Machida, Dennis Tadao Obituary

Machida, Dennis Tadao attended Elk Grove High School in Elk Grove, CA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Machida, Dennis Tadao.

Graduation Year	Class of 1965
Date of Passing	Mar 08, 2005
About	Dennis Machida (58), the top executive of the California Tahoe Conservancy and one of the state's key conservation advocates, died of an apparent heart attack in Montana while delivering a speech on natural resources. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after the collapse at the Chico Hot Springs Rersort, in the town of Pray about 40 miles north of Yellowstone National Park. He was there to address a conference of the Consortium for Integrated Research on Western Mountains. Dennis was born on December 23, 1946 and raised in Sacramento and graduated from Elk Grove High School and he then graduated from the University of Redlands in San Bernardino County. He was awarded a master's degree from Occidental College in Los Angles and a law degree from UC Davis School of Law. He joined the California Costal Conservancy in 1977, where he later became assistant executive officer and was exposed to the state's sprawling environmental network -- non-profits, state agencies, small private groups, all seeking ways to preserve California nature. He stayed with the Costal Conservancy until 1982, when he was hired by the state Resources Agency as assistant secretary to legal affairs. In 1985, Dennis became the first and only executive officer of the California Tahoe Conservancy, formed in 1984 "for the purposes of protecting water quality, preserving wildlife habitat, and providing public access and recreational opportunities at Lake Tahoe," said its board chairman, Larry Sevison. Sevison said Mr. Machida's family has "lost a husband, father, and son, and the conservancy has lost a devoted leader. Throughout his 20 years as executive officer of the Tahoe Conservancy, Dennis dedicated his life to public service and was a compassionate voice for the environment in California." Mike Chrisman, head of the state Resource Agency, which overseas conservancies, credited Mr. Machida's leadership as "crucial in the preservation and restoration of the Lake Tahoe Basin and instrumental in the creation of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. His energy, enthusiasm, dedication, and the way in which he brought everything he touched to life will be greatly missed." The Sierra Nevada Conservancy was created in the fall of 2005 to protect the entire Sierra Nevada, from the Oregon border to near Bakersfield. Sevison said that under Mr. Machida's leadership, the Tahoe Conservancy acquired more than 7,400 acres of land and engineered nearly 600 projects on the California side of the L:ake Tahoe Basin, all to help preserve the pristine mountain environment. Environmental consultant Tom Martens, who knew Mr. Machida for the past 20 years, said his friend was one of the most connected officials in the Sierra Nevada. "You never made a move in Tahoe in relation to anything involving the environmental politics of Tahoe without calling Dennis," Martens said. "He was the person who knew the history and the politics and the background of every issue." Matens continued, "Dennis fit my description of an environmental visionary--someone who could not only articulate a vision for Tahoe and the Sierra, but also move the bureacratic, financial, scientific, and political pieces to make the work happen. To turn success into action." The day will be remembered as one on which we lost a hero and a visionary, a true leader. And also a beauriful person and good friend. Dennis is survived by his wife, Kathie Wong, and son Nathan (15), both of the family home in South Lake Tahoe; his mother, Miyako Machida, of Sacramento; two sisters, Sandy Fricker of Chico and Connie Gon of Sacramento. A memorial service was held at the Mayhew Community Baptist Church at 3401 Routier Road in Rancho Cordova, California on March 12th and a public celebration of his life was held in Lake Tahoe later on April 22nd at the Edgewater-Tahoe Clubhouse, at Highway 50 and Lake Parkway in Stateline, Nevada. - Information from the "San Francisco Chronicle," written by Michael Taylor, March 10, 2005 and "The Sierra Fund' April 2005.