VISION
To transform Mammoth Lakes into a world-class high altitude training center, a premier mountain arts and culture destination, and the best alpine recreation community in the country.
MISSION
To deliver cutting edge sustainable recreation, mobility and arts & culture opportunities and infrastructure for the benefit of the community and natural environment of Mammoth Lakes.
MLR STRATEGIC PLAN
View our Strategic Plan for an in depth look into the development and structure of MLR as well as our long term goals and objectives for recreation facilities and programs.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Quality of Life
MLR operates under the basic premise that creating and enhancing the broadest possible range of quality, sustainable recreation opportunities in and around Mammoth Lakes, California, improves the quality of life, experience, and general health and wellness of residents and visitors alike, making our community an ever better and ever more viable place to live, work, invest and do business.
Sustainability
In order to sustain quality recreational benefits and amenities for present and future generations, MLR works to support, develop and recommend funding for projects and programming that complement the natural landscape and environment, provide year-round opportunities, and are demonstrably sustainable in the long term, economically, socially and environmentally.
Public Benefit
MLR works to support, develop, and recommend funding for projects and programming that are accessible and available to the broadest number of community stakeholders.
Stewardship
MLR understands recreation to be the gateway for understanding and caring for the precious landscape, public lands, and community values that underpin the economy of Mammoth Lakes, California, and the quality of life and experience for all its residents, visitors and other stakeholders.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As our community’s chief advocate for recreational development, MLR works to build a rich portfolio of partnerships with a wealth of diverse capabilities, resources and growth potential.
TOM JOHNSON
PRESIDENT
COMMITTEES: Executive, Strategic Planning
Tom has been a passionate Mammoth recreator since 1998 and moved his family to Mammoth permanently in 2012. He is an avid skier, snowboarder, mountain biker, hiker and golfer. He has developed a unique skill set over the course of his career, spending 6 years running a chain of coffee shops, 5 years teaching literature at UCLA and LMU, 6 years as a General Contractor building homes in L.A., and 7 years as a marketing executive. Tom currently serves as Director of Marketing at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.
DAVID PAGE
SECRETARY
COMMITTEES: Executive, Trails
David is a national award-winning journalist and finalist for a 2015 National Magazine Award. Based in Mammoth Lakes, he has written for the Los Angeles Times Magazine, Men’s Journal, Ski, Skiing, Powder, The New York Times, Outside, and many other publications, and is the author of the Lowell Thomas Award-winning Explorer’s Guide to Yosemite & the Southern Sierra Nevada (Countryman Press). He is a co-founder and former C.O.O. of Mammoth Medical Missions.
HEATHER SCHAUBMAYER
TREASURER
COMMITTEES: Executive, Allocations
Heather moved to Mammoth Lakes in 2002 for a two-year adventure and never left. A 20-year veteran of the Food & Beverage industry, Heather produces two of Mammoth Lakes’ most popular events; the Mammoth Rock N Rye and Oktoberfest. Heather volunteers her time for the Parents-Teachers Organization, Girl Scouts, and wherever else she is needed in the community. She also enjoys traveling, hiking, biking, skiing and long walks in the sand.
SCOTT MCGUIRE
MAMMOTH LAKES TOURISM APPOINTEE
COMMITTEES: Strategic Planning
Scott first moved to Mammoth Lakes in 1996. After leaving (and returning) a few times for career opportunities, he returned full time in 2011 and open The Mountain Lab, a Brand Strategy and Product Innovation consulting firm focused on the Outdoor Industry. Skiing, trail running and recreating with his three young children keep him outside whenever possible. He also serves on the board of Mammoth Medical Missions, is a volunteer firefighter in Long Valley and speaks globally on trends in the outdoor recreation space.
CATHERINE TAFT
Catherine Taft is a writer, critic, and curator based in Los Angeles. Catherine is currently Deputy Director and Curator of the Hollywood-based, non-profit art space LAXART. Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and held various curatorial positions at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, Catherine is a frequent contributor to publications including Artforum, Modern Painters, ArtReview, and Kaleidoscope. She has written major catalog essays on artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Carroll Dunham, and Matthew Barney, among many others. Born and raised in Boulder, Colorado, Catherine has long been passionate about the advancement of arts and culture in mountain communities. She has been a devoted, repeat visitor to Mammoth Lakes since moving to California in 2002 and loves hiking, snowboarding, camping, and fishing in the Eastern Sierras.
ERIC WASSERMAN
COMMITTEES: Development
Eric Wasserman is the founder and managing partner of Mammoth Wealth Management, Inc. He holds Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 licenses in addition to his General Insurance and California LTC partnership licenses. Eric brings over 20 years of experience in the financial industry where he has worked hard to serve his clients’ needs by providing customized financial planning and investment strategies throughout multiple economic cycles. His philosophy is to explain the complex financial world in terms that his clients can understand and relate to in order to help them achieve their goals.
Mr. Wasserman’s comprehensive knowledge has led to regular media appearances as an expert guest and host on regional, national and globally syndicated programs including CNN Financial’ s The Money Gang, NJ Channel 12 and Business Talk Radio. Additionally, he was sought after as a regular contributor for several printed media publications.
