TRPA names new executive director

The general counsel of Tahoe Regional Planning Agency was named executive director of the environmental agency after serving as interim director the past month.

The board unanimously selected Joanne Marchetta, a lawyer with 22 years of experience in federal and regional agencies dealing with land use planning, at its Wednesday meeting at The Chateau in Incline Village.

Throughout its two-hour public interview with Marchetta, the governing board and citizens spoke highly of her experience, although some questioned the process that brought her to the position.

Marchetta replaces former TRPA Executive Director John Singlaub, who served for five years at the helm of the bistate federal agency that is chartered with preserving, restoring and enhancing Lake Tahoe's environment.

Marchetta was appointed as interim director at the end of February and was the only candidate for the position.

"I would have preferred a different process for this selection," said board member Mara Bresnick. "But I think we owe it to Joanne to support her as a full board and give her the tools she needs to implement the vision she's stated here. And I think having the compact front-and-center is very important."

The board voted after hearing a 45-minute presentation from Marchetta about her experience and her goals for the position. Some of her main points centered around rebuilding relationships around the basin, re-establishing TRPA's reputation and adhering to the guidelines set out in the agency's compact.

"My goal is to change how we relate to one another," she said. "The basin has a bad habit, and bad habits need to be broken. TRPA is an entity that everyone loves to hate and blame for the problems of the day."

Marchetta joined the TRPA as general counsel in June 2005. On her resume, she lists 22 years of experience in federal and regional agencies managing land use planning, community development, environmental quality and natural resource policies and programs.

She was the project manager for the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, a team leader and project manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Her degrees include a bachelor of science in forestry from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources in Ann Arbor, and a law degree from the Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C.

The terms of her compensation package are yet to be negotiated.

After Marchetta's appointment, the board named Nicole Rinke as general counsel to fill Marchetta's previous position. Rinke has served as TRPA assistant general counsel since February 2007.

Rinke previously worked for the Western Environmental Law Center representing conservationists, ranchers and rural communities concerned with Nevada water policy.

She also was a staff attorney for the Nevada Mining Project and Western Mining Action Project representing communities affected by mining activities in the state. From August 2001 to August 2002 she was a judicial clerk for Nevada Supreme Court Justice Miriam Shearing.

Rinke received a J.D. from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California at Berkeley, in 2001 and a B.S. in history in 1997 from Frostburg State University in Maryland.