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 baby Hudson.

Marissa Rudder

Membership & Outreach Director

Marissa grew up in a family of farmers and food entrepreneurs in rural Vermont. From a young age, she learned the value of healthy soils, good food, and a vibrant community. Her upbringing instilled a passion for environmental advocacy, food sovereignty, and a love for high alpine adventures. Marissa is excited to bring her nonprofit experience to MAP and serve as the first Membership & Outreach Director.

Marissa holds a degree in Agricultural Resource Economics from Colorado State University, with a concentration in Agribusiness and Rural Food Systems Development. Over the last decade, she has been deeply immersed in the local food movement, advocating for climate action by building a more resilient food economy wherever she’s lived, from Vermont to California. Marissa has worked in all aspects of the food system, including production farming, managing farmers’ markets, wholesale aggregation and distribution, technical assistance, and hunger relief.

In 2019, she relocated to Truckee to work for Tahoe Food Hub, where she honed her skills in nonprofit management, starting as a part-time employee and advancing to Executive Director. During her tenure, Marissa launched two critical programs that strengthened the food economy in Truckee: the Giving Box, a hunger relief initiative that prioritizes providing high-quality, nutrient-dense produce to families in need while ensuring farmers receive fair market rates, and Harvest to Order, an online farmers market.

Marissa and her husband live in Plumas County with their two dogs, Lucy and Stu. When she isn’t working, you can find her running, gravel biking, or skiing, both Nordic and Alpine Touring, through the Lost Sierra and beyond.

Kira Saathoff

2025 Environmental Policy Intern

Kira Saathoff was born and raised in Truckee, where her connection to the surrounding forests, rivers, and open spaces sparked a lasting interest in environmental protection. She is currently pursuing a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara, with academic interests in ecology, sustainability, and environmental justice.

At MAP, Kira is contributing to a research-based report focused on equitable representation in environmental decision-making. She’s excited to bring a local perspective to this work and to explore how inclusive planning can better serve the Truckee-Tahoe region.

Kira stays involved in community-based work as a bilingual tutor for unhoused youth through School on Wheels and as an environmental science educator with Sprout Up. Through this internship, she’s grateful for the opportunity to return to her hometown to gain hands-on policy experience and give back to the community that shaped her.