Board of Directors
January 2022-June 2025
board.kristindavis@rossmontessori.org
Kristin has lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for the past 21 years. She and her husband Joe have two children: a Ross alum high school son and a lower el daughter. Kristin received two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Management and Marketing. Since attending Texas Lutheran University, she has pursued the entrepreneurial path and owned and operated a small appliance company in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for seven years. She then moved to Aspen and began her career at Bishop Plumbing and Heating in 2001. Now the owner, she brings experience in leadership and vision and has an extensive background in accounting, performing all financial duties for the company. She has continued management training throughout her career. Kristin brings board experience, having served on the Blue Lake Preschool board for several years. She volunteers as a former hockey player and a Grizzly Hockey team manager for her son's team. She heads up the training for new managers and coordinates goalie training sessions. It is rumored that she always gets in 10,000 steps a day, sometimes more. She has also volunteered at Ross, most recently as an Annual Fund captain.
May 2024-June 2027
Kara is a Managing Director at Baker Tilly US, LLP over the healthcare IT practice. Baker Tilly is a nationwide CPA advisory firm. She has been responsible for all aspects of the practice's operations and hiring since 2013. Her experience includes employee attraction and retention, training and development, performance management, benefits, and compensation. Before joining Baker Tilly, Kara was a Human Resources Manager for the Idaho National Laboratory, which is a 6,000-person, federally funded energy research facility. She also possesses prior experience as a middle school math and science teacher in Salem, MA. Kara and her family have lived in Carbondale for eleven years, and her son is a high school student who attended Ross Montessori for grades 1-8. Kara previously served as the secretary and president of the RMS PTO.
June 2023-May 2026
Jen is a flexible, versatile, and efficient self-employed business professional with over 20 years of experience. In a business such as bookkeeping, no two clients are the same, and she inspires them to adjust and adapt the required skills to match the client with their business needs. Jen successfully guides and supports businesses in construction, property management, retail, and real estate. Her son attended Ross Montessori for a while and is now a Basalt Police Department officer. Jen has lived in the valley since the late 1990s and is excited to provide financial governance for the Ross Montessori School.
May 2021-June 2024
board.andrewkarow@rossmontessori.org
Andrew is the Chief Digital Officer at Alpine Bank and part of the five-person Senior Executive Team responsible for all aspects of Alpine Bank's more than 130,000 customers and 800+ employees. Andrew’s experience includes leadership development strategy, corporate governance, compliance, and change management. He has extensive experience serving on various local boards since 1996 and was appointed to serve as a board member of the Charter School Institute in Denver by the Governor. He was awarded the 2021 Founder's Day Award and is the dad of a Ross graduate.
May 2024 - June 2027
board.robnelson@rossmontessori.org
After earning a bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry, Robert completed the Physician Assistant program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. In addition to seeing patients for primary care and wellness visits, his clinical focus is caring for people with diabetes. He is board-certified in Advanced Diabetes Management and provides patients with various solutions, including insulin pump management and continuous glucose monitoring. Robert also functions as Valley View's Executive Director of Quality and Patient Safety and is committed to providing patient-centered care. His family is Robert's priority outside of work, and they enjoy Colorado's many outdoor activities.
February 2021-June 2027
board.sarahoates@rossmontessori.org
Sarah Oates has worked at Oates, Knezevich, Gardenswartz, Kelly & Ticsaw, P.C. since 2009 in the primary areas of legal, due diligence of land use, and real estate. Growing up in Aspen and having worked in the local government and non-profit sectors before becoming a lawyer, Sarah has an extensive understanding of the local community. Sarah also has strong regional ties to Aspen. Sarah has been a distance runner since 2017 and recently took 2nd place at the Deadhorse Ultra 50K in her age group. She has served on the RMS board and provides us with a community member's outlook.
