Amber Edelman

Board Chair/Trustee

School Land Trust Council Member

Amber Edelman was born and raised a military child. After her father finally retired, they settled here in Utah. She attended Weber State University, where she received her bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy. Shortly after graduating she met her husband, Kurtis. He was active-duty Army. She decided to follow him around the United States and begin a family. Together they have 3 children, Kayla, Turner, and Allie, and have recently adopted a daughter named Milena from Colombia. 

While her husband was stationed at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Amber served in the Family Readiness Group. There she led other wives and united them to support the local troops. She was also a part of the Comfort Team where she assisted other wives when there was trauma in their homes. During this time, Amber supported her husband while he was deployed to Iraq for 18 months. Two weeks before his homecoming, he was hit by an IED (roadside bomb) and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Amber was told that her husband would not ever be able to perform basic functions, drive a car, or even hold a basic conversation. This began the intensive road to recovery for him. Amber was determined to learn all she could to assist him in his recovery. They relocated back to Utah where she found great passion helping her husband to learn how to do basic things again. After many years he has seen great success in his recovery and is even able to drive a car again. When meeting Kurtis today, many people are not even aware of his injury. His recovery has exceeded the expectations of all his health-care providers.  

Amber was selected as the Utah Elizabeth Dole Fellow for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which is an organization that empowers, supports, and honors our nation’s military caregivers.  She served on many boards during her three-year term as the Utah Dole Fellow. She assisted military families, wounded warriors, and primarily the caregivers of our nation’s wounded soldiers. She sat at round-table discussions with the U.S. Speaker of the House, the Secretary of the Department of Veteran Affairs, and many other prominent congressmen. Together they worked to identify the needs of caregivers and created the Caregiver Program within the Veteran Affairs system. Amber visited the White House and also rallied on Capitol Hill in DC many times in an effort to provide support and awareness for caregivers of all war eras. Amber has also worked here in the state of Utah with Congressman Rob Bishop and our governor to bring awareness to the silent heroes supporting our nation's wounded soldiers. She’s currently an alumni Dole Fellow.

As Amber’s children reached school age, she was adamant they get the best education possible. She began looking for a place which provided a vision of excellence in education and she found Promontory School of Expeditionary Learning. She quickly put her kids in the lottery, luckily all of them were accepted, and her children started the very first year Promontory opened its doors. Amber volunteered a lot in her children’s classrooms and was eventually offered a job at the school. She worked in many different capacities within the school, but eventually landed in the special education department. There she quickly became the autism behavior specialist. She found that a lot of the skills she had learned assisting her husband in his recovery were applicable within the special education world.  After many colleagues commented on her gifted ability to work with children with special needs, she went back to school to become a board-certified behavior analyst. After many years working at Promontory, she left for the next step in her career. She currently writes behavior plans for children with behavior needs, and helps oversee their progress.

Although her children no longer attend Promontory, Amber’s love for Promontory remains strong. She loves the values and the mission and is excited to be back at Promontory as a member of the governing board.  She looks forward to the opportunity to give back to the school and to provide a unique perspective.

Michael Engh

Board Treasurer/Trustee

School Land Trust Council Chair

Michael graduated from Utah State University with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering.  He then earned a master’s degree from Webster University in business administration.  Michael currently works as a project director for a software development group at Hill Air Force Base.

Michael is the father of two children and has a first-grade student at Promontory School.  He joined the governing board because he wants to learn how the school functions and because he wants to help Promontory reach its goals and vision for educating students.  Michael appreciates Expeditionary Learning and has particularly enjoyed watching his shy daughter step outside of her comfort zone, embrace the concept of owning her learning, and participate in crew functions.

Kassi Capener

Officer/Finance Committee Member

 

Kassi graduated from Utah State University with both a Bachelor's of Science in accounting and a Master's of Accountancy. She is a certified public accountant since 2000 and has extensive training and experience in auditing and business consulting. Kassi has worked with various non-profit organizations collaborating on program development and overseeing finances. Her professional background includes working for Arthur Andersen as a senior business consultant and auditor.

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As a mother of three children, Kassi is committed to "founding and sustaining a charter school that will encourage and inspire children to excel, regardless of learning level or capabilities."

