development, P&L management, revenue and market share growth, operational infrastructure, and customer acquisition/retention.
Jim’s most memorable Palisades Tahoe experiences were skiing in the US nationals at Squaw in 1980 then watching his son follow in his footsteps and race on Exhibition 29 years later. For Jim, being on the Board of the PTCF is an opportunity to give back to skiing because it was such a positive influence in his own life. PTCF’s focus on helping with affordability provides opportunity to northern California athletes that might otherwise not be able to engage in such a life changing sport.
Meagan Nichols, Secretary
An East Coast transplant, Meagan learned to ski on the icy faces of Vermont and New Hampshire. For the last 14 years, Meagan was a Partner and the Global Head of the Real Assets Investment Group at Cambridge Associates. In addition to serving on the PTCF board, she sits on the Pension Real Estate Association (PREA) Board of Directors.
Meagan taught her two sons to ski at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire. As the mom of Big Mountain and Mighty Mites skiers at Palisades Tahoe, Meagan joined the PTCF board in 2020 as a way to share her family’s passion for skiing with others and to make the sport more financially accessible. Her favorite Palisades Tahoe tradition is skiing with her extended family on New Years Eve, particularly if there is powder on Granite Chief.
Marc Axelbaum
Marc hails from the East Coast, where he learned to ski the rugged terrain of the mid-Atlantic in all its 1000-foot vertical drop glory. Marc is now a partner at Pillsbury, where he leads the firm’s Northern California Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense practice and co-leads the Litigation – Trusts, Estates and High Net Worth team.
An Olympic Valley Far West and Devo team parent, Marc’s favorite Palisades Tahoe memory is skiing with his entire family on the Fourth of July. When in Tahoe, he can be found skiing the Palisades or Silverado Gate 8, when its open. Marc joined the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation board in 2020 to help athletes develop skills and fulfill their dreams without money getting in the way.

Charlotte Coultrap-Bagg
Charlotte grew up skiing on the East Coast at a young age but put skiing on hiatus until moving to the West Coast over 7 years ago and discovering how different skiing in Tahoe and the west is. Professionally, Charlotte brings extensive expertise in finance and strategy to the PTCF board.
Charlotte recently joined PTCF as a way to give back to the community that has grown to mean so much to her during her time in California and help expand access to a sport she loves and wants to share with others.
Marcy Dolan
Originally from New England, Marcy has lived in Truckee and skied at Palisades Tahoe for over 30 years. She brings an array of experience to the board as a parent of three children who have all competed on the PT ski team, as a coach, and as a former Alpine Ski racer. Marcy works as a respiratory therapist and asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease case manager.
A Big Mountain parent, Marcy loves to ski KT22. She joined the PTCF board in 2017 as a way to give back to the community and to help maintain balance between what Truckee and Palisades Tahoe has been to her and what’s on the horizon.
Bill Hudson
Bill’s passion for skiing runs deep and is rooted in Palisades Tahoe, where he learned to ski. Bill followed in his mother’s footsteps as an Olympic skier and carried on his family legacy as a member of the United States Ski Team, participant in the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and a competitor at the X-Games, where he won a silver medal in skiercross. Prior to becoming the Ski Team Program Director at Palisades Tahoe, Bill was the executive director of the Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy for 13 years.
Recognizing PTCF helps make our amazing sport accessible to athletes from a much greater range of socio-economic backgrounds and strengthens our community, Bill joined the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation as a board advisor in [year]. When Bill isn’t working hard behind the scenes to ensure the ski program runs smoothly, he can be found skiing 75 chute or continuing the family tradition of skiing with his wife and three children each Christmas Day.
Jeremiah Johnson
Jeremiah became a full-time ski and snowboard instructor after graduating from high school in Pennsylvania, teaching at Liberty Mountain. While teaching, he discovered the enjoyment of helping people overcome the fear of sliding down the mountain to experience sheer joy. Currently, Jeremiah is a user experience designer at a mid-size software company and also the founder and lead product designer of Orange Peel Design Group. With over 20 years’ experience as a web and user interface designer, Jeremiah brings a wealth of creative ideas to the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation Board.
A dedicated ski team parent, Jeremiah now lives in Park City, Utah, where his son is a free ride/big mountain skier who competes nationally and trains with Park City Ski & Snowboard Foundation year-round. Previously an Alpine Meadows – Big Mountain parent, Jeremiah continues to actively participate in our community today as a way of giving back to the mountain program which allowed his son to fall in love with the sport of skiing and all that the mountains have to offer.

