Not every person who gives back to a trail organization does so with a shovel in hand.
For Tahoe Rim Trail Association Treasurer Larry Stites, giving back means putting decades of financial experience to work behind the scenes to help ensure the organization has the resources and financial foundation necessary to care for the Tahoe Rim Trail for years to come.
Larry first became connected to the TRTA through longtime friend and fellow trail advocate Justin Knowles. The two had known each other for nearly 20 years after volunteering together with the Trail Center in the Bay Area.
Shortly after Justin joined the TRTA Board of Directors, he reached out to Larry with an invitation.
“He contacted me to tell me the Board was interested in adding someone with financial experience and asked if I would be interested,” Larry recalled.
There was one potential complication: Larry lives in the Bay Area and knew he would need to participate in many meetings remotely.
“But if that was acceptable, I would be delighted to become involved with the TRTA,” he said.
Larry joined the Board in 2022 and today serves as its Treasurer.
Bringing Experience to the Trail
Larry has spent much of his professional career working with numbers and helping organizations navigate financial decisions.
A Certified Public Accountant, Larry earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and built a career that included public accounting, serving as a financial executive for a major transportation company, working with a private equity firm, and spending the final 15 years of his career consulting with entrepreneurial, privately held, and start-up companies across a wide range of industries.
In retirement, he has continued putting that experience to work for nonprofit organizations.
Larry has served as a board member and Treasurer for the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, where he also spent several years as Interim Executive Director, and has held similar financial leadership roles with the Trail Center and Ross McKee Foundation. With the Trail Center, he has also volunteered directly on trail construction and maintenance projects.
That combination of nonprofit financial experience and a personal appreciation for trails made the opportunity to serve the TRTA especially appealing.
“It seems to me small nonprofits like the TRTA often have a difficult time attracting volunteers with financial management experience,” Larry said. “The opportunity to become a part of such an outstanding volunteer-based organization as TRTA was very appealing, and I felt my years of such experience might be very useful to the organization.”
Built by Volunteers
Although Larry has spent less time personally hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail than some of his fellow Board members, his work with the organization has given him a deep appreciation for what it takes to make the trail experience possible.
For Larry, one of the TRTA’s greatest accomplishments isn’t a single project or program. It is the trail itself and the extraordinary amount of volunteer effort that has gone into creating and caring for it.
“This trail exists because of the amazing dedication of hundreds of volunteers who have devoted thousands of hours over decades to create what now offers such an outstanding opportunity for enjoying the natural world to so many people, both local residents and visitors from around the world,” Larry said.
That volunteer legacy continues today. Behind every mile of trail is work that most trail users never see: clearing fallen trees, repairing tread, improving drainage, replacing signs, coordinating volunteers, securing permits, planning future projects, and raising the money necessary to make that work possible.
Larry believes helping people understand that reality is one of the TRTA’s ongoing challenges.
Many people, particularly visitors who may only experience the Tahoe Rim Trail for a day or two, may assume trails like the TRT are maintained entirely through government funding. In reality, keeping the trail open and cared for requires a partnership between public land managers, nonprofit organizations, volunteers, members, and donors.
For those who use the trail regularly, Larry hopes that understanding inspires them to become part of the effort that sustains it.
“They should appreciate all that is required to make it available to them,” he said.
Creating Opportunities for the Next Generation
Larry is also particularly inspired by the TRTA’s work beyond trail maintenance.
The Association’s youth programs stand out to him because they create opportunities for young people, including those who may otherwise face barriers to outdoor recreation, to experience Tahoe’s public lands.
“The youth programs, particularly for the underserved, are especially important for providing young people with memorable life experiences,” Larry said.
Those experiences are another reminder that supporting the Tahoe Rim Trail Association is about more than maintaining a path through the mountains. It is about creating opportunities for people to experience nature, discover new places, build confidence, and develop their own connection to the outdoors.
For Larry, being able to contribute to that mission is rewarding in itself.
“The Tahoe Rim Trail offers such an incredible opportunity to experience the natural beauty and tranquility of one of the most beautiful areas of our country,” he said. “It is very rewarding to be allowed to be a part of it.”
Larry’s contribution may often happen behind the scenes, reviewing finances or helping guide the long-term health of the organization, but that work ultimately supports everything that happens out on the trail.
It is also a reminder that there are many ways to give back.
Whether you volunteer your time, lend your expertise, become a member, or make a donation, your support becomes part of the decades-long community effort that makes the Tahoe Rim Trail possible.
