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Are Local Non-Profit Groups Being Manipulated By Squaw Valley Ski Holdings?

Andy Wirth at the Kings Beach Community House, an endeavor supported by Squaw Valley. Photo courtesy of Moonshine Ink.
Andy Wirth at the Kings Beach Community House, an endeavor supported by Squaw Valley. Photo courtesy of Moonshine Ink.

If you’ve spent time reading Unofficial Alpine or the Tahoe Daily Tribune, you know that there’s some division in the community regarding the development at Squaw Valley, the incorporation of Olympic Valley and the mismanagement of Alpine Meadows by Squaw Valley Ski Holdings and KSL Capital. It’s natural for such division to occur, as recently arrived corporate entities often do not share the same value systems as people who have been a part of a resort or a community for many years. It’s quite common for corporations and their executives to become engaged with the local community, and in particular, offer support to non-profits to build good will within the community.

Most would agree that Andy Wirth, CEO of Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, has done a masterful job of developing a positive rapport with some key local non-profits. Most would still agree, that to a great extent, his desire to serve in the community is genuine. But when does the corporate influence on non-profit organizations cross the line? People are definitely starting to ask questions. Last week, an excellent guest column appeared in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, authored by Carnelian Bay resident Jaqui Grandfield. The piece, titled “What’s The Goal Of The Tahoe Fund?”, posed some excellent questions and makes some very solid points:

The Tahoe Fund is a perfect example of private “special interests” controlling the average Tahoe citizen’s life and environment. Add this to the fact that the majority of our local governments are run by non-elected, appointed officials.

Where does this leave the less powerful public interest groups and the public in general? It leaves them virtually powerless in Tahoe’s “cozy triangles.”  – Jaqui Grandfield, Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Policy Expert, Carnelian Bay

Her piece also was also an interesting harbinger of what was going to happen next, which is a sad statement about how local non-profits are being manipulated. We believe that the line has clearly been crossed. We came across an email that was sent out to a number of non-profits in the area by the Executive Director of a well known local non-profit. The email asked those agencies to consider signing a letter of support for Squaw Valley Ski Holdings CEO Andy Wirth and Squaw Valley Ski Holdings in general. The letter does indeed sound like it is genuine, and to the credit of the author, very little pressure is applied.

 Good day to you, this is xxxx from xxxx, I am writing to you all about having your NPO sign on to this letter of support for Andy Wirth / KSL.  This is not an individual letter coming from one person but I am hoping to have it come from all our NPOs in the area.

We have all seen tremendous support from Andy since he took the reigns of Squaw Valley and with all the recent negative press towards Andy, I think it is best that our group of organizations should come together to show support for him.  Attached please find a letter, if you agree with the letter, please respond back to me and let me know by 11-10-14 that it is okay to have your organization listed as a supporter of this letter. The plan is to have the letter published in the local papers with all the “approved” organizations names at the bottom of the letter.

If you don’t support the letter, no worries, but everyone on this list has benefited from Andy and his generosity. However, if you don’t support, then just delete this email and letter.

While the email itself seems genuine, with little pressure applied, the attached document did not contain the same tone. It seemed to suggest that local non-profits may owe something to Mr. Wirth or Squaw Valley Ski Holdings. We wondered if the letter would form the basis of the next advertising campaign for Save Olympic Valley, or if it would just serve to counter the avalanche of negative publicity regarding the leadership of Squaw Valley over the last few months. Here’s some snippets:

“In 2010, Andy Wirth moved to our community as the new CEO of Squaw Valley.  He reached out to the non-profit organizations to understand their roles and missions.  He only asked, “How can I help?”   Simple, powerful words that filled the non-profit community with a sense of relief and anticipation.  Finally, a leader emerged at Squaw who understands philanthropy and took time to understand the needs of our community.”

•••

“Network connections are difficult to value in dollars; they’re priceless.  For many local organizations, Andy has introduced us to philanthropists at major corporations, friends and networks across the country, increasing our visibility, raising awareness and developing new funding opportunities. Mother Teresa said, “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”   A leader creates critical ripples.  Andy Wirth is a leader.”

•••

“Since 2010, Andy’s led Squaw Valley|Alpine Meadows in supporting philanthropy across the social, environmental, educational and animal welfare spectrum in this region and in some cases around the globe  – with SV|AM contributing over $650,000 in cash donations to 40+ local non-profits, and providing over $800,000 in in-kind donations.  Those gifts have helped our non-profits generate more funds supporting crucial programs and services.”

