Board of Directors
Kurt Schliemann
President
Kurt is a managing partner and head of community engagement at Painted Porch Advisors. In this role, he drives the activation, growth, and engagement of the Painted Porch community. He loves connecting with people, freely exchanging ideas, and quickly getting to the heart of the matter.
Kurt grew up in the Boston area and studied English literature at Harvard University. He started his career in New York City, first in marketing and then strategic consulting for financial services firms like American Express. He went on to spend the bulk of his career developing and leading sales organizations in the fintech and institutional investment space, most recently with JPMorgan. He loved the camaraderie and pace he experienced in the worlds of sales and finance, but oftentimes found that the relationships he formed were too transactional, standing in the way of genuine connection. So, he decided to seek more.
Following a 3-year stint in the world of communications and PR consulting, Kurt joined his close friends James and Brian to help grow Painted Porch’s mission and reach. He was driven by the aspirational vision of the company and its truly transformational approach to helping people.
Kurt lives in Austin, TX, but loves spending much of his “free time” in Truckee, CA. In either location, Kurt can be found on the golf course with his wife, Kat, or hiking and biking through the wilderness and catching bugs and lizards with his children, Theo and Josie.
Kristi Darzynkiewicz
Treasurer
Kristi has a background in Finance and Management Consulting, with degrees from UC Berkeley and Columbia University. Since moving to Truckee, her focus has been on helping nonprofit organizations build strong financial systems, policies and procedures. She has recently worked on projects with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and North Tahoe Arts along with serving on the board of several local organizations. She was raised in the Sierra Nevada Foothills and has lived in Truckee with her husband and two teenage daughters for more than 15 years. She is thrilled to be serving Gateway and its mission to help youth of all backgrounds learn, heal and thrive.
Marco Mora
Secretary
Marco has worked with children of all ages ranging from kindergarten to high school for 21 years. He began his career in 1998 as a tutor and mentor for inner city at-risk kids for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation. Marco holds a B.A. degree in Behavioral Science with a minor in Criminal Justice from Cal Poly Pomona. He earned his M.A. in School Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from Loyola Marymount University. Currently Marco works for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District as a School guidance counselor where he spends his time helping students with social, emotional and academic support. In addition to counseling, Marco was also the co-director for the Tahoe/Truckee Aim High program and also served on the board for Learning Bridge of the Sierra. When Marco is not busy fulfilling his many extensive professional roles, you can find him at the local plant nursery, as he is a Bonsai enthusiast. He also loves doing anything outdoors with his dog, Nickel and going on off-roading adventures.
Robert H. Hambrecht
Board Member
Bob Hambrecht is a Partner at Allotrope Partners, a merchant bank primarily focused on making and nurturing small direct investments in development platforms and projects in the low carbon and resource efficiency space. He is presently deeply involved in developing solutions that promote sustainable forest management and address California’s forest fire crisis. Mr. Hambrecht has been deeply involved in the emerging “Cleantech” business community as an investor and investment banker for many years. Mr. Hambrecht has served, over the years, on the boards of directors of a number of public and private companies as well a number of environmental non-profit organizations. He is presently on the board and Treasurer of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, an organization that provides technical and political support for smart transportation policies in cities around the world. Mr. Hambrecht has a Masters of Public Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s of Science from University of California, Berkeley. He is married and lives on Donner Summit with his wife, with three children and a dog.
Joaquin Jordan
Board Member
Joaquin Jordan is a passionate and dedicated professional, working as a social impact consultant with a strong focus on criminal justice reform and rehabilitation. He holds a master's degree in political science and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from California State University, Chico. Having personally experienced the California criminal justice system for thirty-one years, including eighteen years as a three-strike life term inmate, Joaquin brings a unique perspective to his work. In 2018, Governor Edmund Brown commuted Joaquin's term of commitment by executive order, marking a turning point in his life. This firsthand experience has granted him deep insights into the challenges and possibilities within the system. Joaquin's commitment to positive change extends beyond his consultancy role. He actively serves as a board member for Gateway Mountain Center and the Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT).
Joaquin's dedication to promoting justice and rehabilitation is further demonstrated through his involvement in the Butte County Probation Department's Division of Juvenile Justice Formation and Restorative Justice subcommittees. He also shares his expertise as a guest lecturer within the Chico State Criminal Justice Department and Butte Community College, empowering future professionals in the field. With his remarkable journey and extensive involvement, Joaquin Jordan continues to make a significant impact in the realm of criminal justice reform and restoration.
Tanja Powers
Board Member
Tanja Powers joins the Gateway board with over 30 years in life sciences, focused on sales, marketing and patient access. She is known for her empowering and collaborative leadership approach, strategic thought process and pragmatic approach. Most recently, she was Vice President of Ophthalmology for Genentech, responsible for a portfolio with nearly 2B dollars in annual sales. Recently, she stepped away to focus on executive coaching and her passions in the non-profit space.
Tanja lives in Oakland, CA. She loves to read, write, travel and hike and spend as much time as possible outdoors. She’s the proud mom of two young adults (Alex and Katee) and when home you can find her exploring restaurants and independent bookstores in the Bay area. She’s thrilled to be joining the Gateway Board because she’s experienced firsthand the power of the outdoors on her own mental health.
Liana Ris
Board Member
Liana has a background in educational nonprofits and technology product management, with ten years of experience working in technology roles in Silicon Valley. Since moving to northern Nevada from the Bay Area she has worked as a strategic consultant with the Tahoe Expedition Academy in Truckee, CA as well as tech organizations in the Reno area. She is currently working on starting a new nonprofit based in Truckee, focused on curricular programming for middle school students in building adaptability and perseverance. She grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts and spent ten years living in the Bay Area. She has an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Brown University and an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She currently resides in Reno, Nevada with her husband and twin son and daughter.
Mark Servis, MD
Board Member
Mark Servis, M.D. is Vice Dean for Medical Education at the UC Davis School of Medicine, with responsibility for all undergraduate, graduate and continuing medical education.He is also a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Vice Chair for Education in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He has occupied the Roy Brophy Endowed Chair for 12 years. Mark has won several national awards for his teaching and mentoring, has served in a variety of leadership roles at the National Board of Medical Examiners, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training, and American Association of Medical Colleges, and has published over 70 peer reviewed articles and book chapters on medical education and in the field of psychosomatic medicine.