SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – City council’s empty slot will potentially be filled by one of 19 applicants who put their hat in the ring. Here’s their names and what’s publicly available about them before they publicly interview with city council on November 18.

Dyna Boen

Dyna Boen is the managing director of Escalent’s telecommunications and consumer goods and retail practices. She’s co-founded two startups and has held several executive positions. She has showed support for diversity and inclusion, as well as mentorship for young women. Boen’s typical work focuses on market trends and consumer behaviors. According to her Escalent bio, she has two daughters and a Frenchie named Matcha.

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Robert Gonzales

Robert Gonzales was previously a student at both Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) and the University of California, Irvine. He was suspended, then effectively expelled from UCI in 2023, cited due to disorderly conduct. Gonzales filed litigation against the university for his expulsion, though the case was dismissed earlier this year. He was previously a law student at UCI and has expressed interest in reconstructing city code, affordable housing, mythical topics, laser technology and holistic medicine to compete with the pharmaceutical industry.

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Alberto Fernando Manfredi

Alberto Fernando Manfredi was appointed to the Airport Land Use Commission, Building Board of Appeals and Police Advisory Commission earlier this year. He also serves on the El Dorado County Community Action Council. Manfredi previously served as a military intelligence officer and was a contractor and developer of Manfredi Development Group, and has served on different city commissions at various times. He stated earlier this year that his interest in the police commission came from his research into mental health for law enforcement and military.

Manfredi was indicted for false bankruptcy statements and a false loan statement in 2006, which he alleged he discussed and tried to amend with his creditors before filing. He did eventually pay his creditors in full.

Nerissa Murin

Nerissa Murin was listed as the owner of Lake Monster Tattoo, which was established in 2001.

Christopher Neal

Christopher Neal works as a software engineer for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Health Plan. He previously served in the Marine Corps, including as an executive officer, pilot and operations officer. According to his LinkedIn profile, he values integrity, efficiency, being considerate, new experiences and new cultures.

Salvador Rea Jr.

Salvador Rea Jr. works as an associate clinical social worker and therapist. He has a Master’s degree in social work from UMass Global. Rea openly identifies as a first-generation American of Mexican descent and queer. He works at El Dorado County and provides clients with resources and programs for social programs.

Rea also notes on his profile on Tahoe Truckee Therapy that he is a first generation college graduate and that he has worked in social services for eight years.

Brett Richardson

Brett Richardson has previously expressed his support for the new rec center, new first responder building, Motel 6 demolition, housing at LTCC and the construction of affordable housing. He was also vocally against Measure N, also called Vibrant Not Vacant or the vacancy tax.

Joe Soave

Joe Soave is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and accounting manager at Singletrack Accounting, which typically serves small businesses and nonprofits. He also provides tax, accounting and consulting services as a sole proprietor, with a specialty in nonprofits.

Soave also ran the Keys Café from 2008 to 2014.

Samantha Turle

Samantha Turle is a reservations specialist at Edgewood and general manager of several restaurants in South Lake Tahoe, including Chicken in a Barrel, The Baked Bear, Tessie’s Beach Bites, Snowie and Juice It Up. She also serves as the SafeSport coordinator for the Tahoe Grizzlies and was the membership and services manager for the Boys and Girls Club for three years.

Melissa Soderston

Melissa Soderston is a longtime attendee of city council meetings, often speaking on behalf of environmental issues. Notably, she raised concerns about former Mayor Tamara Wallace during her second term as mayor. She serves as director of Tahoe Forests Matter and is a member of the Eco-Integrity Alliance and Congress of Climate and Social Justice.

Soderston is endorsed by CalExitNow, a movement supporting California’s exit from the United States and becoming its own nation.

Political director J.J. Ames Jr. said, “Melissa Soderston represents the kind of civic leadership our communities need — informed, principled, and unwavering in her defense of both environmental and human rights. Her lifelong work through Tahoe Forests Matter and her broader coalition advocacy have made her one of the most respected public voices in the region. The CalExitNow Movement is proud to stand with her in this appointment process, and we urge the South Lake Tahoe City Council to select Melissa for this critical seat.”

Francois Inshaw

Francois Inshaw is the co-chief executive officer of SnoFoz Enterprises and the owner of TahoeDronez. He previously worked on lift maintenance at Heavenly, Sierra-at-Tahoe and Homewood.

Inshaw attended the University of California, Davis and received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science and Engineering.

Dustin Kieschnick

Dustin Kieschnick is a psychologist who specializes in trauma treatment and is based in South Lake Tahoe. He is a military veteran who has worked in VA medical centers, academic medical centers and a community behavioral health clinic.

Nancy Peverini

Nancy Peverini is a legislative director at Consumer Attorneys of California. In the past, she has lobbied for consumer attorneys and specialized in consumer legal rights. She also previously served as president of Women Lawyers in Sacramento and is a current board member of the Consumer Federation of California.

Peverini frequently represents the Consumer Attorneys of California regarding positions on Senate and Assembly bills. She recently had an article in Advocate where she wrote about the issues with attorney advertising, including advertising to victims of wildfire for fire litigation.

Heather Horgan

Heather Horgan is an administrative nursing supervisor. According to her LinkedIn, she worked as a nursing supervisor and charge nurse for Barton Health from 2018 to 2024. She still works as a house nursing supervisor for Sutter Health – Bay Area, a position she’s held since 2014.

Erika Gonzalez

Erika Gonzalez serves as chair of the Police Advisory Commission and has been an incumbent member. She is a training and technical assistance managing attorney for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking. She is also part of the Multicultural Alliance.

Gonzalez has pushed for a better understanding of the police department’s strategic priorities and typically makes commission reports to council.

Aimi Xistra

Aimi Xistra is the development director at the Boys and Girls Club as well as commission chair for the Arts, Culture and Tourism Commission. She is also on the Bijou Area Community Advisory Group, Embarc Advisory Group, Multicultural Celebration Committee and Leadership Lake Tahoe. Xistra has previously stated that she wants to represent local businesses, workforce and the youth. She’s stated she is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as increasing accessibility.

Xistra ran for city council last year and ended in third place, garnering 2,290 votes. She was endorsed by the Tahoe Chamber during her run. Recent successes on the Arts, Culture and Tourism committee include the microgrants programs and the recent airport art exhibit, which she spoke on during a report to city council.

Heather Cade-Bauer

Heather Cade-Bauer is a procurement contract coordinator at the Foundation for California Community Colleges. She currently serves on the Building and Housing Board of Appeals after being appointed earlier this year. She is the Tahoe Parents Nursery School board secretary and South Tahoe Disc Golf Association board president. She previously worked at LTCC after receiving her associate’s degree there.

Cade-Bauer previously ran for city council and gained 539 votes. She said previously that housing was a major topic for her, saying, “We must address this crisis together to come up with real solutions to affordable housing to ensure families can continue to live and thrive here.”

While Andrew Contreras and Gared Moses also submitted applications, the Tribune was unable to find verifiable public information about them.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.