The Community Collaborative Celebrates Three Social Service Professionals

The Community Collaborative of Tahoe Truckee (CCTT), a program of the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, announced the recipients of its annual awards in its monthly partner meeting. The awards recognize the hard work and important contributions of dedicated partners, who work to address the fundamental needs of families in the North Tahoe Truckee region. 

Nominations were received for CCTT’s annual awards by partners in November. A committee assisted in the awardee selection and award recipients were announced at the CCTT’s annual holiday meeting on December 6, 2022. 

Each of these individuals is on the front lines every day helping some of the most vulnerable of our residents. They go above and beyond the duties asked of them and have become role models to their peers. This is the one time that we come together to acknowledge their work.

-Alison Schwedner, CCTT Director

This year, the CCTT selected winners in three categories: Public Service Award of Excellence, The Chris Ballin Award, and Partner of the Year.

Courtney Hollway, LCSW, Client Service Practitioner at Placer County, was presented the Public Service Award of Excellence.  Hollway provides comprehensive youth-and-family-driven support to Tahoe youth who experience serious mental health or behavioral challenges. For over nine years, Hollway has put youth and family at the center of an empowering, decision-making model to determine the best support and special considerations for the youth she works with.  Hollway is recognized for regularly advocating for her families and clients to receive culturally-appropriate services to promote their health and well being, going above and beyond typical treatment plans. 

Beatriz Schaffert, Mental Health Provider and Community Educator, received The Chris Ballin Award. The award is in memory of Chris Ballin, the founder of La Comunidad Unida in the 1980s. Schaffert wears many hats in our community. Over the past year, Schaffert has stepped up into a leadership role with the Truckee/Tahoe Perinatal Outreach Team and the Child Abuse Prevention Council-Community 4 Kids, connecting our community to county, regional, and state efforts. She also supports the Sierra Community House as a bilingual peer support specialist and Nevada County Public Health through outreach and education . Schaffert is recognized for her work advocating for cultural competency, equality and social justice in our community.  She brings special awareness to language access barriers and issues of exclusion. 

Cindy Maciel, Sierra Teen Education Parenting Program (STEPP) and Early Learning Programs Manager at Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, was bestowed the CCTT Partner of the Year Award.  Maciel has a strong record of regional collaboration and tirelessly advocates for high-quality early learning and childcare. She has been leading community-wide strategic efforts to ensure the early learning needs of every child in the North Tahoe Truckee region are met. Maciel is recognized for leadership competency, supporting and encouraging others to develop their knowledge and skills and bolstering their confidence in what they do at work. She has had a big influence and impact on early childhood education as a teacher, leader, and mentor.

Since 2007, the Collaborative has annually recognized the work of partners from over 45 health, social service, education and community-based organizations who collaborate, network, and work together to maximize resources for children, families and seniors in the North Lake Tahoe Truckee region.