Shanna Ganne, Executive Director

Shanna moved to the Fraser Valley in 2003 and fell in love with the community and mountain landscape. After obtaining a Masters in Nonprofit Management in 2017, she joined GCHA as Executive Director and fell in love with the history. Shanna is blessed to call Grand County home with her husband Tom, two sons, Simon and William, and dogs Birdie and River.

Sam Davis, Programs & Marketing Manager

Sam moved to Grand County in 2020 and joined GCHA in 2021 as the Programs & Marketing Manager. She earned a bachelor’s degree in History Education from the University of Illinois Springfield and loves creating engaging programs and events that connect people with Grand County’s past. Sam and her husband, Oliver, call Winter Park home and are grateful to help preserve and share the stories of the community they love.

Amanda Purcell-Rock, Curator & Archivist

Amanda Purcell-Rock joined GCHA in 2025 as the Curator & Archivist. She earned a bachelor’s degrees in Anthropology and History from the University of Texas at San Antonio before completing a master’s degree in Public History at Texas State University. Amanda is passionate about preserving and sharing local history and believes the many voices within a community come together to shape its unique identity. She is dedicated to ensuring the stories of Grand County are preserved and shared for future generations.

Kim Vincent, Museum Attendant

Kim was born in Denver but moved with her family to Texas in the first grade. Her parents built a house in the Tabernash area in 1977, and Kim has been visiting there for extended periods ever since. Her professional background is in health care, teaching, and being a school librarian. She has been working at Cozens museum during the summers since 2022 and is proud to be part of the team computerizing photo records for GCHA.

B. Travis Wright, President

Travis is a published historian and longtime advocate for Colorado’s historic structures, cultural landscapes, and public lands. Based in Fraser, he champions transparency, stewardship, and public access across some of the state’s most significant areas. Travis co-founded Preserve Rollins Pass and serves as President of the Grand County Historical Association (since 2018). He has served on the Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission since 2019, including as Vice Chair, and now serves as Chair.  For his leadership in keeping public lands in public hands, his deep preservation knowledge, and his enduring passion for Colorado’s landscapes, Travis was recognized with a State Honor Award from Colorado Preservation, Inc.—presented in partnership with historic preservation legend Dana Crawford. He believes safeguarding these places is a lasting responsibility, ensuring Colorado’s landscapes and stories endure for generations to come.

Larry Gross, CO-Vice President of Museums

More to come

Jim Yust, CO-Vice President of Museums

Jim Yust is a fourth-generation Grand County rancher whose family’s ranch has operated along the Colorado and Blue Rivers since 1885. Home to the historic E.C. Yust Homestead, the ranch is listed on both the Colorado State and National Registers of Historic Places. A longtime advocate for preserving Grand County’s heritage, Jim helped establish Heritage Park Museum in Kremmling and has dedicated countless hours to protecting the county’s historic buildings, landscapes, and stories. His deep roots in the community and passion for local history continue to guide his work with the Grand County Historical Association.

Barbara Williams, Treasurer

More to come

Shawn Davis, Secretary

Shawn Davis is a former educator who has lived in Grand County since 1980. She loves history, gardening, reading, her family and her grandchildren, and hopes to help preserve our local historical community with her volunteerism and dedication.

Erica Bean

Erica is a proud Colorado native and has been a resident of Grand County, CO since 2010 and served on the GCHA Board since 2024. She brings a strong background in community engagement and public service, with professional experience supporting several nonprofit organizations within the county. She is passionate about education and interpretation, with hands-on experience as an interpretive guide at the Holzwarth Historic Cabin in Rocky Mountain National Park and as a nature guide at Devil’s Thumb Ranch and Spa. Erica is very community driven and is committed to stewardship education, conservation, and the preservation of Colorado’s natural and cultural resources. When she is not busy, she spends as much time as she can outdoors (typically with her dog) enjoying the mountains and natural landscapes.

Sarah Black Castle

Sarah has been visiting and living in Colorado since she can remember and has served on the GCHA Board since 2022. She currently splits time between Westlake Village, CA and Tabernash. Sarah enjoys activities such as hiking, ethnobotany, botany, yoga, alpine and Nordic skiing. Her favorite hike is in Byers Peak Wilderness where she first went up Byers Peak at approximately 9 years old. Many of her fondest Grand County memories were going on “botany hikes” with her grandmother Reggie Black (founding member of the GCHA) in the Corona Pass area. Sarah currently works full time in the medical and device research field with a focus on rare disease and oncology. As a “life-long learner” she hopes to bring her appreciation for research to the GCHA as a board member and is excited to see GCHA continue to preserve the area’s history and provide resources to the community at large.

Michael Koch

Michael is a Colorado-based transportation and public infrastructure consultant with a strong connection to Grand County and its mountain communities. His work focuses on helping rural and resort-area communities plan, fund, and manage public systems that respect local character while preparing for long-term change. Through his work with local governments across Colorado, Michael has developed a deep appreciation for how history, place, and civic identity shape successful communities, particularly in regions experiencing growth, tourism pressure, and infrastructure change. Michael is committed to preserving the county’s historic places, stories, and landscapes. He believes historic preservation is essential to community stewardship, ensuring Grand County’s heritage remains visible, accessible, and meaningful for generations to come, enduring locally.

Emilie McKittrick

Emilie, a Creative Development Manager for Getty Images, has a long familial connection with Grand County, where she lives in a historic cabin that was passed down through her family. Her grandparents, Retty and Willi Mueller, owned Sky Valley Ranch, across from Devil’s Thumb Ranch, in the 1940s-1950s and her aunt, Christi Northrop McRoy, built Rams Curl Ranch next to Sky Valley Ranch in the 1970s. As a photographer and rancher, her grandfather, Willi Mueller, photographed the agricultural importance of the area from sheep herders on Corona to cattle ranches in the valleys, as well as visiting dignitaries like President Eisenhower. Many of his images are now part of the GCHA archives. Emilie believes that capturing and preserving the stories of lives lived in Grand County’s early days adds immensely to the history of this special place. It is important to introduce newer residents and visitors to the variety and vibrancy of Grand County’s early residents.

Sara Rosene

More to come

Susan Ritschard

More to come