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KidZone Museum Board of Directors

Board Officers

Jay O'Hanlon, President, is a mother of two, a 30-year resident of Truckee, and the Director of the IT department at Tahoe Forest Hospital District for over 25 years. Jay brings financial, technological and operational management skills to the Board. Jay joined the board because she believes the early years are crucial in the development of children and KidZone Museum provides opportunities for every child in our community to learn through play. Jay enjoys taking her grandchildren to the Museum. She likes to read, travel and living in Truckee.

Elaine Baier, Vice President, moved to Truckee in 2002.  At the time, her children were 4, 3, and 1 years old.  Her children spent many days playing and learning about the world at KidZone Museum (aka Sierra Nevada Children's Museum). Elaine graduated with a multiple subject teaching credential from San Francisco State University. Prior to the births of children, she spent six years teaching in the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley. She is looking forward to giving back to a great organization.

Shelly Wright, Treasurer, is the VP/Manager of the local Plumas Bank office. Shelly has a 30-year background specializing in business banking and marketing.  She moved to Truckee in 1990 with her husband Lee and two children, Amber and Ian.  Shelly's goal is to assist the KidZone Museum achieve its goal to provide early childhood development tools for the young children of our Truckee-Tahoe communities.  She assists with the KidZone Museum's finances and the development of new revenue sources along with enhancing existing programs.

Helen Pelster, Secretary, is a software engineer and the mother of two small children. Helen and her husband, Javier Castellar, have lived in Truckee for over a decade and she has been a KidZone Museum volunteer for six years. Helen brings to the Board her industry experience leading energetic and effective software teams. She joined the Board because she feels that children from families of all income levels should have the opportunity to learn through exploration and discovery at KidZone Museum.

Board Directors

Amy Burke moved to Truckee in 1998 where she opened Runway Café & Catering at the airport in 2000. She is inspired by the creativity and curiosity of young children. Joining the KidZone Museum board allows Amy to not only give back to the community, which has supported her for over 10 years, but to also contribute to the positive development of our community's children.

Larissa Martinez-Morlett joins the board with a background in community relations and service. As a partner with Starbucks for 9 years, Larissa has had many opportunities to be involved in the community. One of her first introductions to what Truckee has to offer its children was the KidZone Museum. She and her son's love spending time at the Museum, connecting with each other and other families while exploring, discovering, and learning together!

Jen Parker moved to Truckee seven years ago with her husband and two children who are now 8 and 10 years old.  After graduating from U.C. Davis with a degree in Dietetics, she worked for the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program until having her children.  She now spends her time volunteering at school, tutoring spanish-speaking adults with the Read Up! literacy program, and enjoying all the outdoor activities that Truckee/Tahoe has to offer.  Jen and her kids spent many hours at the Museum (especially in the winter), and she was always impressed that such a small community could have such a great kid's museum.  She wants to help the Museum thrive, grow, and be a draw for young families considering moving to the area.

Kevin Smith and his family moved to Truckee in 2010 after he accepted the position as the General Manager of the Truckee Tahoe Airport District. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University with a Masters Degree in Planning and Resource Management.  Kevin brings 15 years of experience in public administration and land use planning to the Board and hopes to help find a permanent home for the KidZone Museum.  Kevin joined the Board mainly as a result of seeing the enjoyment and benefits the Museum brought to his three children, ages 6, 4, and 1.

Jennifer Standteiner has a Master's Degree in Elementary Education and TESOL (Teachers of English to Students of Other Languages) and a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing, Finance and International Business.  Now as a mother of three children, Jennifer works from home as a corporate business manager for local companies. Jennifer was an ESL teacher in the TTUSD and Washoe County School District for several years.  Jennifer lends her creative insight to events and exhibits and is focused on helping incorporate a multicultural perspective into the Museum's exhibits and programs to foster a more inclusive community.

Ryan Williams is a Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual in Truckee.  Ryan and his wife Natalia have enjoyed being part of the Truckee community for the past decade.  As an accomplished financial professional in the community, he is eager to assist in the board's growth and future planning of KidZone.  Accordingly, he brings out confidence in kids with enthusiasm and dedication to their cultural development, by encouraging exploration and learning through activity: as reflected in his experience with Habitat for Humanity, Appalachian Service Project and The Ulster Project, along with the ESPN X-Games.  Ryan and his wife have enjoyed countless afternoons with their four-year-old daughter at KidZone, and look forward to a bright future.

Stephanie Bright is mom to a set of very active twin three-year-old girls. She has worked in the IT field for over 15 years and is currently an independent software developer. Stephanie and her husband, Joshua Ditchoff, have lived in Truckee since 2002, and love the vibrant, family-friendly community. Stephanie thinks that the Museum is a huge asset to the Truckee area and wants to help ensure that it continues to grow and thrive.