MEET THE TEAM

Betsy Carver

Executive Director
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Betsy, who joined the River Discovery team in March 2017, has roots in Wyoming and studied at the University of Idaho. After living in various states including Missouri, Alaska, Oregon, and California, she made Boise her permanent home in 2014. Betsy is passionate about fostering connections within the River Discovery community, engaging with supporters, and enriching the experiences of participants.

Kathi Denton

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Kathi has been involved with River Discovery since 2014, participating and volunteering. She loves the laughter, healing, peacefulness, and friendship each adventure brings to the participants.

Tiffany Fulks

BOARD SECRETARY
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Tiffany grew up in the water and on the snow here in Idaho and believes in nature’s healing and restorative powers.  Water is a magical place to be and she hopes to help other forever fighters to also find their place in the bountiful beauty of the outdoors.   Tiffany is busy keeping up with her two littles and is always grateful to find time for skiing, camping, hiking, paddle boarding, and baking!

Jacob Morse

BOARD TREASURER
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Jacob grew up in Buhl, Idaho where he came to love the sagebrush deserts and box canyons. A graduate of Notre Dame and Gonzaga (Masters of Accountancy). In June 2021 he married his college sweetheart in Stanley, ID. A stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, he will be five years cancer free in March 2022. He loves spending time with his wife, Shannon, and his black lab mutt, Stoney, as well as traveling, watching the Irish and Zags, and enjoying a new video game.

Savvy Blake

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Savvy started with River Discovery as a white-water guide for day trip adventures. She grew up in Boise and started rafting at the age of 7. Her passion is to educate and share the rafting world with everyone, which is how she found this organization. Her most precious memories are sharing those experiences with the incredible people from River Discovery. She wishes to continue working in the nonprofit world, working on fundraising and marketing skills to further her career.

Brett Brown

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Brett, originally from Wisconsin and a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe, relocated to Alaska in her twenties. A former state martial arts champion, she taught Tae-Kwon-Do and Ju-Jitsu to children while also enjoying various outdoor activities like mountain biking, kayaking, and skiing. With a degree in Human Services, Brett welcomed twins in 2012 and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. In 2019, Brett and her twins embarked on a new adventure in Boise, Idaho. Always attuned to nature’s healing powers, Brett finds solace and strength in the outdoors.

Emily Edmiston

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Emily grew up in Colorado where she cut her river teeth on the Arkansas, Poudre, Eagle, and Colorado Rivers. SInce moving to Idaho in 2005, Emily enjoys exploring the great outdoors in the Gem State with her two sons. Emily is a sunshine junkie and cancer warrior. If she is not skiing, rafting or sitting in a hot springs on the river, Emily is probably teaching her 2nd graders or doing a crossword puzzle.

Cody Sohn

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Cody joined the River Discovery community in August 2021, taking part in the 6-day raft trip down the Salmon River. River Discovery challenged and connected her to others who had experienced cancer and she is excited to help others have similar experiences.  Cody holds a master’s degree in sport and performance psychology, and is pursuing a combined degree in clinical mental health counseling and sport and performance psychology. She loves running, hiking and moments in the inflatable kayaks.

Carmen French

BOARD DIRECTOR
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Carmen, a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma in October 2017, during her third year of graduate school at ISU. She found solace and joy near the water, particularly on the Salmon River with River Discovery. Despite her journey taking an unexpected turn to Stage 4, Carmen is thriving with a “No Evidence of Disease” status. She plans to cherish this for a long time, watching her grandchildren grow.

​Amy Tonsmeire

BOARD ADVISOR
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Amy joined the board in 2014 after her incredible mother Frannie Tonsmeire passed away. The mission and impact of River Discovery really means the world to her as she sees the enormous impact these programs have on those dueling with cancer through her volunteer work as a river guide on summer adventures.

Carly Knudsen

GUIDE ADVISOR
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Carly grew up in Salmon, Idaho playing in the rivers and mountains, and continues to spend all the time she can in those special places. A 2019 graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Montana. She currently guides for the Tonsmeire family company, Wilderness River Outfitters, and is pursuing a Masters in wilderness and recreational therapy at the University of Utah.

Becky Leach

Paddle Out Cancer Volunteer
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It took Becky until recently to learn that I truly love the water.  My first real rafting experience was in 2019, and it is now her favorite thing to do!  She has introduced her family to whitewater, and they think she’s a little nuts.  They paddleboard together, float the Boise River, and just bought a kayak.  She loves to perform; singing in the choir and on stage in Broadway musicals!  Becky lives in Nampa with her family, on a hobby farm where they raise dairy goats, llamas, and chickens.

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