Marci Beeton

Officer

Marci earned her Bachelor of Psychology degree from Utah State University in 2012.  She loved the education but realized that without continuing on it wasn't going to provide the life and freedom she had imagined having one day. She is now a full-time realtor with Keller Williams.  She has been licensed for three years and loves every minute of it! She says it is stressful but she enjoys the challenges.

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Marci has four children that are in every stage of life from three years old to twenty, and it keeps her busy. She has found a love for Promontory and the core fundamentals and respect that they have for each child and their education. She is excited to be able to serve on the board and be a part of this great school!

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In her spare time Marci loves to travel, she has been to Corfu, Greece twice and would love to have a beach house there one day. She loves nature and feels most at home when she is near an ocean, although she has always lived as an inlander. She loves water and tries to get out to Crystal Hot Springs whenever her busy schedule will allow. 

Paige Kearl

Officer

Paige Kearl graduated from Bridgerland Technical College with licenses in cosmetology, basic barber, and esthetics. She currently manages a salon.  Paige also has a music background and taught piano lessons for many years. She has served the community in many capacities including working with youth groups and and adults within her church. 

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Paige currently lives in Mantua with her husband and four boys, three of whom are currently enrolled at Promontory.  Some of her hobbies include reading, refinishing furniture, hiking, and exploring the outdoors with her family in their UTV. 

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Paige is excited to be a part of the governing board and looks forward to the opportunities it will bring. She believes strongly in expeditionary learning and loves how it can be tailored to each individual student's needs, giving them experience in both academics and society.

Lisa Holgreen

Trustee

School Land Trust Council Member

Lisa Holgreen is a wife and mother. She loves being around people and making new friends. She thoroughly enjoys a challenging hike or bike ride and cherishes days and nights high up in the mountains or near the southern red rock. A graduate of the University of Utah, Lisa received her bachelor's degree in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with honors. She believes in the power of nature on the soul! Reading, listening to music, dirt bike riding, playing pickleball and being involved in local politics are other personal interests of hers.  

A quality education is of utmost importance in her book and she respects and appreciates caring educators. There are many benefits to a charter school, she believes, and she is grateful to have the opportunity to learn more about the governance of Promontory School as a board member. The mission, vision and values ring true for her and she hopes to support and uphold what they teach through her involvement with the board.

Mindy Johnson

Board Vice-Chair/Trustee

School Land Trust Council Member

Mindy Johnson has a love for teaching and education that goes back as long as she can remember. She worked as a paraeducator at Bunderson Elementary for eight years before being blessed with twins. Thrilled to finally be a mom she turned her attention to home full time until her twins were in preschool when she began teaching again, starting a preschool in her home.

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When Mindy's children entered kindergarten, she began volunteering and substitute teaching. She substitute taught for five years until the family was blessed with another little girl.  At which time she was thrilled to stay home again and continued to volunteer at school,  especially enjoying fieldwork.
 

As a founding member of Promontory School, Mindy has a deep love for Promontory. She's grateful her twins have been able to attend school here and looks forward to her youngest also attending school at Promontory. She's passionate about hands-on education that engages students’ natural curiosity, different learning styles, and innate love of learning.  

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Mindy is very active in her faith and has volunteered in many capacities there.  She loves foot zoning, anything artistic and creative,  and most of all being with her wonderful husband and kids.  She loves nature and can often be found spending time outdoors with her family.

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She is grateful for the opportunity Promontory provides for students to learn while outdoors and through adventure.  She's excited to be part of the school board and support Promontory School, it's mission, vision,  values, students and staff as we continue to  work together to make  Promontory a great place for students to thrive. 

Dorothy Dobson

Accountability Officer/Trustee

School Land Trust Council Member

Dorothy Dobson was born and raised in Southern California, a frustrated country girl in the middle of the city.  She moved to Utah to attend Utah State University.  After graduation, she taught Special Ed on the Navajo Reservation for two years.  Dorothy then taught in Salt Lake City for seven years.  When she met her husband, Cody, she returned to Cache Valley and taught at Edith Bowen School on campus at Utah State University for twenty-two years.  When she retired (the first time), she administered a First Amendment Schools grant at Edith Bowen for a year, then worked as a reading aide at Canyon Elementary School for a year before becoming a lecturer at Utah State, teaching undergraduate courses to elementary education majors.  After six years at USU, the pull to work with kids again became too strong to ignore.  When she heard about Promontory, she was TOTALLY on board with EL Education, and was thrilled to be hired as a fifth/sixth grade teacher.  Promontory’s first five years were her last five years as a classroom teacher.  When she retired for the second (or maybe third, if you count USU) time, she missed Promontory SOOO much!  Still does!

