Board of Directors – Carousel of Happiness, Nederland Colorado

The Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing the Carousel organization and ensuring its success. We are a group of active and committed volunteers, who work together to implement and further develop the Carousel’s mission.

If you are interested in getting involved, please send email about your areas of interest and experience to [email protected]. We welcome new members each October to serve two-year terms.

Meet Our Current Board

Charles Wood (President): Charles has worn a number of different hats at the Carousel of Happiness. He first joined the organization in 2014 as a Carousel Operator, a part-time position he enjoys in his retirement. He and his wife Edith are active in the Nederland community. He was elected to a Carousel Board position in 2016 and served on the Board until 2019, including 2 years as President. After a three-year break, during which he served a short stint as Interim Director, he was re-elected to the Board in 2022 as Treasurer, and elected as Board President in early 2024.

David Packer (Vice President): Dave is the national sales manager for Illes Foods. He has 30 years of business experience in the the food industry, and a passion for assisting nonprofits in areas such as strategic planning, sales and marketing. Dave and his wife, Patty, moved to the Nederland area in 2017 to take advantage of mountain living and all the great things the area has to offer. He was elected to the Carousel Board in 2019, named Vice President in 2023, and currently chairs the Fundraising Committee.

Lucy Strouse (Treasurer): Lucy has lived in the Nederland area since 1978. Her two sons attended and graduated from the nederland schools. She was employed by boulder valley school district for 16 years as the office assistant and registrar at Nederland elementary. She and her husband Hans are volunteers at the carousel of happiness.

Caleb Melamed (Secretary): Caleb is the proud principal of Nederland Elementary School. He was raised just outside of Nederland and attended Nederland schools from kindergarten through high school graduation. He has been a teacher and school administrator for more than 15 years. He started his career in education, teaching for five years at Lafayette Elementary School. He then spent 10 years teaching and working as an assistant principal in Denver Public Schools. He is thrilled to be back home in Nederland with his wife, Sierra, and 7-year-old son. Caleb was first elected to the Carousel Board in 2020, and named Secretary in 2021.

Kalina Culver: Kalina is a Nederland native and the current owner of Indian Peaks Ace Hardware. She grew up in the community and graduated from high school in Nederland. She has a B.A. in Psychology and a B.S. in Business Administration from Colorado Christian University. She has worked for and volunteered with other nonprofits and is excited to be a part of the board for the Carousel of Happiness. Kalina was first elected to the Carousel Board in 2025.

Joe Kinczel: Joe moved to Colorado in 1992 to marry Lori. They met while walking 4,000 miles across the USA on a peace walk for global nuclear disarmament in 1986 with 400 other participants called The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament. Lori and Joe have lived in Gilpin since 1994. Their children Alexander and Natasha both graduated from Nederland High School where Lori has taught for decades. Joe runs his own business organizing seminars around the world for university groups. Lori served on the Carousel BOD years ago and now Joe is taking a crack at it with high hopes to help in whatever way seems appropriate. Lori and Joe have known Scott and Ellen for decades via Amnesty International and have been involved in one way or another with the Carousel since its inception. We love where we live and we love the people who live up here with us! We also love the Carousel of Happiness!

Board Terms (end of current Term)

Lucy Strouse (10/27), Caleb Melamed (10/26), Charles Wood (10/26), Carrie Evans (10/27), Joe Kinczel (10/27), Kalina Culver (10/27)

Board Committees

Executive: Charles Wood (chair), Lucy Strouse, Caleb Melamed

Finance: Charles Wood (chair), Lucy Strouse

Fundraising: Kalina Culver, Carrie Evans, Executive Director, Assistant Director

Maintenance: Maintenance Manager (chair), Executive Director, Maintenance Technicians

Executive Director

Melody Baumhover joined the Carousel team in 2021. Melody has lived in Nederland since 2010, has enjoyed riding the carousel with her own child, nieces, and nephews. She is passionate about hiking and spending time outside, sustainability, and community agriculture, volunteering as the Town of Nederland Sustainability Advisory Board Chair (since 2015) and serving as a founding member, and then Market Manager of the Nederland Farmers Market (2016-2021). Melody has a dual-focused degree in Environmental Policy and Environmental Education, a pre-law certificate, and several years of experience in nonprofit administration and event planning.