Grounded in Community.
Invested in Tahoe.
A Social Worker, Local Business Owner, and Community Advocate Dedicated to the Thriving Future of South Lake Tahoe and the People Who Live Here.
“I am committed to bringing a collective experience to each and every person in our community. To support each of you to rise up into your power and let your voice be heard.” - Dina
Meet Dina Ramaha-Pino
Ready to listen and Lead
Why do you want to run for city council of South Lake Tahoe? This question comes up in every conversation about my campaign. Trying to summarize my answer feels like I’m trying to fit an elephant into a match box. Our community has recently experienced very turbulent and challenging times. And those challenges continue to strain our current city council, our city leaders, and our residents. It is very clear that the people of South Lake Tahoe are ready to recover, heal, and move forward by focusing on our city’s top priorities. This is evident by the record number of people who applied for the open city council seat in South Lake Tahoe. I have no doubt that the same will happen with the three city council seats that are up for election on November 3rd 2026. South Lake Tahoe is one example of a movement that is happening all over our country. From city council and congress to senators and governors. We are witnessing a historic number of candidates ready to take on leadership roles in their towns and states. People are willing to level up their commitment to a better future for our communities and our country. I am absolutely one of those people. I am running for city council, because my life’s work and experience have all led to this moment. I have the knowledge and the heart to lead our city and community into a future built on trust, understanding, dedication, and hard work.
My Commitment
I believe that South Lake Tahoe deserves leadership that reflects the diverse, hard-working, and passionate nature of the people who live here. I am ready to listen to your top priorities, and advocate for you and your families. I am committed to building on what so many dedicated city council members and city workers who came before me worked so hard to accomplish. There is still so much work to do, and I am ready for it.
“My goal is to ensure that when we talk about the future of South Lake Tahoe, we are including all voices—from our families and small business owners to our youth and seniors.”
A Proven Leader in Mental Health & Conflict Resolution
I have had many roles in my career as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for the last 23 years. As a behavioral and mental health professional I have worked collaboratively with police departments as a mobile response clinician trained to defuse family and domestic disputes. I have several years of experience in psychiatric emergency services, drug and alcohol recovery, non-profit family agencies. I am currently the founder of the Conscious Mind Therapy Institute with three office locations in South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Walnut Creek, and online throughout California. I have spent the last 10 years of my career helping individuals and families navigate through crises, overcome challenges, and improve the overall quality of their lives. I also train and supervise associate social workers and marriage and family therapists to become exceptional and effective clinicians who improve the lives of individuals and families throughout our communities.
A Local Business Owner Who is Invested in Tahoe
Beyond my social work career, you likely know me from behind the counter at Three Pines Coffee Company, alongside my team and husband Dimas. We opened Three Pines Coffee Company right here in South Lake Tahoe In December of 2023 and we are honored to be named Best of Tahoe 2025! We opened Three Pines Coffee, because of our love for community, good coffee, and healthy delicious eats. We put our values on the frontlines of high quality, organic, fair trade, and ethically sourced products. Our motto is “We would not serve or prepare anything in our coffee shop that we wouldn't serve to our own family”. These values have proven to be a success and are greatly appreciated by our community and out of town guests.
As a local small business owner and employer, I live the daily realities of owning two small businesses in South Lake Tahoe. I understand how tourism affects businesses while at the same time an over saturation of out of town guests can have a negative affect on the everyday life of our residents. I understand how challenging it is to hire people who can't afford to live within our city, which often results in transient workers that have to move elsewhere to afford housing. It is very challenging to keep a business thriving while staying deeply rooted in community values, but I believe that we can work together to find common ground and make decisions as a united community to improve small businesses and create a long term sustainable plan for the security of our residents.
Growing Roots In South Lake Tahoe
As a kid growing up in the Bay Area, coming to South Lake Tahoe was a big adventure. My parents had a great love for nature in the outdoors and South Lake Tahoe was definitely one of our most favorite spots.
It would’ve been very exciting to know as a kid that this would be the place that I would raise my own family.
I graduated from the university of Hawaii with my undergrad in psychology and I earned my masters degree at California State East Bay in Clinical Social Work.
I have had the honor of being a visitor to over 45 different countries throughout the world. Several of which I lived in and worked as a volunteer. I’ve developed a great respect for different cultures, religious backgrounds, and spiritual beliefs.
I am most proud of my volunteer work in Jerusalem with the Seeds of Peace organization as a counselor who brought Palestinian and Israeli teens together to bring more unity to the region.
I learned Spanish while living in Panama, Central America while teaching meditation and Yoga.
My husband and I had been living in the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco Bay Area while raising our daughter. We knew that we wanted to have a better life for her and for all of us a whole. We wanted a connection with nature and a strong community.
My memories of coming to South Lake Tahoe as a kid and how much joy it brought my family inspired us to buy a home here and grow deep roots in the community. We have never been more grateful, content, and loved.
I look forward to many more years of deepening our connection to the community and the beauty of South Lake Tahoe.
The American Dream
I am a proud Palestinian-American and the daughter of immigrants to the United States. My father was happy to accept a job in the USA as an engineer and was hopeful that he could offer his children great opportunities here in the USA. My parents believed in the American Dream, and taught us that if we work hard, abide by the laws, get an education, and are good neighbors we could make something of ourselves and have a good life. And that is exactly what my siblings and I did. My younger brother joined the Marines after high school where he completed his college degree and served our country in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He later served as a sheriff in Southern California. He was eventually able to combine his love for flying and serving his community by becoming a pilot for the sheriffs dept, where he currently works and is raising his family. My younger sister is a dedicated and hard working nurse and resides in the Bay Area with her husband. My older sister gave up her career to raise her two beautiful daughters. My mother recently retired and enjoys gardening and visiting family and friends. We are living proof of the American Dream and I believe that our lives would not be what they are today without that opportunity and I am very grateful for it. I believe that all Americans and American residents regardless of financial status have a right to fulfill their own American Dream, because that is the foundation on which our country was built.
