BOARD MEMBERS
Barb Saenger – CoDirector & Treasurer
Barb retired from a sales career in metal manufacturing and has always been intrigued by how things were made. She joined SPSS in 2017 and has served as co-director alongside Beth Parisi since 2020, a role she finds immensely rewarding. Monitoring archaeological sites and studying the stone artifacts and features left behind by ancient peoples deepened her appreciation for their ingenuity and resourcefulness.
A trip to Spain and Portugal to explore paleolithic cave art and rock engravings further fueled her curiosity about the early inhabitants of South Park. She wonders if it’s possible that similar carvings on stone, bone, or antler — portable art — exist and may yet be discovered. Barb loves being outdoors hiking, mushrooming, gardening, skiing, snowshoeing, and golfing. ​
Beth Parisi – CoDirector
Beth has a special passion for archaeology and brings over 25 years of experience working with various site steward organizations in the four corner states. Beth began volunteering in South Park with Dr. Susan Bender in 2011 and helped establish the South Park Site Steward program. A retired accountant, Beth enjoys gardening, swimming and skiing.
Lori Kennedy – Secretary
Lori is a Colorado native who loves to spend time in the mountains of Park and Summit counties. More than 40 years ago she befriended an old cowboy from Guffey and recorded his oral history. One of his stories was about the VVN Ranch and Lori was excited to learn that the Ranch is a historical site we monitor. Lori donated the tapes and photos to the Park County Historical Archives contributing to the preservation of South Park history. An avid hiker, Lori has climbed all of the 14ers. She recently retired from the Breckenridge Ski Resort Guest Services program where she managed 200 volunteers. Thankfully, that is where she met Linda Carr who talked to her about the South Park Site Stewards and she has enjoyed every minute of her time with this wonderful organization!
Rebecca (Becca) Simon - Board Member
​Becca is the Staff Archaeologist at the Colorado Department of Transportation. Becca’s experience includes being Colorado’s Assistant State Archaeologist, an archaeologist and educator at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and positions with several private cultural resource management firms. Becca has Bachelor's degrees from Pennsylvania State University and a Master's degree in Anthropology from Colorado State University. Becca’s interests include public outreach and education, Southwest archaeology, the protohistoric era, preservation, and most importantly her dog, Minnie.
Ann Cross - Board Member
Ann retired after 42 years as a Registered Nurse and moved to the mountains. Ann still uses her nursing skills as a volunteer in Guatemala. Closer to home, she volunteers with the Summit Historical Society and Friends of the Dillon Ranger District. Ann was introduced to South Park Site Stewards by her friend, Lori Kennedy. Joining South Park Site Stewards has fulfilled a lifelong interest in ancient cultures.
Jon Fickett - Board Member
After retiring from a career in medical sales and management, Jon and his wife Pat realized their long-standing dream of relocating to Colorado. Jon has extensive experience working with non-profit organizations such as the Boy Scouts (local, district and state) and with Outward Bound. He has a lifelong passion for learning about ancient cultures and people, and is looking forward to learning a great deal from his fellow stewards.
Mitch Abeyta - Board Member
Mitch has been a member of SPSS as a steward and site visit leader for 9 years. Learning about archeology and early Americans has been a lifelong passion for Mitch. Volunteering at SPSS has been a great learning experience and a great way to make lifelong friends. Mitch is an avid skier, enjoys hiking in the mountains, reading, and camping with his family.
Mitch retired from Standard and Poors Compustat, which provides data and software to Institutional Quantitative Investors. Mitch was Managing Director at Compustat.
Becca Morse - Program Director
​Attending the 2004 Skidmore College archaeological field school held as part of the South Park Archaeological Project was Becca’s first time in Park County. It was love at first sight! After five years as a “shovel bum” for a number of different cultural resource management companies she transitioned to geographic information systems. Becca joined the South Park Site Stewards part time as program administrator in 2022 and is excited to be helping SPSS to protect the archaeology of South Park. Becca loves doing all the outdoor Colorado activities at blue cruiser speed.
Board Members consult and collaborate
with various archaeologists and other professionals.
If you wish to contact the Board Members, please
use the following email address: management@southparksitestewards.org