MLTPA Foundation Staff
John Wentworth, CEO
John moved to Mammoth Lakes on July 4, 2000. In 2005, he became involved in the community discussion regarding a public access easement from the Sherwins for backcountry skiers and snowboarders. John has served as Board President and the Foundation's CEO since MLTPA's incorporation in 2007. Prior to settling in Mammoth Lakes, John worked in the motion picture industry, where his credits include Co-Producer of "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me" and "Mulholland Drive". In 2014, John was elected to the Mammoth Lakes Town Council and since his election to public office, John has served MLTPA without compensation. He is an avid outdoorist.
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Kristy Williams, Project Management Specialist
Kristy has lived in Mammoth since 1992, when she moved from Southern California “just for the season.” She fell in love with the Eastern Sierra and eventually made Mammoth Lakes her permanent home – raising her family here. Kristy graduated from the University of the Pacific with a BS in Business Administration, and since that time has fine-tuned her skills as an event and project manager. She has managed events ranging from major, nationally televised events to smaller, local events and everything in between. Kristy has managed projects for MLTPA off and on since 2007. She has now re-joined the MLTPA team on a part-time basis and is excited to work with this talented crew.
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Erin Murphy, Operations Manager
Erin is a transplant from Texas and a resident of the South Bay in Los Angeles. She originally moved to California to work in the Film/TV Industry, but found herself spending as much time as possible in the Eastern Sierra with her husband and German Shorthaired Pointer. She graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design and has a background in budget development, people management, and department operations and administration. Working for 15 years in the Film/TV Industry, some of her film credits include “Insecure”, “Beef”, and “Good Fortune”. When not working, she enjoys skiing, hiking, kayaking and running. She also enjoys spending time with her family in Texas and Ohio, and hopes to get her niece and nephews up to Mammoth soon.
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Kiersten Puusemp, Creative Director & Special Project Manager
Kiersten has an extensive background in design, marketing, writing, process development and complex project management working with contemporary art and various institutions from Los Angeles and New York to Europe. Her commitment to making MLTPA look great and accomplish its goals has been ongoing having worked contractually for MLTPA since its initiation, including months spent working on the Measure R campaign in 2008 - the first ever effort to ensure the Mammoth Lakes Trail System would have a sustainable and consistent source of funding. She’s studied at U.C. Berkeley, the University of Southern California and the European Graduate School. When not busy with other professional pursuits you can find her out on the hill or in any number of her favorite frequented regions.
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Nicole Widen, WebMaster
Nicole moved to Mammoth Lakes from Long Beach, but her roots lie back East. She has been involved with web/marketing/graphics work for about 15 years, working with several small businesses across the country, but also in the Fortune 500 environment at Aetna Health Insurance. As a Mammoth Lakes telecommuter, she maintains a full time job with a company in East Hartford, CT called finalsite and they have designed a piece of CMS software that they market to independent schools and educational organizations, with over 400 clients worldwide. Nicole is finalsite's Marketing Manager and has been for 5+ years, responsible for the visual brand of the company, which includes the website design, and all of the marketing materials. Working for a web company has kept her on top of all the latest and greatest web technologies - things change fast. She's a big fan of all adobe products....actually - photoshop has been her best friend on a daily basis for the past 15 years. Nicole works part time for MLTPA.
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Wray Van Winkle, Photo & Digital Asset Manager
Wray first moved to Mammoth after graduating from Biola University with a degree in Film Production & Editing in 2016. First coming into contact with MLTPA staff through the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, she has since worked as a field photographer, photo librarian, and digital assets manager. She has also worked as a freelance photographer/videographer, post-production specialist, and writer, producer, and sound designer for podcasts. She now resides in Sacramento, CA and has also written and self-published two novels and produced several fiction podcast, often drawing inspiration from the beauty, grandeur, and history of the Eastern Sierra.
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Chelsea Taylor, Project Specialist
Chelsea (she/they) is a seasoned strategist with a decade of experience in outdoor recreation and environmental conservation programs, policy, and fieldwork. They specialize in facilitating cross-jurisdictional collaboration, community engagement, and equity initiatives advancing holistic visions of health inclusive of environment, economy, and community. In addition to working with MLTPA, they have been involved in projects with the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks, California Conservation Corps Backcountry Trails Program, the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, and the Oregon Trails Coalition. When not working they enjoy spending time outside, playing board games, and learning new skills, currently focused on woodworking!
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Tanner Bissonette, Project Specialist
Tanner was born and raised in Mammoth Lakes and graduated from both Mammoth High School and Cerro Coso Community College in 2018. Throughout his life he has gained a great appreciation for outdoor recreation and the trail systems that support it year-round. An avid skier during the winter and hiker during the summer, his roots are in the mountains. He has a passion for sustainability and the environment, and is currently pursuing his BS in Environmental Studies with a focus on sustainable development. Tanner is excited to be joining MLTPA as a project specialist and is eager to help the development and continued access to our public lands.
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Jack Yates, Funding and Communications Specialist
In May 2023, Jack obtained a master's degree in media and public engagement from the University of Colorado at Boulder. During this time, he was awarded a fellowship while simultaneously working at CU Boulder's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative. His thesis utilized digital media to detail the economic impacts of climate change on the winter recreation industry entitled Melting Opportunities. Jack also holds two bachelor's degrees in film studies and American history from the University of Vermont. Some of his past professional history includes working for environmental startups, an outdoor media production company, and a political campaign. His favorite forms of outdoor recreation are skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer.
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James Balcomb, GIS Manager
James Balcomb is MLTPAs geospatial data manager and comes to MLTPA after spending time in the wildland fire and ecological restoration sectors. His expertise includes GIS, remote sensing, using drones to collect geospatial data, surveying and CAD drafting. His educational background includes a BS in recreation planning from Humboldt Polytechnic Institute and an MA in GIS and remote sensing from Appalachian State University. In addition to GIS and remote sensing, James is also interested in understanding the economic development of rural areas and developing countries. In his free time James can be found cycling, running and backcountry skiing the front range of Colorado..
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Dillon Osleger, Natural Resources Manager
Dillon has lived much of his life in the Sierra Nevada, primarily in Truckee. His road trips from childhood to his current outdoor recreation and professional pursuits have largely been along the Eastern flank of the Sierra. Dillon is a natural resources manager with experience that includes work for the National Park Service, national land trusts, federal land managers, state land managers, and municipalities. Dillon holds B.S. degrees in geology and snow science accompanies by a minor in hydrology from Montana State University, as well as an M.S. in geomorphology from UC Santa Barbara. Dillon spends his free time mountain biking, backpacking, backcountry skiing, and fly fishing across the Western U.S. with a penchant for historical and ethnographical interpretations of trails and landscapes.
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William Gayle, Data Technician
Growing up on an island in New England, William didn’t get his first taste of the mountains until he went on a Boy Scout trip to Colorado and New Mexico. Immediately hooked, he knew he needed to find a way to spend all of his time in the mountains. At the age of 24 he did what few Rhode Islanders manage to achieve: Move from his home state. Slowly migrating west, William landed in Colorado for his first foray in a mountain town. Wanting to see more of the country, he took a job as a ranger in Yosemite and moved to the Valley. As soon as Tioga Road opened, a friend brought him over to the Eastside and it was love at first sight. Since then, William has split his time between summers in Tuolumne Meadows and winters in Mammoth Lakes. Working in outdoor spaces has deepened his appreciation for open public lands.
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Last Updated December 5, 2024
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