Proven Experience
SCA Principal, Steve Teshara, has nearly 40 years of proven experience working with and influencing regional agencies, local governments, and state and federal agencies engaged in the greater Lake Tahoe-Truckee region.
In the early and mid 1990s, Steve help organize Tahoe’s first-ever “Joint Federal Legislative Agenda” for presentation in Washington, D.C. to members of Tahoe’s Congressional Delegation. Recognizing his leadership, Steve was selected to be a member of the Steering Committee for the historic 1997 Lake Tahoe Presidential Forum.
Following this pivotal event, Steve led a two-year effort to secure support from the governors of California and Nevada and Tahoe’s local governments for establishing the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization (TMPO). MPO is a federal transportation designation and the eligibility to establish an MPO at Tahoe was one of the Forum outcomes. At the state level, also in the mid-90s, Steve spearheaded a legislative initiative in both Nevada and California to add one representative each from the Truckee-North Tahoe Transportation Management Association and the South Shore Transportation Management Association to the board of the Tahoe Transportation District (TTD).
Known then as the Lake Tahoe Transportation and Water Quality Coalition, Steve and many Tahoe partners were active in shaping and supporting the first Lake Tahoe Restoration Act (LTRA). Passed in 2000, Public Law 106-506 was bi-partisan legislation that authorized $300 million in federal funds for environmental restoration and related work in the Tahoe Basin. The next step was advocacy in support of amendments to the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA). This became the source of the $300 million in federal EIP investments authorized by the LTRA. Steve was one of the members appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee, a formal panel which helped review and advise the Secretary concerning the expenditure of federal funds in the region.
Another multi-year effort was advocacy in support of reauthorizing the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. This was finally accomplished in 2016. After another round of focused advocacy, culminating in approval by Congress and a signature from the president, fiscal authorizations for the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act were extended for ten years, through September 2034.
Steve is widely recognized for his work in communities throughout the Tahoe region, particularly in the areas of engaging and representing the business community in regional and local planning processes. He is a consistent advocate for community revitalization, workforce housing, improved community mobility, and environmental restoration. As examples, Steve worked diligently to engage business organizations and their members to provide input that help to shape the pivotal development and adoption of the TRPA 2012 Regional Plan Update and Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities Strategy. He has continued these efforts during each subsequent plan update. Given his work over many years to help secure millions of dollars for wildfire reduction, forest health, and watershed restoration projects, Steve was naturally drawn to the work of Tahoe Fire Fuels Team (TFFT), first established in 2007 in the wake of the devastating Angora Fire. Steve serves as a legislative advocate for TFFT, a coalition of local, state and federal fire agencies, land managers, and other partners working to reduce wildfire risk, and protect Tahoe’s communities, forest, and watershed.
As an experienced advocate and community leader, Steve understands that private sector investment and active citizen stewardship, in partnership with governments, public agencies, and forward-thinking policies are essential to ensuring true regional sustainability.
