Elevating Generosity

Our Staff

Claudia Andersen

CEO

As CEO, Claudia is responsible for the overall leadership of the Tahoe Community Foundation, including organizational strategy and oversight of its programs, operations, finances and investments.

Prior to joining the Community Foundation in 2006, Claudia had a long and diverse career in the for-profit sector. Her experience spans all areas of business, from large corporate management to leadership of a small privately held manufacturing company. But whatever her role, Claudia has always been interested in the people that make success possible. Therefore, moving into the nonprofit sector was an easy transition.

A graduate of Western Illinois University, Claudia left the cold Chicago winters for the sunshine of southern California, eventually settling in Marin County for over fifteen years. As a hiker and backpacker, it didn’t take long for the Sierras to beckon. She relocated with her husband to the mountains of Tahoe in 2001.

Cari Gutheil

CFO

As CFO, Cari maintains the financial integrity of the Tahoe Community Foundation by ensuring the financial records and investments are professionally managed within the policies and procedures developed by the Board of Directors.

Cari joined the Foundation in 2015 following a distinguished career at IGT in Reno where she served as the Manager of Treasury Operations, overseeing global cash management and investing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics with a Concentration in Accounting from University of California at Santa Barbara and is a Certified Treasury Professional as well as a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving. Raised in Los Altos, California, Cari has been a part of the greater Tahoe community since 1997.

Laura Buckner

Director of Community Impact

As Director of Community Impact, Laura leads the Community Foundation's discretionary grantmaking, community initiatives, and partnerships to help strengthen the Tahoe region and address local needs.

Laura's nonprofit journey began as an AmeriCorps volunteer in a program sponsored by the Tahoe Community Foundation. Through that experience, she gained an appreciation for the region's vibrant nonprofit community and the power of collaboration. Since then, she has worked and volunteered for several local organizations and spent more than a decade with a national education research and coaching organization. She brings experience in strategic communications, technical assistance, data-informed decision making, and capacity building to this role.

A Tahoe City resident, Laura feels fortunate to be raising her two children in the mountains she loves. Outside of work, you'll find her paddleboarding and dancing to music on the beach during the summer, and Nordic skiing when winter arrives.

Natalie Erquiaga

Director of Communications & Outreach

As Director of Communications & Outreach, Natalie is responsible for making the good work of the Community Foundation visible and for creating compelling community engagement opportunities.

As a Nevada native, Natalie left the silver state to achieve her B.A. at The Master’s University in southern California but eventually returned to her home state where she has served in a variety of nonprofit organizations since 2011. The mountains called her to Tahoe in 2016 where she developed connections to the community through her role at the Chamber of Commerce and her passion for animal rescue. Coming to the Community Foundation in 2021 was a perfect way for her to support many of the causes she cared about.

Natalie can usually be found exploring the desert with her family in their ATV, camping, hiking, or just enjoying local whiskey against a perfect Nevada sunset backdrop.

Natalie Garnett

Foundation Services Manager

As our Foundation Services Manager, Natalie works as a point of contact supporting our donors, grantees, and community members in coordination with the Director of Philanthropic Services and the Director of Community Impact.

Natalie has called Lake Tahoe home since 2008. She earned two B.A.s at the University of Nevada, Reno and continued on to receive her M.A. In Public Engagement with a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Race, and Identity.

Finding her niche at Tahoe Community Foundation has allowed her to bridge the gap with her long devotion to causes that will help others and her community.

When Natalie is not at work, she can be found enjoying the mountains by hiking and skiing with her partner and three children.

Mackenzie Sweigert, CAP®

Director of Philanthropic Services

As Director of Philanthropic Services, Mackenzie is responsible for delivering exceptional service for our donors and fund advisors. Mackenzie recently competed her Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation and strives to provide interesting philanthropic education and donor engagement opportunities.

Mackenzie joined the Community Foundation in 2021 from Monterey where she held a similar Community Foundation role. She earned a B.A. in Recording Arts from Chico State University and was engrained in her community through services focused on areas such as youth development, emergency response, and environmental protection and advocacy. Mackenzie is dedicated to bringing her many experiences in serving the community to her new home in Tahoe.

Like so many, she fell in love in Tahoe and in 2021 made the move to join her partner and our community. When she’s not at work, you can find Mackenzie on a run, learning to link turns on her snowboard, or knitting at home with one of her cats snuggling on her lap.

Miguel Santiago

DWR Center Building Manager

As DWR Center Building Manager, Miguel is responsible for the operations, maintenance, and safety of the Donald W. Reynolds Community Nonprofit Center.

In 2002, Miguel moved to Tahoe with his wife and has always been active in the community. While working at the local school district overseeing building maintenance and janitorial services, Miguel began working part-time with the Community Foundation in 2004. In 2012, Miguel began working full-time at the Community Foundation as the DWR Center Building Manager.

Miguel has a true heart for philanthropy and has volunteered in many capacities during his time in Tahoe, including providing food delivery, translation/paperwork assistance, and connecting families and individuals in need to organizations who can assist them.