Those are just a few selections from the document. The question then is, who actually wrote that letter? You don’t have to be an English teacher to figure out that the author of the email and the author of the letter are not the same. Whoever wrote that letter is certainly a big fan of Mr. Wirth!

NPOProps

We wondered who wrote the letter in support of Andy. Since it was sent as a Word document, we were able to simply click on the Properties, then Details to determines its origin. Yes, it appears that Andy Wirth wrote his own letter of support. We also learned that the letter was then edited or reviewed by Theresa Duggan, who apparently spent 1 minute editing Mr. Wirth’s writing. Duggan was hired by Squaw Valley Real Estate holdings as a Community Outreach Coordinator to head up the Save Olympic Valley campaign. Not only is this coercion unethical, but it could besmirch the non-profits who choose not to sign the letter.

We’re really concerned about the leadership at Squaw Valley Ski Holdings, and we have been for quite some time. Just when we think things can’t get any more bizarre, they do. This disingenuous attempted manipulation of local non-profits by the leaders of Squaw Valley is inexcusable. We hope that local non-profits are smart enough to not tarnish their hard earned reputations by signing Andy’s letter. We hope local residents and visitors are not fooled by the actions of Squaw Valley and KSL Capital’s leaders. It’s time for a change.

66 thoughts on “Are Local Non-Profit Groups Being Manipulated By Squaw Valley Ski Holdings?”

  1. I can’t figure out what is more disturbing. Trying to coerce non profits or being so narcissistic that he could write about himself to that level.

    Any idea how many Gnar points that’s Wirth?

    1. anybody remember the crazy narcissistic letter to Eddie Vedder he wrote after his skyflailing accident? His incredible doucheyness continues….

  2. Like Jay, my first reaction was “Holy shit!” Good work Mark.

    Second reaction, “What a bunch of morons.” That’s Document Usage 101. Amateur hour at KSL. Serious fuck up.

  3. It is super disheartening to see T May, who did some many great things for Kings Beach, be so involved in this shady behavior. Her, Andy and the $400k CEO from Tahoe Forest Hospital should all go into exile together.

  4. If Andy was so altruistic he would use his own money to invest in non-profits not his shareholders. What a lot of people confuse is the stature Andy has comes from being CEO of one of the largest employers in the basin and the money that corporation has to spread around. Andy is incredibly self serving and a manipulative leader not a role model of corporate stewardship.

    1. Always keeping me laughing farm, thx, hehe.
      Never fails, Worthy always sticking his foot in mouth, one way or another, will he change to .pdf file in the future for such items, not sure he even cares at this point. BTW, he was the guy who was also quoted in the SSun saying essentially that snow isn’t the most important thing for ski resorts, wtf? really, hows that working for ya now Andie?? Got Snow??

  5. Notice to KSL. I am only one voice that now is now speaking for many .
    Mr. Wirth has proven himself incompetent many times this past year.

    I personally believed he and his legal team disrespected the three minuite public comment period at the july LAFCO meeting. Mr. Wirth and his two lawyers approached the microphone carrying each a pile of text the size of an encyclopedia. Mr. Wirth was interrupted by Mr Wygant at approxiamately five minuites into Mr. Wirth’s presentation and told: Mr. Wirth, this is a three minuite public commentary period and you are taking valuable comment time away from our long list of constituents.

    Mr. Wirth had no acknowledgement and continued to rant about how the Poulsens and the Newsomes and his legal team will have no choice than to litigate. Matter of fact, I will now summarize his and his two attorneys pitch to the LAFCO board that day:

    “Poulsen, Poulsen, Poulsen. Newsome, Newsome, Newsome. Lawsuit, Lawsuit , Lawsuit”

    Mr. Wirth continued to use up the public comment period to the tune of forty two minutes .
    Mr. Wygant reinterrupted Mr. Wirth five more times in his forty two minute rant .

    Good job Andy, it was obvious that the entire LAFCO board and all witnesses in the room were offended by the blatant disrespect, which had the effect of limiting the comments of the public and disrupting the political process . I did not get to speak that day.

    Now I will. Mr Wirth, you have disgraced the entire corporate ski area management of KSL.
    In summary, I will now warn you Mr Wirth, should I see you on the hill, I will spray you.

  6. Here’s some free advice for Andy Wirth.

    Instead of spending your time and energy pumping up your own personal ego and attempting to garner support from entities your company has supported, focus on your job, which is to oversee two ski resorts. In case you haven’t noticed, both Squaw and Alpine are mismanaged, and the other Tahoe resorts are reaping the benefits.

    In my field of work, this is what we call “Mission Drifting”.