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Dorothy enjoys reading, music, photography, traveling (which she has done a lot of since retiring, since her husband, who was a principal in Cache County School District, retired at the same time), and gardening.  She LOVES spending time with her grandkids; R.J. (9), Adeline (6), and Mina (19 months).  Unfortunately, they live in Georgia, where their dad (who is married to Dorothy’s daughter, Hannah) is stationed at Fort Benning.  Fortunately, being retired means she can visit more often!  She is also slightly obsessed with “Hamilton, An American Musical”, and has traveled to Las Vegas, Puerto Rico, and Chicago where she has seen it and gotten to know other raging (and wonderful) Hamilfans.  She has seen it six times SO FAR and has tickets for a Broadway performance in January.  (Yeah, “slightly” may be an understatement!)  Dorothy is working on a book teaching collaboration to upper elementary students using the admirable creative team of “Hamilton” as a role model. 

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As Dorothy said, “I miss Promontory daily (although not the drive from Paradise, where I live), so I am excited to be on the Board, and hope it brings me to the school often!”

Valerie Neslen

Officer/Finance Committee Member

Valerie graduated from Brigham Young University in 1998 earning a bachelor's degree in statistics, with an emphasis in actuarial science and a minor in mathematics and music.

Valerie has served in the community as a cub scout leader as well as many other roles in her church, and plays French horn with the Cache Chamber Orchestra and Lake Bonneville Community Orchestra. She is a founding member of Entheos Academy, an Expeditionary Learning charter school in Kearns, UT, where she gained experience in charter school special education programming. Before becoming a mother and turning her full attention to raising her six children, she worked for Watson Wyatt Worldwide as an actuarial analyst and employee benefits consultant.

As a mother of six amazing children, she believes that Expeditionary Learning Schools can teach our children to become their greatest selves. "I believe that Promontory School of Expeditionary Learning can be a place where our children can learn and grow and become the exceptional people that, as parents, we knew and dreamt they could be. This school embodies what I want for my children in their educational pursuits."

Michelle Flynn

Trustee

School Land Trust Council Member

Michelle Flynn lives in Willard, Utah with her husband and four children. She's a stay-at-home mom after working in retail management for over 10 years specializing in operations management and logistics. After moving from San Diego, CA she and her husband started a construction company which she manages from home.

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Michelle has a background in theater and music and attended a performing arts school growing up. She was a member of a vocal jazz ensemble and show choir for many years and majored in music business management in college.

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Michelle has coached her son's baseball teams for the Willard youth baseball league for the past five years as well as volunteered for various local events in the community like Peach Days, local farmers markets, and fruit stands. Michelle loves being immersed in all the community has to offer and believes there's nothing more important than the school our children attend and their futures, so she volunteers weekly at Promontory school.

Michelle is looking forward to her role on the governing board and is excited to be a part of the future of Promontory. 

Loretta Muhlestein

Officer

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Chad Painter

Officer

Chad Painter is a consummate IT professional with over 30 years of active information technology experience. He has a passionate drive for learning and a desire to impart this knowledge to others.

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Chad earned master's degrees in space studies with a planetary science emphasis and another in computer science with an information systems management emphasis.  He also has a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering. In addition to his degrees, Chad has several licenses and certifications including NASA Solar System Ambassador, Fundamentals of Online Teaching, E-learning Workshop Engagement Badge, and ITIL foundation V3 certification for Dell Services.

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Chad is a community volunteer Scout leader with the Boys and Girls Club of America and a volunteer community educator with NASA/JPL for their Solar System Ambassador program for northern Utah.

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Chad lives in Perry, Utah with his wife, Tracy, and two children, Sebastian and Camille, who have both been students at Promontory School.