McKayla grew up on a barrier island in Florida with her three brothers, many family pets, and wonderful parents who encouraged her to spend as much time as possible outdoors. It was there that she learned the importance of preservation of our natural resources and developed a love for the water. She went on to compete at Stanford as a varsity collegiate rower and graduated with both an undergraduate and master’s degree.

During her time at Stanford, McKayla was introduced to the magic of Lake Tahoe and has been hooked ever since. After organizing a family ski trip to the Lake in 2013, her family has also found a reason to be bi-coastal and now spends as much time as possible in Truckee.

McKayla currently lives in San Francisco, working in marketing at YouTube during the day and teaching boxing at night. On most weekends, you can find her leaving the city at 5 am to make it to the mountain bright and early. McKayla joined the Associate Board in 2020.