The Palm Springs City Council has announced two reappointments to the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority (MSJWPA), the governing board of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Nancy Stuart, a desert resident since 1975, was first appointed to the Tramway board in 2000. She has served as chairperson three times and is currently secretary. For 32 years, she managed financial institutions in the City of Palm Springs including Santa Fe Federal Savings, Downey Savings and U.S. Bank. She has served on the board of the Downtown Business Improvement District—a precursor to “Main Street”; was on the initial board of the Ruth Hardy (Movie Colony East) Neighborhood Organization; is a former chamber of commerce liaison committee member with the city council; and has served on various committees of the Palm Springs Woman’s Club. “It is important for the Tramway to run efficiently and safely,” states Stuart. “As well, it is essential to be good stewards of the pristine environment within which we operate. We look forward to many future generations enjoying this iconic experience.”
Jerry Ogburn was first appointed to the Tramway board in 2006 and has served as chairperson three times. For over four decades, Ogburn worked as an urban planner and designer in both the public and private sectors leading interdisciplinary teams of specialized consultants. Most recently, he served for five years as a senior designer for The Planning Center in Rancho Mirage, and then another five years for MSA Consulting, Inc., also in Rancho Mirage, as a senior planner. He has served as a member of the Urban Land Institute, a charter member of the American Planning Association and associate member of the International Council of Shopping Centers. “At the Tramway, we work to continually enrich our visitor experience,” says Ogburn. “With the recent completion of our Mountain Station remodel, we look forward to future projects that will further enhance, what is truly, one of the world’s most unique attractions.”
According to Tramway General Manager Nancy Nichols, “I am delighted with the reappointments. They, along with our other Authority Members, have made critical contributions to the success of the Tramway through the years and I look forward to their continuing leadership.”
The other Authority Members are Brian Conley, Sandra Magana-Cuellar and Jeff Ohlfs, appointed by the Governor, and Bary Freet, appointed by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.