Meet Our Team!

Dick Young joined the Zephyr Point Team as Development Director in August of 2019 after a 30 year career as a parish pastor in the PC(USA). Dick was appointed Executive Director in April of 2020. Dick and his wife, Colleen, moved from Western New York where Dick was Head of Staff at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church for the previous 18 years. Colleen is an RN who specializes in Hospice Care. Dick & Colleen have three grown children. Their middle child, Maura, also an RN, followed them to Tahoe and works as a nurse at Barton Hospital in South Lake. Richard and Michael are both engineers currently living in Buffalo, NY. When not taking in views of Lake Tahoe from his desk, Dick enjoys spending time in the mountains, on foot, bike, or snowboard, depending on the season.

Laura Mulato is the Director of Guest Services at Zephyr Point. She brings over six years of experience in Retreat and Conference Center Administration and a Business degree from Bethel University to her role in Guest Services. In blending business operations with retreat ministry, Laura aims to foster a healthy and welcoming environment for guests to be inspired by the beauty of Lake Tahoe. As a Minnesota native, Laura appreciates the striking Sierra Nevada mountains and sunsets over the lake. Away from the office, she enjoys exploring through hiking, biking, backpacking and visiting new places, especially with her husband Levi and their collie puppy Luna.

Jesus Preciado is the Director of Housekeeping at Zephyr Point. Jesus Preciado started working at Zephyr Point on January 7, 2002, in the Housekeeping Department. Jesus obtained the position of Housekeeping Manager in 2003 and he came to live at Zephyr Point grounds with his wife Marisa and their two children Kevin and Jesse. Since then, he has been serving our guests and is currently the Director of the Housekeeping Department. For Jesus, the most important thing is to be able to cover all the needs and expectations of our guests so that they enjoy their stay at Zephyr Point. What Jesus likes the most is enjoying time with his family.

Aaron Maffitt is the Director of Food Services. Aaron brings 3 decades of experience running some of the west coast’s top restaurants. A professor of Culinary Arts, Aaron has a passion for teaching and brings his motto of “Nourishing a Community” to our food services as a mission to give the opportunity to our budding culinary team and to create nutritious and environmentally conscious food for our guests. During his free time, you may catch a glimpse of him and his wife Laura, sailing past Zephyr Point on their boat Enchantment, sauntering the trails of the backcountry or skiing the steeps of the Sierra peaks.

Dayna Titus is the Director of Finance and Business Operations at Zephyr Point. Originally from the east coast, Dayna received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.   She received her MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno.   Prior to joining Zephyr Point, Dayna worked in the healthcare industry in both sales and operations.  She is thrilled to have joined Zephyr Point in late 2021!   Dayna has three children – Andrew, Madison and Sage.   In her free time, Dayna enjoys all that the Tahoe Basin has to offer, especially skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and paddleboarding.

Rev. Sara Tillema is the Director of Programs at Zephyr Point. Sara joined the staff in 2019, and serves as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the PC(USA). She loves walking alongside individuals of all ages as they explore life’s big questions, and empowering all to see how their faith and passions can intersect to create meaningful change in our world. Before joining the staff, Sara was a long-time participant at Zephyr Point and has experienced some of the most pivotal moments in her spiritual journey overlooking Lake Tahoe. In her capacity as Director of Programs, Sara aims to craft program opportunities that allow individuals to experience the fullness of the God who dances in Creation, and live in confidence that they are a beloved child of God. In her spare time, Sara’s favorite activities include curling up on the couch with a good book, drinking coffee, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Kerri Wasko is the Programs Manager. She started her time here at Zephyr Point working on the waterfront in 2018 for our summer camp programs. She fell in love with Tahoe and the ministry at Zephyr Point. She has a degree in Psychology and a degree in Religious Studies from Virginia Wesleyan University where she was also a part of their NCAA DIII women’s basketball team. Kerri is passionate about helping kids foster a love for the outdoors and encouraging all to pursue restorative justice. In her free time, Kerri loves to do anything outside; snowboarding, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and backpacking are some new sports she has grown to love. Kerri grew up with 3 wonderful sisters and an incredible mom and dad in Virginia Beach, VA. She misses the salt air but couldn’t imagine giving up the mountain life right now.

Kelsey Jones is the Activities Coordinator at Zephyr Point. Kelsey spent her summers in college as part of the Zephyr Point summer staff working with kids and teens in our Youth Programs. Her love for summers in Tahoe turned into a more permanent move in 2019. She loves Tahoe for all the beauty and adventure and she loves the mission of Zephyr Point because it creates such a welcoming atmosphere. She has a degree in Elementary Education from Azusa Pacific University and several years of experience guiding in the outdoors. As a Colorado native, Kelsey is used to enjoying the mountains with her family through a variety of activities. She loves skiing, mountain biking, swimming, running, hiking, backpacking, and trying new things. Her experience combined with Kelsey’s passion for adventure and fun inspires her to create activities that increase the guest experience at Zephyr Point.

Adena is the Office Administrator at Zephyr Point.

Laura Maffitt is the Communications & Marketing Manager at Zephyr Point.

Alex Van Reenen is the Guest Group Event Specialist at Zephyr Point. She joined the Zephyr Point team in May of 2022 after a 20-year career in Hospitality and Catering. As the Event Specialist, she helps groups through the process of preparing for their retreats, reunions, and celebrations. Born in South Lake Tahoe, and raised in Dallas, Texas, her connection to Lake Tahoe is life-long. Alex enjoys hiking and sitting quietly on the shores of the many alpine lakes in the area.

Sheryl Wing is the Guest Group Reservation Specialist at Zephyr Point. She has her degree in Business Management and brings over 30 years of experience working for Douglas County Community Services working in many roles including planning, organizing, and directing recreation activities and managing and scheduling the daily operations of two Community Centers and its many programs. Sheryl has two adult children, 7 grandchildren, and enjoys the outdoors and skiing.