  7. What a lying piece of shoot. Wirth is an ass!!! And I’m usually not so outspoken. But trying to manipulate non profits through BS fake emails is totally evil. Pisses me off. Sorry. Wirth has got to go!

  8. I hope these non profits are ready for the backlash when KSL leaves town and the campaign against them and the supposed non profits they reperesent begins due to the shortsightedness of their whoring out their organizations for the immediate gratification of Wirth buying their support.

    Boycott and protest is the best form of protest.
    Don’t support non profit WHORES.

  9. I’ve been wondering about this for awhile now and my first thought was good, Squaw and KSL should be generously supporting local non profits. Then I began to think something was up by the sheer volume of their generosity. Kind of like companies that use environmentalism or go green to sell a product. But what it really comes down to is the non profits staying true to their mission regardless of who contributes and us calling bullshit on any that are bogus, have hidden agendas , don’t stay true or have a value and offers a benefit to our community.

  10. One may wonder if all of the previous newspaper ads with supporting statements and letters haven’t been done the same way. I suspect so–

    SV Contrarian

  11. Maybe all you ungrateful people shouldn’t accept donations from this guy or his corporation. Looks to me like what he wrote is true and all he was asking is if you agree great if not that’s fine too. This guy has done nothing but ask for support from those he’s supported and now is being shamed for it. You people are quick to accept that donation or support and I’m sure feel entitled so hopefully he cuts all of you off!

    1. Wow. What you say is total BS AW and SVSH have been trying to bulldoze anyone who stands against their 20-25 year build out and water park opponents. You should rethink your response and look at what’s happening in the valley and the meadows since Killing Squaws Legacy showed up. They haven’t done what they promised. Instead they are Killing off the Alpine Meadows brand – which has been well documented here at UA. **** AW and SVSH SOV and their allies. They are $%%#@ **&^ #@!# &^%*.

  12. since ksl and andy wirth have moved in on our community i have suspected a certain level of un sincereness about mr. wirth’s “philanthropy”. he’s been trying to buy the communities support since he arrived, picking up young hitchhikers and trying to get real buddy buddy with local pro’s are just a few of the feeble attempts. i smelled something funny from the jump. tourism is how this community survives but we cant go overboard with it, this OUR place and we should decide how much of it is for sale. we are the stewards and its all of our responsibilities to not let our beautiful home be milked like a cash cow.

  13. None of the sensless Drabble discusses the only real issue: Is SV in such good shape that it should be preserved passed its useful age? It is showing its rough side. It is well worn. There is no reason to attack Andy on a personal basis because you are locked into an old worn out area. We should be applauding him and KSL for attemptng to bring us to the current day not slaming him for it. If you like the old rundown buildings instead of new ones say so and please explain why. This foolishness accomplishes nothing.

  14. ,,,,,,will go the way of the charlatan. Mark my words, eventually, maybe not sooner, but eventually, no worries, y’all see.
    def:
    shar-le-ten
    n.
    a person who makes elaborate, fraudulent and often voluble claims to skill or knowledge; a quack or a fraud.
    n.
    a flamboyant deceiver, one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes

  15. News flash people! It’s all a bunch of shit. As soon as Intrawest was contracted to build that largely empty eyesore the turds were in the bowl and it started swirling. Andy(NET)Wirth cares about one thing, his net worth.This isn’t the 70’s, 80’s or even the 90’s! Hotdog is dead and gone and so is any vestige of cool. Hell you can barely even find a place that smells like 30 years of wet ski boots, wax and PTex. Or poach!!! They don’t want locals, or even serious skiers, they want your money or you to make them money. They cater to the foo-foo rich assholes who don’t even want to believe there ever was a thing as a ski-bum and half of them don’t even ski. Their skis are used as much as as their second home or timeshares, two weeks out of the year. Might as well just roll over and be quiet, you can’t fight money and most of you when faced with the truth wouldn’t want to. Alpine’s dying, Homewoods dying, the only thing left to do is grab your AT setup and head to the hills before a new lift gets slapped on them by some corporate entity doing shady deals with the Forest Circus or the B(s)LM. And then you can get a night job at one of the sweet soon-to-be nightclubs coming to Alpine! Win Win! Sorry but I have not bowed down to anybody’s dollar and hate the corporate ski industry with a passion. They are all a bunch of wealthy asshole’s who want to make a mint on their resort. I fully realize that they are only trying to maximize their profits as any good business wants to do ,but they have ruined my hopes and dreams. As a naive kid growing up in the Midwest in the 80’s I finally made it out west as soon as I could, and I got here to see the last few good years fizzle out before total corporate robot assimilation. I know it’s the same as it has always been but it sucks for the people who love their mountains and mountain towns. It sucks more than ever. If you want me I’ll be in the backcountry (don’t even get me started on the snowmobilers), or at the bar. Rant over.

