Board of Directors

President

Pam Barrett

Living in Lake Tahoe for the past 35 years, Pam served as the Assistant to the President of Lake Tahoe Community College for 29 years, retiring six years ago. She joined Soroptimist in 2001 and has enjoyed both the service and social aspects of the club.  After raising her two children in South Lake Tahoe, she is pleased to give back to the community by volunteering in Soroptimist, Habitat for Humanity and CASA.

President Elect

Natasha Schue

Natasha was born and raised in southern CA but has now called Tahoe home since 2008.  She graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a major in English and minor in communications.  She is currently the Community Outreach Coordinator at Barton Health and is married to her college sweetheart, Ryan, and raising their two wild & crazy boys!  Natasha has been a member of Soroptimist since 2008 and loves to give back to her community.  She is also a recent graduate of the Chamber’s Leadership Lake Tahoe program.

Vice President

Liz Beispel

Recording Secretary

Aletha Nelligan

Corresponding Secretary

Linda Denton

Treasurer

Linda Mendizabal

Member of SISLT since 11/77; served on the Board in various positions (but never as Treasurer) and as President, maybe 1983.  Have done the newsletter (mostly Newsmonger) since way back when we typed, cut and pasted it, and snail-mailed it.

Parliamentarian

Cheryl Chambers

Cheryl joined Soroptimist in 1991. She has served in many positions on the Board, chaired several committees and was President 2002-2003.  She currently works for Dr. Somer Lyons, an optometrist in Minden, and previously worked for Dr. Steve Kline in Tahoe for over 30 years.  She welcomed her first grandchild, Maverick, in 2016 and spends much of her time with him, her daughter and son-in-law as they recently moved from Montana to Sparks.

2-year Director

Hanna Bernard

Born and raised in Sweden, Hanna moved to the US in 1996 and to the beautiful Lake Tahoe area in 2003. Hanna is self employed as a graphic designer and also develops websites. Hanna takes care of SISLT’s website to make sure it’s a helpful resource for both the community and SISLT members.

Hanna enjoys all that Lake Tahoe has to offer, especially what can be enjoyed while on the back of her horse or in the winter, on her snowmobile. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends and loves the opportunity the Soroptimists is giving her to make a difference in the Lake Tahoe community.

1-year Director

Tonja Elkins

Growing up the daughter of a navy pilot, I grew up all over the US and overseas in Japan and on Guam. I received a BA from the University of Colorado Boulder and immediately moved to Steamboat Springs to spend a winter as a ski bum.

For twenty years, I worked as the Executive Assistant for Steamboat Resorts, a nightly property management company with over 1200 units throughout Steamboat, Vail, and Beaver Creek. In 2015, after over twenty years in Steamboat, my husband was offered a great job and we started the Tahoe chapter in our lives. I currently work for an International Jet Fuel Company in the Accounts Pay Department.

We have already hiked several hundred miles in the Desolation Wilderness and skied Heavenly, Kirkwood, Sierra Tahoe, Diamond, Mount Rose, Northstar and Squaw.

I became a member of Soroptimist in 2016.

2-year Delegate

Lee F. Moisio

My home until 1965 was predominately Washington, DC.  After my husband Mike’s stint in the Navy, we moved to St. Louis, MO, where we lived until 2010. In St. Louis I continued in retail merchandising until we bought Mike’s family business in 1978 and we became partners in all ways. During that time we were active in several not-for-profit Boards, two schools and the Haven of Grace, a small home for pregnant homeless women. We have four wonderful kids, all born in St. Louis, two still there and two living elsewhere.  Five grandchildren have come along in the last five years!!

We moved to Stateline in 2010, after selling our business, and we love everything about the area- the surroundings and the people- including the opportunity to be of use in the community. Getting to know SISLT, its good and special people, is a wonderful experience which I look forward to continuing.

1-year Delegate

Kris Walters

2-year Alternate Delegate

Annie Davidson

I moved with my family to South Lake Tahoe in 2014 excited to join this wonderful community. I grew up in New England with parents who were teachers and dairy farmers and have five siblings with 11 nieces and nephews. 

I have a 20-year career in education and am currently a Senior Associate with EdMetric LLC, a small consulting company in the field educational measurement. I also am on the adjunct faculty member of Lake Tahoe Community College. Earlier, I worked as a classroom teacher and performing arts educator, earned a doctorate from the University of Vermont, worked as a researcher and manager with McGraw-Hill Education, the Nevada Department of Education, and other organizations.

I am member of the Sierra House Elementary PTA Board, a volunteer with the Warm Room, a performer with local music groups, and volunteer in my daughters’ arts and sports programs. It’s an honor to serve on this Board!

1-year Alternate Delegate

Ellen Palazzo

Ellen was born and raised in Upstate New York and has called Tahoe her home since 1990.  Ellen has served the City of South Lake Tahoe since 1995 and became the Assistant City Clerk in 2003.  Ellen attained her Certified Municipal Clerk Certification in 2008 and is currently working on her Master Municipal Clerk Designation.  Ellen raised three children in Tahoe and is proud of their accomplishments with all three having graduated college with Bachelor’s degrees and are living and loving life.  Ellen joined Soroptimist in February 2017 and enjoys the social interaction the club offers and the ability to give back to the community which has given so much to her.  Ellen enjoys the outdoors and can frequently be seen hiking with her dog, Jax Stout, on the many trails Tahoe has to offer.

Past President

Roberta Benvenuto

Member since 1988.

Practice Administrator for Kevin Cassidy, DDS. 

Moved here from Boston in 1971. Our honeymoon was a one way trip, and we have never looked back. We have two great kids and they both have wonderful partners. Courtney got married to Zion on Sept. 2014, and Jared got married to Lorena on Sept. 1, 2016 at Burning Man.