Alexis Ollar
Executive Director
Alexis Ollar has served as the Executive Director for Mountain Area Preservation since late 2011. Alexis has lived and worked in the Truckee-Tahoe area since 2005. She brings 19 years of experience working in the environmental, government, and nonprofit sectors to MAP. Alexis is also serving as the Vice President of the Martis Fund. This partner conservation organization fosters environmental stewardship in the Truckee Tahoe region through grant support dedicated to open space, forest and habitat restoration, and workforce housing.
Over the past decade and on-going Alexis has served in many capacities in the Truckee Tahoe region for land use planning, climate action planning, community engagement, governance, and nonprofit leadership by playing a role in the following committees and partnerships: Tahoe Truckee Airport District Master Plan Committee, Town of Truckee Housing Authority Working Group, Town of Truckee Traffic Impact Fee Committee, Truckee Trails & Bikeway Master Plan Committee, Truckee 2040 General Plan Advisory Committee, NorthStar Habitat Management Plan Oversight Committee, Martis Valley Groundwater Working Group Member, Mountain Housing Council Partner, Truckee Fire Department Community Wildfire Protection Plan Stakeholder, Town of Truckee River Revitalization Steering Committee Member, Take Care Campaign Partner, and one of the Founding Board Members of the Tahoe Food Hub.
Alexis completed her Master of Science from Humboldt State University, focusing on Geospatial Science and the Environment & Community Master’s program. While in school, Alexis worked for the University as a Graduate Research Assistant conducting community GIS research and applications for local conservation initiatives. She also worked for the California Center for Rural Policy (CCRP) as a Research Assistant focusing on agriculture mapping for the Humboldt County Community Food Assessment and the Humboldt County Food Policy Council. Before graduate school, Alexis was a Traveling Trainer for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, based in Boulder, Colorado. She taught environmental ethics and education programs focused on land stewardship and science 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, and 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 Bachelor 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 Sage, in her spare time.
Sophia Heidrich
Advocacy Director
Sophia grew up in Reno and spent much of her youth exploring the endless trails of the Sierra Nevada. In her twenties, she felt the allure of new lands and cultures, alternating between working to save as much as possible and traveling around the world for as long as possible. Her dual desires to travel and protect natural places led her to secure a Master of Arts in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. While in graduate school, she worked for several environmental non-profit organizations and completed her capstone project in Washington D.C., focusing on watershed management for Conservation International.
Somehow, the farther she got from the Sierra, the more she was drawn to it and has been inching her way back ever since. After graduate school, she moved to Colorado where she developed education and outreach programs for a small non-profit. Then, she entered the policy and government sector, first as a coastal planner in California and most recently, as a park planner in Nevada. There she reviewed land development proposals, drafted recommendations to mitigate impacts, developed park and trail master plans, and worked to connect communities through shared outdoor spaces. She is thrilled to bring this experience and passion for the Truckee Tahoe area to the MAP team. In her free time, you can find Sophia on the trails in the sun and snow with her husband Hunter, June the pup, and kiddos, Hudson and Graham.
Anthony Garcia-Ramirez
Environmental Advocacy Intern
Anthony was born and raised in Truckee, California. From an early age, he learned the importance of advocating for underrepresented communities and was an active volunteer. During high school, he served on the Nevada County Youth Commission, focusing on mental health and substance abuse. He then pursued an internship with the California Department of Education, serving on the Superintendent’s Youth Advisory Council, where he advocated for educational and immigration justice to California Superintendent Tony Thurmond and contributed to discussions on inclusive educational programs and equity initiatives. He also participated in Headwaters Science Institute, a hands-on outdoor science program to test water quality in the Sierra Nevada. His desire to speak up for environmental justice and policy at such a young age, combined with his determination as a first-generation college student, led him to attend the University of California, Riverside, where he is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Environmental Studies.
He knew he had to take his commitment to public service beyond high school. At UCR, he served as the State Relations Intern for the ASUCR Office of External Affairs, supporting UC Riverside’s state-level advocacy initiatives and higher-education policy proposals. He also represented UCR students in communications with state officials, including California Assemblymember Jessica M. Caloza, at the California State Capitol. In addition, he served as a delegation leader at Latine Student Advocacy Day, an annual civic engagement event where UC students gather to lobby lawmakers on issues impacting the Latino community. There, he advocated for SB 961, a bill that aims to reduce college student food insecurity by automatically qualifying most degree and certificate programs for CalFresh, during meetings with Legislative Assistant Fernando Serratos, representing California Assemblymember Michelle Rodriguez, on behalf of UC students across California. He also spent much of his time as an Outreach participant for the Civic Engagement Committee at UC Riverside, promoting voter engagement and encouraging political participation among UCR students.
While home from college, he is proudly working on the Jason Toups for Truckee Town Council campaign as a Campaign Outreach Coordinator, bringing together local businesses and participating in community events at Truckee Regional Park to educate residents and drive voter turnout within the Hispanic community. Anthony is honored to work alongside Mountain Area Preservation, continuing his contributions and dedication to public service in the community he so deeply loves.