Early is his career, he served as a portfolio manager and advisor with the Magnet Investment Group in Randolph, NJ. In 2002, his passion for skiing and outdoor sports led him to relocate to Mammoth Lakes, California. Following his cross-country move, he started an Edward Jones office in 2003, single-handedly building a top-producing branch. He founded Mammoth Wealth Management in 2014 so he could provide a more comprehensive platform to service his clients by giving him the freedom to customize his offerings to meet individual needs.
Eric is a committed community leader, investing his time in building the Mammoth Lakes community. He has served as Mobility Commissioner, Rotary Club Treasurer, two-term Grand Juror, member of the Advisory Council for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra, President of the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce, as well as an integral role in the creation of Mammoth Lakes Tourism and serving as a Founding Board member.
Eric received a BA from the University of Pittsburgh in 1994 with concentrations in Business, Behavioral Neuroscience and Heath Care.
COLIN FERNIE
COMMITTEES: Development
Colin Fernie moved to Mammoth Lakes in 2009. He is the owner of Black Tie Ski Rentals (a premium ski and snowboard rental delivery company) and R, R & F Asset Management (a real estate acquisition, development and property management company). Since moving to Mammoth, Colin has been very involved in the community. In 2012 he was appointed to the Planning and Economic Development Commission, where he served for 2 years before being elected in 2014 to the Mammoth Lakes Town Council, where he served for 4 years. He has also served on the board of directors for Mammoth Lakes Tourism, Mammoth Lakes Housing, the Eastern Sierra Transit authority, and was a prior board member of Mammoth Lakes Recreation.
Colin grew up in Columbus, OH. After graduating high school in 2002, he continued his academic and athletic career at the University of Rochester where he was a midfielder for the Men’s Soccer Team. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Rochester in 2006 with a BA as a dual major in Honors Psychology and Religion.
His current passions include skiing, soccer, hockey, running, hiking, biking and exploring the outdoors. His primary focus as a Board Member for MLR is to enhance our community amenities and recreation assets.
BILL SAUSER
Town Council Appointee
COMMITTEES: Trails
Bill Sauser first came to Mammoth Lakes with his parents in 1958. He sat on the Town of Mammoth Lakes Recreation Commission for 16 years and served on the Southern Mono Historical Society Board of Directors. Bill currently sits on the Town Council for Mammoth Lakes.
An avid supporter of all forms of recreation, Bill is particularly passionate about the continued development of the groomed trail system on the Inyo National Forest, which services the winter recreational needs of both motorized and non-motorized users. As the President of the Mammoth Lakes Snowmobile Association, Bill helped create the orange diamond trail system. Bill worked to obtain grants and lobby for the Inyo National Forest to groom the trail system for the benefit of Mammoth Lakes and Mono County residents and tourists, motorized and non-motorized alike.
STAFF
MATT MCCLAIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Matt McClain brings nearly twenty years of executive non-profit experience to Mammoth Lakes Recreation. Matt spent over a decade as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Surfrider Foundation, where he built a robust cause partnership program which generated nearly $1M in incremental revenue for the organization annually, while also helping to architect and lead several of the Foundation’s flagship event and environmental campaigns, including International Surfing Day, Save Trestles, and the “Not The Answer” offshore drilling campaign. Matt also served over five years with Protect Our Winters, initially one of the founding board members, and then Chairman, before subsequently assuming duties as the Vice President of Operations and Development for the organization. Most recently, Matt was the Director of Marketing and Communication for the Catalina Island Conservancy, where he assisted in efforts to fund and build The Trailhead Visitors Center, and the “Trekking Catalina” hiking trail expansion campaign.
Matt is also spent nearly a decade leading sales and marketing efforts for two of the nation’s most prestigious mountain resorts – Mammoth Mountain and the Telluride Ski & Golf Company.
EMILY WOODS
PROGRAM MANAGER
A Bay Area native, Emily comes with a background in outdoor recreation and maker-spaces. While attending UC Santa Cruz for Environmental Studies, Emily was a volunteer backpacking instructor for UCSC’s Wilderness Orientation program which led her to the world of gear-heads. Beginning in 2011, Emily worked in sales for REI which developed into an outreach role where she led many camping and hiking classes, volunteer trail clean-up days, and local in-store events over the course of five years.
Emily’s love for customer interactions and connectivity led to her role as Senior Member Ambassador for the maker space, TechShop Inc. in San Francisco. She worked to build relationships between makers and TechShop, providing them with the support and guidance to ensure their ability to develop, build and prototype their ideas.
She strongly believes in building and enhancing sustainable communities that are centered upon their local recreations. Emily is a volunteer for Mono County Search and Rescue and spends her free time with her three dogs exploring the Eastern Sierra.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
TRAILS COMMITTEE
DAVID PAGE (CHAIR)
BILL SAUSER
JOEL RATHJE
DAN HOLLER
ELISE HOWELL
FINLEY TORRANCE
JOHN MUELLER
TED DARDZINSKI
ALLOCATIONS COMMITTEE
HEATHER SCHAUBMAYER (CHAIR)
CATHERINE TAFT
RHONDA DUGGAN
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
TOM JOHNSON (CHAIR)
DAVID PAGE
HEATHER SHAUBMAYER
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
COLIN FERNIE (CHAIR)
ERIC WASSERMAN