Our Team

Howard Carver

Board Chairman

Silverthorne, CO

Howard retired from Ernst & Young (now EY) in June 2002 where he was serving as the Hartford, CT Office Managing Partner. He has more than 35 years of experience in management, auditing, accounting, financial reporting, and insurance. He also has substantial experience as a board member, board chairman, and auditor for civic/charitable not-for-profit organizations.

Since June 2002, Howard has been a member of the board of directors of Assurant, Inc. (NYSE) and currently chairs its Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee. Until their respective sales, he was a member of the board and chair of the audit committee for Open Solutions, Inc. and Phoenix National Trust Company. Since 2005, Howard has been a member of the board of StoneMor Partners L.P. and a member of its audit committee. In 2013, Howard was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to the Pinnacol Assurance Board where he is Chair of the Board, chair of the Governance & Ethics Committee and a member of the audit committee.

Howard and his wife, Sue, have been involved with a variety of nonprofits with special emphasis on children, education, financial literacy and the arts. Currently, the Carvers are on the boards or committees of or work closely with Lake Dillon Theatre, The Summit Foundation, Breckenridge Music Festival, Continental Divide Land Trust and Mile High United Way as well as Bradley University and the University of Wisconsin.

Howard received his bachelor of science from Bradley University (‘66) and his master of business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (’67).

Yanitza Rivera-Garnier

JEDI Commission

Silverthorne, CO

Yanitza was born in Mayaguez PR and moved to Summit County in 2001 at the age of 21 after completing her Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of PR in Mayaguez.  Shortly after arriving in Summit County, she began working at FirstBank in Silverthorne.  She was hired as a teller and held many roles throughout her career with FirstBank including New Accounts Supervisor and Branch Manager.  In her current role as a Senior Specialist Treasury Management Development, she focuses on expanding and enhancing relationships with local businesses.  Her ability to speak Spanish fluently coupled with her thorough understanding of banking has also allowed her to assist many Latinos in the community with their banking needs.

Yanitza also has a passion for mountain biking and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  When she is not working or biking with her husband, she dedicates her free time to promoting fitness and wellbeing.  Her love for Summit County and general health has inspired her to become involved in the community through volunteering for local non-profits like The Summit Foundation, Family Intercultural Resource Center, and The Cycle Effect in addition to running her own fitness coaching business. Through her work with her fitness business and The Cycle Effect Yanitza gets to share her love for coaching others to live their best life.

With Spanish as her first language, she has personally experienced the difficulties of language barriers.   As a board member of The Keystone Science School her goal is to help close the intercultural gap so that everyone in the community feels included, and to inspire other Latinos to become more actively involved in our community.

Geri Gasperut

Geri Gasperut has a long career as a Human Resource professional in the Automotive and Energy Industries. Her experiences in HR are varied and began with an early introduction to labor and industrial relations. Other areas of expertise developed as she gained responsibility in administration of global HR systems, coaching, and leadership development culminating in the roles of regional, and then later, global Vice President Human Resources for Benteler Automotive and Henniges Automotive Companies respectively.

Geri grew up in Detroit, Michigan attended Michigan State University and graduated with a degree in Psychology. She and her family began visiting Summit County in the early 90’s for family ski vacations and it affectionately became the family’s destination of choice. Following retirement Geri and her husband of 40+ years, Louis, moved to Summit County and two of their three children chose Colorado as home too!

An introduction to Keystone Science School sparked a keen interest to become involved. Its purpose and focus on developing children’s interest in science and technology through fun resonated and motivated Geri to join the KSS board. She is also involved with other local non-profits in the community and hopes to make positive contributions wherever and however possible.

Kamrin Helland

Kamrin Helland possesses an impressive track record of over 20 years of experience in the Medical Device Industry as a Global Marketing and Strategy leader. She has worked for Johnson & Johnson, Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics and Medtronic. Currently, she dedicates her time to consulting with both Medical Device startups and global businesses, providing expertise in portfolio strategy, marketing and product management.

Kamrin grew up in the southeast and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Continuing her academic pursuits, she went on to receive her Master’s degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Alongside her husband and her daughter, she now resides in Boulder, Colorado. They spend their free time in Summit County enjoying all the summer and winter outdoor activities.

In 2020, Kamrin’s introduction to Keystone Science School occurred when her daughter participated in a Discovery Day Camp. It was during this experience she felt a calling to leverage her scientific (STEM) background to contribute to the mission of KSS. She has served on the Scholarship Committee and, in 2022, joined the Board of Directors, further enhancing her involvement and support for the organization.

Ed Casias

Dillon, CO

Ed Casias has lived in Summit County since 1998. He has been the Summit County Court Judge since 2001. Ed is an active outdoorsman. He enjoys hiking and backpacking, fishing, hunting, and golfing. Ed is a Colorado native who spent many of his formative years camping, fishing, and hunting in the Central Rockies. Ed’s community involvement includes coaching youth sports and being a mentor for Mountain Mentors and Mountain Scholars. Ed has been a past board member of The Summit Foundation, Summit Community Care Clinic, 10th Mountain Lacrosse, and Summit County Youth Baseball and Softball. Ed was a past member of Summit County Rotary and is a current member of the Summit Lake Dillon Optimist Club.

In 2015, Ed received The Summit Foundation’s David Olbright Outstanding Youth Mentor Award. Ed received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business and Economics from The Colorado College and his Juris Doctorate from The Ohio State University College of Law. Ed aspires to broaden the impact and exposure of Keystone Science School to all Summit County youth and spread the educational and outdoor opportunities to youth who do not have the financial means to attend Keystone Science School.

Marc Hirshman

Marc is the co-founder and president of Twain Financial Partners, a St. Louis-based full-service specialty finance firm working in tax credits, real estate and renewable energy. Prior to starting Twain in 2013, Marc was part of the Senior Leadership Team at U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation, running many of the divisions in his 13 years there.

While Marc and his wife, Karen Handelman, started spending time in Frisco in 2015, it wasn’t until 2022 that they officially became Frisco residents. Since that time, Marc has been searching for the right fit with a local nonprofit organization to get involved. He’s excited that he found KSS and was able to join the Board. Coincidentally, both of their daughters moved to Denver in 2023.

Marc received a BA in economics and finance from the University of Illinois, and both his J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from Chicago-Kent College of Law. After finishing his education, Marc and Karen spent a year volunteering full-time with Habitat for Humanity in Georgia and North Carolina. That life-changing experience began a 25+ year personal and work commitment to affordable housing and community development. Marc currently serves on the St. Louis Public Radio Board Executive Committee, St. Louis Habitat for Humanity Alumni Board, St. Louis Affordable Housing Trust Fund Commission, Midwest Redevelopment Fund CDE Advisory Board and Greater St. Louis Chair’s Council. He has served on various other boards over the years including industry-related organizations and municipal economic development agencies.