Spotlight on the Speakers of Forest Futures Salon #2 – Wood Innovations: Building a Regenerative Sierra Economy Through Forest Restoration

Tags: Forest Futures, Forest Futures Salon

Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation’s 2025 Forest Futures Salon series continues with its second salon on Thursday, March 27th. The Salon will explore how innovations in wood products could reduce wildfire risk and create a regenerative economy for Tahoe Truckee and other forested communities.

As California faces catastrophic wildfires and forest health challenges, industry professionals seek inventive, forward-thinking solutions. The salon speakers are helping shape a future where our forests and communities thrive together. 

A Full Circle Solution: Utilizing Local Wood Waste for Thermal Heat  

Mike Geary: General Manager, Northstar Community Services District (NCSD)

Mike Geary has spent nearly two decades helping public service districts in the Tahoe-Truckee region develop and manage forest fuels reduction programs. “The natural beauty, striking views, our mountain culture, the people, clean air and water, and the wide variety of recreational options,” is what drew Mike to the area and he continues to support the region working with NCSD. 

When he first worked for NCSD in the late 2000s, he played a key role in launching the original Fuels Management Program. He brought similar efforts to the Olympic Valley Service District (OVPSD) in 2011, implementing a new Fuels Management Program. He returned to NCSD in 2024, overseeing the Wood Energy Facility (WEF) Project and the Measure U Program. TTCF is a proud supporter of the Wood Energy Facility and sees this as a blueprint for other small-scale regional facilities (read more here).

Mike’s work significantly reduces wildfire risk, supports forest and watershed health, and contributes to local sustainability. WEF offsets fossil fuel use, reduces air pollution, and even improves soil health for Sierra Valley farmers by strategically using heat derived from woody biomass and emissions technology. 

Fighting Fire with Fiber: The Future of Mass Timber in California

Paul Mayencourt: Structural Engineer, Forestry and Architecture Faculty, UC Berkeley

Bringing a unique perspective, Paul Mayencourt, Ph.D., is a structural engineer and an academic working at the intersection of forestry and architecture. His work with UC Berkeley explores how California’s forest resources can be better utilized for housing needs using sustainable mass timber. 

Through initiatives like the “Forest to Frame” project, Paul has explored new, innovative methods to transform underutilized timber into high-performance building materials. His solutions focus on creating as little carbon footprint as possible and engaging local communities.

His connection to North Tahoe-Truckee hits close to home, saying, “It reminds me of my hometown in the Alps of Switzerland.” Paul’s deep love for the natural environment fuels his work in reducing wildfire risk while increasing access to affordable housing with locally-sourced wood. 

Forest Management for Real Community Benefit

Jared Deck: Environmental Engineering Manager, Placer County Department of Public Works

After nearly two decades as a leader of the public sector, Jared Deck’s work focuses on forest health, sustainability, and infrastructure. He has a wide range of professional experience including flood control, solid waste, recycling, groundwater sustainability, and now biomass innovation. Jared’s ultimate goal is to turn forest management into real community benefit. 

Growing up in Maine, Jared grew up on forested land and was fully immersed in the outdoors. His professional path led him to manage environmental programs across Los Angeles and Placer Counties. His current work centers around the Cabin Creek Biomass Project, a Placer County initiative to turn excess forest materials into valuable products/solutions for the region, reduce wildfire risk, and improve air quality. 

When it comes to why he loves Tahoe-Truckee, Jared explains, ”The awe-inspiring juxtaposition of blue water and snow-covered peaks gets me every time.”

Join the Waitlist

Registration for the upcoming salon is now closed due to capacity. However, if you want to be placed on a waiting list, please email Kayleigh Mack, Manager of Engagement and Communication for TTCF, at Kayleigh@TTCF.net. 

Upcoming Salons

There are two more salons in the series: Thursday, April 24th, and Thursday, May 22nd, 2025. Register today to ensure your spot. 

Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation and Forest Futures 

Since 1998, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation has brought together trusted partners to align strategies and inspire philanthropy to nurture a resilient community and environment. 

TTCF launched the Forest Futures Initiative in 2021 with an ambitious goal to raise $30 million for regenerative solutions for our forest health and wildfire crisis. So far, we have impacted more than 140,000 acres, helping to protect our communities and restore forest health. We also focus on innovative solutions through our Woody Biomass Portfolio, investing in cutting-edge market-based solutions and building a forest-based economy for Tahoe Truckee and beyond. Learn more about this Initiative here.