July 19, 2023
The Truckee Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the appointment of three exceptional individuals to its Board of Directors. These new board members bring a wealth of experience and a passion for driving economic growth and prosperity in the Truckee community.
The newly appointed members are as follows:
Amber Burke, Coordinator of District Communications and Parent Engagement, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District
Amber Burke is a passionate and community-driven professional currently serving as the Coordinator of District Communications and Parent Engagement for the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. With a background in marketing, communications, media buying, and event planning, she brings expertise and enthusiasm to her new role as a board member for the Truckee Chamber of Commerce. Having been a resident of the North Tahoe/Truckee community for more than 21 years, Amber’s commitment to seeing Truckee thrive is deeply rooted. She recognizes the vital role the Chamber plays in providing essential support and opportunities for local businesses. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring Tahoe through hiking, skiing, and being at the lake with her husband and 3rd-grade daughter.
Katie Shaffer, CEO & Founder, East River PR
Katie is CEO and Founder of East River PR & Marketing. Prior to starting her own business, Katie worked for a magazine in New York City and a textbook publisher in the Bay Area. She also directed a scholarly book publisher’s marketing department, worked as a journalist and columnist for Swift News and as a director with Switchback PR + Marketing. Katie shines in the fast-paced agency world of constant deadlines and creative brainstorming. She is well-connected and has an inherent interest in economic development due to her outreach work moving the needle on public sentiment and executing actionable solutions with key stakeholders in Washoe, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada, and Sierra Counties. She currently chairs the CATT marketing committee and recently spun off from the Truckee Community Cares board after a 15 year stint, two as board president. Additionally she founded and runs the micro outlet Sierraville.org. Katie is proud of the talent she has attracted to her firm and to be providing 14 professional jobs in Truckee. She has lived and/or worked in Truckee for the past 42 years. Born and raised in New Jersey, Katie earned a B.A. in English from Ohio Wesleyan University and studied Information Sciences as part of a Denver University Master’s program. She is currently building a tenth home with her tireless husband. In her spare time she enjoys Wordle and outings with family, friends, and her dog.
Jon Slaughter, Executive Director of Marketing, Sugar Bowl Resort
Jon is the proud dad of two amazing kids, Riley and Davis. They are 8-year-old twins headed into the 3rd grade. They, like dad, have found a passion for snowsports, whether skiing, sledding, or building a snowman. Jon first moved to Truckee for his college internship at Northstar during the 2004/2005 winter. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he worked at Boreal for 8 years as the Director of Marketing, proudly launching Woodward Tahoe. An opportunity in Park City, Utah, took him away from Truckee for 3 years, but he longed to be back “home” and promptly moved back when the role of Executive Director of Marketing opened up at Sugar Bowl in 2016. Sugar Bowl was always Jon’s home mountain and where he snowboarded anytime he could, so he jumped at the opportunity.
The Truckee Chamber of Commerce is grateful to its outgoing board members, Emily Vitas and Chris Fajkos, for their valuable contributions and looks forward to the fresh perspectives and insights that the new appointees will bring.