Jack Sheedy
When he was three years old, Jack learned to ski at Alpine Meadows on a cut-down pair of skis and never looked back. He grew up striving to learn every run, even those that don’t show up on the trail map. A resident of San Francisco, Palisades Tahoe continues to be Jack’s home mountain (and home away from home) to this day. Jack graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Since graduation, he has worked at Accenture Strategy as a Payments Strategy Consultant, specializing on real-time payments, emerging markets, and fintech competitive analysis.
Jack joined the Palisades Tahoe Community Foundation in 2023, highly motivated to give back to the place that helped foster a lifelong appreciation for skiing, lasting friendships, and an understanding that a bad day is often cured by being outside, especially when there are fresh tracks to be had. He believes that everyone should have the opportunity to experience similar opportunities, and is incredibly proud to be involved in an organization that has a mission so close to his heart. You’ll likely find him in line at Viva Treats before heading out to do laps near Broccoli Tree or Upper Beaver.
Advisors
Dee Byrne
Dee is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Palisades Tahoe. Dee has worked in the ski industry for over 30 years and has held numerous positions across prominent mountains and brands. Dee joined SVAM in 2011 as the Managing Director of Snowsports Schools and Ski Teams and was promoted to Vice President of Skier Services in 2017. As Vice President, Dee was responsible for overseeing the Guest Experience, Ski and Snowboard Teams, Ski and Snowboard Schools, Competition Services, Ticketing/Contact Center, non-ski activities and Mountain Hosts. In addition to her role at the resort, Dee serves on multiple Boards of Directors and is an advisor to PSIA on National and Divisional level. In April 2020, she received PSIA/AASI’s National “Distinguished Service Award”.
Dee doesn’t have a favorite run – there are too many – but she can often be seen lapping Summit Chair and Headwall or hanging out on one of the Team PT training venues. She loves to interact with the kids and coaches on the hill where the memories are made. Dee is an ardent supporter of ski racing having grown up in a family of skiers. She credits skiing together as the reason she remains so close to her siblings to this day. Kids who grow up skiing/riding in a structured environment are provided a unique opportunity to develop character and skills that will enable them through life. This inspires Dee to support and promote PTCF.

Eric Garayoa
Eric is the Director of Teams for Palisades Tahoe overseeing programming for ski and snowboard teams for Alpine and Palisades. He worked in professional athletics after completing a business degree and racing collegiately. Eric’s career in coaching began in 2001, where he discovered his passion for child development.
As a husband of an elite skier, and parent of 3 children currently participating in Teams, Eric is driven to honor the Olympic legacy of Palisades Tahoe, setting the highest of bars long into the future. This sport provides a conduit to opportunity through personal and athletic growth unlike any other. Eric believes there is no better place to build individual skills and competencies, in a challenging and ever-changing environment, with the support of teammates, parents, coaches and the community, while learning to honor and appreciate the greatness of the mountains and legacy.
Staff

Flynn Ginty
Flynn grew up just down the hill from Palisades Tahoe in the small town of Alta, CA. Growing up in the foothills of Northern California, sports and outdoor recreation have always been an important part of his life. After attending University of San Diego, Flynn earned a master’s degree in sport management from University of San Francisco (USF). He has spent the past 12 years in higher ed fundraising as the Associate Athletic Director for Development at USF and, most recently, as a Director of Development at University of Nevada, Reno.
Now residing full time in Olympic Valley, Flynn and his wife Danielle are excited to raise their family in the community where Danielle grew up as a Mighty Mite and member of the ski team. Flynn passionately believes in the importance of community, athletics, and a love of the outdoors. He joined PTCF for the opportunity to impact the local community and kids’ lives by harnessing the power of sports to teach life lessons. Flynn brings extensive experience in fundraising, donor relations, sports marketing, and corporate sponsorships.