  16. Did anybody call KSL/Squaw to ask if they’ll confirm/deny that Wirth wrote it? I ask because this is kind of purporting to be journalism…

  17. Andy Wirth does not own SV or AM. He’s simply the water-boy for his corporate over lords. Those over lords, faced with meeting Wall Street expectations, are perhaps finally coming to grips with the effects of climate change and America’s shrinking middle-class on the ski industry in general, and Tahoe’s under-9000 foot elevation in specific. Add to that the fact that KSL is getting its clock-cleaned by practically all of its competition among local resorts, AND that they are running up against the well-founded passions of locals for our spectacular ski mountains. Depending on the blessings of Mother Nature, KSL might never realize its financial targets for SV/AM (which they told us they would “fix up and sell” since almost the first day they arrived in town). If Andy gets replaced, it will be with a new water boy who may or may not be an improvement. In any case, we shouldn’t blame the non-profits for their gratitude for SV’s donations— whatever the motivations behind SV’s largesse, keeping non-profits funded in the post-recession world is tall task. That said, the efforts that Mark Fisher, the SV incorporation backers, and contributors to this site are making to the discussion are helping to define what the Tahoe ski industry will be in the future, and whether all parts of it can do Wall Street’s bidding. Will Vail end up owning everything, or has the age of corporate ownership of ski resorts reached its zenith? If the rancor and opposition around SV’s plans continues to escalate, it’s hard to imagine that KSL won’t consider cutting their losses and concentrate their resources on their golf and spa vacation properties. Know any young Silicon valley billionaires who want to own some legendary ski mountains?

  18. I’m certainly not Andy Wirth. This just shows how foolish this entire “controversy ” is. Still none of you talk about the buildings and should they be preserved. You’d clearly rather attack Andy Wirth than use your heads to determine what oughtn’t to be done with this rundown junk yard. Just plain foolish. Keep it up. It’s craziness will defeat your aspirations. Just plain crap.

    1. I made a comment on the buildings. Remodel, don’t tear down. Look at any old photo of the resort and you will see them. They are a trademarks, a brand, the heritage. What if the Olympic Ski Museum was in the other half of the Cantina? Wouldn’t the public like to visit that? and remember RRF.. dialogue is a good thing!

  19. Please post the non profits that responded to aligning themselves with Squaw.
    Follow the money folks and you will see the same cast of characters manipulating the system in every way. Edited to remove personal attacks

  20. The bell has been rung. The truth revealed. Look at who is helping Andy its a repeat pattern
    Our Non Profits should not be held hostage by anyone.

  21. Wow. So unethical for all parties. I was hoping that the KSL ownership would be a positive one but I should have known better. Andy, want to make some points with the locals? Give a locals discount on the ski team programs for the children that live here! Edited to remove personal attacks

  22. Henrik Bull, famous architect designed the olympic house aka opera house building in Squaw.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Bull
    The authors of this little historical designation piece had the foresight to understand how valuable Squaw Valley was to protect from greedy developers for future generations. http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/ListedResources/Detail/724
    why this is important in the proposed development by KSL/SVHoldings, this little piece signed into law by former Governor and United States President Ronald Regan, http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/docs/CEQA_Handbook_2012_wo_covers.pdf
    this full California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) , appendix F important for state designated historical sites, see ppg 304 on adobe, ppg 254 CEQA, and what the regulations actually state esp pertaining to energy conservation, wise and efficient use of,,. renewables, lowering dependency on fossil fuels, etc..
    climate change, global warming anybody?

    other links for greater info pertaining to this proposed development in Squaw

    http://resources.ca.gov/ceqa/docs/Adopted_and_Transmitted_Text_of_SB97_CEQA_Guidelines_Amendments.pdf

    http://www.opr.ca.gov/s_ceqaandclimatechange.php

    take some time, worth it , knowledge is power, AWirth is a charlatan for even considering himself an environmental conservationist/philanthropist, may explain his feeble attempts at swaying public perception through supporting local non-profit and other environmental causes not related to Squaw.

    Props again to Mark for the excellent forum.

    Peace y’all

  23. public beatings should extend to all involved

    Tee May the paid cheerleader and Andy’s adviser
    No clean hands here
    Thank goodness for investigative reporting as this one was swept under the rug

  24. Pingback: Squaw Valley: Green Or Greenwashing? | UnofficialAlpine.com

  25. Pingback: Wirth Delivers His Latest Proclamation | UnofficialAlpine.com

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