Kathy Haven
Executive Director & Founder
Tara Christian
Board President
Briana Alamilla
Marketing Director
Kathy Haven came to Tahoe to teach, but after starting a family, chose to be a stay-at-home mom of 3 and found some opportunities to volunteer both in and out of the classroom. A few years ago, Kathy has found her place in serving this community as the program coordinator of El Dorado Community Foundation and as a founder & board member of many non-profits and educational programs.  Kathy has been involved in education in Tahoe for over 25 years as a teacher, an aide, a volunteer, a parent, and even a student! She has a Bachelor's Degree in Biology and a Master's Degree in Education. She also carries a CA Clear Credential in Biology and supplemental credentials in Math, Chemistry and Horticulture. Her credibility stands on her recent success with Tahoe’s only Garage School  (www.tahoegarageschool.org) as well as The Bridge Language Academy, LLC, Bijou’s Two Way Immersion Program (www.tahoetwowayimmersion.com), Tahoe Women’s Community Fund (www.tahoewomenscommunityfund.org), FEET Fund (www.feetfund.org), & CAPP Fund (www.cappfund.org).
Tara is a native of Chico, California and has moved to South Lake Tahoe to establish her law practice. Tara’s law practice focuses on issues in real estate, land use, property development, and environmental regulations. She has worked on a wide variety of public and private matters in eminent domain actions, easement and boundary disputes, commercial and residential property development, sales and leases, and has advised Homeowner Associations on the development and enforcement of CC&Rs. Tara’s practice includes landlord-tenant issues, unlawful detainer, tort claims, estate planning and representing individuals before various state administrative bodies, the Office of Administrative Hearings, and local government agencies.  While in law school, Tara earned a concentration in Environmental and Water Law. She served as President of the Real Property Club and Secretary of the Water Law Society. She gained valuable experience in the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act first as a research assistant to Professor Jennifer Harder and later as legal intern for the Clean Water Action non-profit group. In addition to her work in water and environmental issues, Tara worked in McGeorge’s Bankruptcy Clinic to help clients achieve a fresh financial start. EDUCATION Arizona State University (B.A., American History and Ethics, 2015) University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., with Distinction, Environmental and Water Law Concentration, 2019)
Bri was born and raised in South Lake Tahoe. Her roots in South Lake have deeply influenced her commitment to community service. Bri's educational journey led her from LTCC to CSU Sacramento, where she obtained a B.S. in Health Science and a Minor in Nonprofit Administration. Her role as a Marketing Coordinator at Clearly Tahoe highlights her expertise in communication and marketing. Bri has contributed to her community by coaching dance and cheer teams at South Tahoe High School and teaching dance at The Studio. She is excited to further the efforts of TLH.
VISION & MISSION: Tahoe Learning Haven is a new non-profit here on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe that strives to promote learning and help change the culture towards education amongst our students, our parents, and within our community. The love of learning, the understanding of our educational systems, and the active engagement of our students are the priorities we hope to instill in those who choose to join our adventures. Our vision is to provide educational opportunities in the form of FREE seminars, forums and fairs for parents, teachers, students and community members in order to provide information on a wide variety of educational topics for k-12 students and their families.
Melissa Uppendahl
Board Treasurer
Jennifer Stafford
Board Secretary
Marlene Guerrero
Community Relations
Melissa Uppendahl has over 13 years of experience in finance and grants including controllership duties, financial program management, budget development, grant management, payroll and accounts payable, grant writing, and audit support. She most recently served as the assistant controller for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and managed a grant portfolio of over $25M in federal, state, and local grant awards. She holds a master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in environmental policy from CSU Chico. Melissa was recently honored with the Lake Tahoe Chamber’s 40 under 40 award for her extensive financial management work in the Lake Tahoe Basin and for founding and directing a non-profit called Lift Literature, which focuses on early childhood literacy in disadvantaged communities.
Jennifer is honored to be a part of the founding and growth of Tahoe Learning Haven. She is excited to help formulate the new mission and education of students, families and community. She was born and raised in New York where she did all of her schooling earning her medical degree from Upstate Medical University. She then escaped to the Northwest doing her pediatric residency at Oregon Health Sciences University. After spending nearly 5 years in the Bay Area upon completion of her residency, she moved with her husband up the Lake Tahoe area nearly 20 years ago. She has worked as a pediatrician in the local community for nearly 2 decades with a new adventure starting in 2023. Jennifer loves to spend her free time outdoors. When she is not trying to keep up with her husband and two teenage boys mountain biking and skiing, she loves to travel and read. Her parents immigrated from Sweden and Germany and instilled a love for travel with early adventures and an interest to explore new cultures.
Marlene Guerrero is a long-time local who is raising her family here as she steps up on a daily basis to support our community. As a small business owner, Marlene and her husband understand the value of education and the beauty of Tahoe. Marlene steps into the role of community relations in an effort to "get the word out" of the TLH Mission.
Contact Us/Contáctenos
We are in the beginning stages of creating this new learning opportunity of providing educational forums, seminars and fairs! PLEASE!!!!! Reach out to us with questions, comments, concerns, and IDEAS! We hope to create forums and fairs for parents, students and community members...it will really help if we hear from you!
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