TRPA Honors Local Stewards with 2025 Lake Spirit Awards

On Wednesday, October 22, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) will recognize five individuals for their outstanding dedication to protecting and restoring Lake Tahoe as this year’s Lake Spirit Award recipients.

Established in 2011, the Lake Spirit Awards shine a light on individuals who go above and beyond to safeguard Lake Tahoe’s unique environment. Nominated by their peers, these community leaders embody stewardship through leadership, volunteerism, and everyday actions that make a lasting difference in the region.

This year’s awardees are:

Citizens

• Tim Kosier – A decade-long volunteer with UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships, and Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, Kosier has dedicated countless hours educating others about the science and stewardship of Lake Tahoe.
• Sydney Morrow – As Glenbrook Homeowners Association Director and FireWise Coordinator, Morrow has shown exceptional leadership in protecting her community and Lake Tahoe from wildfire risk through proactive planning and collaboration.

Agency Representatives

• Tom Berndt – Lead Roving Inspector with the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program, Berndt has been instrumental in protecting the lake from invasive species through community education and in-person outreach at popular beaches and paddle spots.
• Kirstin Guinn – Marketing Director for North Tahoe Community Alliance, Guinn is an innovative communicator leading collaborative education and outreach in the regional shift to destination stewardship and helping create a tourism economy that gives back.

Lifetime Achievement

• Jim Baetge – Jim Baetge’s leadership has left an enduring mark on Lake Tahoe. Having served as former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency from 1994-2002, his lifelong dedication is deeply woven into the health of the lake. It was under Jim’s leadership that TRPA spearheaded the ban on carbureted two-stroke boat engines, cutting polluting gasoline compounds in the water by 90 percent—a landmark achievement for water quality. He was also the visionary of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP), laying the foundation for decades of collaborative restoration surpassing $3 billion in investments to date. The EIP is now heralded as one of the most successful landscape-scale, public-private conservation initiatives in the United States. His vision, integrity, and unwavering dedication will continue to shape the Tahoe Basin far into the future.

“The Lake Spirit Awards celebrate the often-unsung champions of Tahoe,” said TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan. “Their efforts show us that caring for Lake Tahoe is something we do together, and that steady, thoughtful action can make an exceptional impact for the health of the lake.”

Agency staff will present a commemorative award to each recipient during a special recognition ceremony at the TRPA Governing Board meeting Wednesday, October 22. For more information about the recipients, join the TRPA Governing Board meeting or visit trpa.gov/awards. 

Images

Tim Kosier: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Citizen, Tim Kosier explores the science behind Lake Tahoe’s protection with visitors to the Tahoe Center for Environmental Science.
Credit: UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center

Sydney Morrow: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Citizen Sydney Morrow, Glenbrook Homeowners Association Director and FireWise Coordinator.

Tom Berndt: Photo: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Agency Representative, Tom Berndt, roving invasive species inspector with the Tahoe Resource Conservation District.
Credit: Clean Up The Lake

Kirstin Guinn: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Agency Representative, Kirstin Guinn, Marketing Director for North Tahoe Community Alliance.

Jim Baegte: Lake Spirit Award recipient for Lifetime Achievement, Jim Baetge, former Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 1994-2002.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment.