KIDZONE MUSEUM - Key Persons
Anjali Webster is a longtime resident of Reno, Nevada. She, her husband, and two young children are enthusiastic members of the Museum. Anjali is an attorney who focuses her practice on business litigation and appeals. With a long history of serving on a variety of community and legal organizations, she has a wealth of knowledge she can use to help the Museum reach its full potential and continue to provide the experiences that are so cherished by Anjali and her family. Anjali is on the Fundraising Committee who is planning the ask event.
Carol Meagher has served as the KidZone Museum Executive Director since 2004. She leads the museum's strategic direction, fund development, education, and operations. Carol has a Master's Degree in Therapeutic Recreation and a BFA from California College of the Arts. Her creative background and understanding of children with various abilities are essential for the museum's vision and creation of innovative programs and installations. Carol also studied Spanish language and Mexican culture at Universidad National Autonoma de Mexico and at Middlebury College Language School, enabling her to support the museum's outreach staff in creating engaging and relevant programs that engage the Latino community. Carol is a recipient of the Ruby Award from Soroptimist International of Truckee Donner. The award honors women who, through their professional or personal efforts, are making extraordinary differences in the lives of women or girls. Contact Carol at director@kidzonemuseum.org
Jen works on donor development and donor communication for the museum. Prior to working at the Museum, she served as a Museum board member for 5 years. Before that, she came to play at the museum with her young children who are now in college. Jen received her BS from UC Davis, and worked for the Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children before having kids and becoming a stay-at-home mom. She loves the idea of play as a child's work, and ensures that all Museum programs and exhibits are filled with hands-on, inquiry based learning. For over 10 years Jen has volunteered as an English language tutor for the Nevada County Read Up! adult literacy program.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Treasurer of the Board
Joan Zappettini is the board treasurer. She moved to Truckee in 2014 to serve as the Director of Human Resources for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD). She has a teaching credential and a masters in educational leadership and has been a school principal and teacher for many years prior to her role at TTUSD. Joan wants to ensure that our collaborative partnership with the school district stays strong and that our education strategies inspire a life-long love of learning for our children. Joan is the Museum representative on the Truckee Tahoe Airshow & Family Festival Planning Committee. Joan is a Museum Visionary Circle Member.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Museum Engagement Committee
Larissa Swalander is the chair of the Museum Engagement Committee. She has lived in Truckee for over three decades with her two children and husband. She is a wealth management banker at the local branch of US Bank. Her experience in the financial industry started in 2016 and she became a Wealth Management Banker in 2019. Larissa was on the KidZone Museum board when the museum was founded. Now that her kids are older, she came back to make sure the museum her children loved so much is here for future generations.
Leanna Jacuzzi is the governance chair and has been a full-time resident of Truckee for nearly 30 years. She worked for Tahoe Forest Hospital as a clinical dietitian for 20 years, specializing in diabetes for the last five years. She currently teaches nutrition at Sierra College. The KidZone Museum was an invaluable resource for Leanna and her children growing up. Leanna is excited to be a part of the planning process for the future of the Museum.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Secretary of the Board
Maria Snideman is the board secretary and on the Exhibits Committee. Her personal and professional focus has always been to support the healthy lives of children through education and play. After moving to Tahoe over 20 years ago and starting a family, Maria crafted school readiness programs for First 5 CA and volunteered to coordinate and create exhibits for the KidZone. Maria is an active member of the North Tahoe chapter of the AAUW and recruits, interviews and recommends middle school girls for Tech Trek camps. Maria received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont and her Masters in Early Childhood Development and Developmental Psychology from Boston College. She studied Educational Therapy at UC Berkeley and earned her teaching credential at Dominican College. Maria taught in public and private schools grades K-5 and was a school Counselor for children ages 4-14 in the Bay Area while also managing her own private tutoring and educational therapy practice for children with learning disabilities. Maria joined the board to support children in our community so that they have access to innovative play that helps them reach their developmental milestones.
Mayra ensures that the museum and our events run efficiently including museum accounting, HR, and Guest Services. Mayra has worked at the museum as our front desk lead, and outreach coordinator to undeserved families in our region and still helps us reach as many families in need in our community. Mayra and Carol develop the strategic direction of the museum. Mayra's 5-year-old son, Angel, and baby daughter, Mia, have grown up at the museum and love all the fun opportunities KidZone has for free play and hands-on learning.
Meagan Millar is on the Museum Engagement Committee and chair of the Table Captain Team. She moved to Tahoe from New Hampshire after graduating with a BA from St. Lawrence University in the fall of 2004. She came for the skiing, but soon fell in love with the Northern California climate, recreation, and people, including her now husband, Jon. They have three children, Liam, Ryan and Delaney. As a new mom, the museum was an important resource for Meg to connect with other families in the area. As a board member she intends to sustain and expand this resource to reach more families and kids in the North Tahoe-Truckee region.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Member of the Officers Team
Mike Petersen is board chair. He grew up in Wisconsin and moved to California to obtain an economics degree from UCLA. Mike worked full-time in school, eventually managing IT support teams for the UCLA School of Medicine and Life Sciences departments. He then moved to the Bay Area to work for Apple for 13 years and then Google for 2 years. During his time at Apple, he obtained his MBA from Pepperdine with a specialization in Technology Management. Mike got his start in philanthropy during those years, donating to and volunteering for the Tech Museum in San Jose. He married Courtenay in 2016 and built their forever home in Truckee. Mike and Courtenay enjoy playing at the museum with their two young children Finn and Piper. Mike is an instrument-rated private pilot and enjoys the outdoors, especially skiing, soccer, boating and fishing. He is passionate about providing STEAM learning opportunities for young kids and honored to help create these programs for the Museum. He is on the new museum Planning Committee. Mike and Courtenay are Museum Visionary Circle Members.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Vice Chair of the Board
Shana Wapstra Scott is board vice chair. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist and has extensive experience with youth programs. Shana moved to Truckee with her husband Eric in 2000. They have three kids, ages 14 to 20. The KidZone Museum played a vital role in their growth and development, offering a place for playful discovery and community connection. As a board member, Shana is excited to be in the position to help the Museum thrive and reach other families in the Truckee-Tahoe region. Shana is also the Museum Campaign Committee chair and looks forward to helping the Museum secure a larger, permanent space. Shana and Eric are Museum Visionary Circle Members.
Suzanne Montgomery moved to Truckee in 2013 with her husband and two college-age children. Born and raised on the San Francisco peninsula, she ventured to Southern California to pursue a degree in drama from UC Irvine. As a philanthropist with a passion for community service, she has held several officer positions on various nonprofit boards and looks forward to helping the KidZone Museum reach its full potential in the Truckee/Tahoe community. Suzanne is a member of the Museum Exhibits Committee and is chair of the Campaign Planning Committee. She and her husband, Scott, are Museum Visionary Circle Members.