The Carver Elementary PTO is a vibrant and dedicated group of parents, teachers, and staff members who work together to support our students and foster a strong school community. The Board, listed below, is comprised of the passionate individuals who volunteered their time and talents to organize events, fundraisers, and programs for the 2025/2026 school year. 

 

Whether you have questions about upcoming activities, ideas for new initiatives, or simply want to get involved, our board members are here to help. We encourage you to reach out to any of us with your inquiries or suggestions. Together, we can make a positive impact on our school community! 

Jessica Couillard

Board: President

 

I'm from Sleepy Eye, MN (because everyone knows someone from Sleepy Eye!) and have lived in Carver for 10 years with my husband Sean, and 2 kiddos Clara (8) and Lucas (6). I work at the University of Minnesota in Recreation and Wellness and do my best to prioritize time to engage with my kid's friends, peers, and families because it truly takes a village to raise a child.

When my oldest entered kindergarten, I tried to get involved to make this transition to a big school feel less intimidating. Volunteering in the classroom and at events quickly showed me what a great community exists at Carver Elementary and I grew to appreciate how the PTO contributed to this community by fostering fun opportunities and experiences for the students.

This coming year I'll have a 3rd grader and a 1st grader. I'm excited to be more involved and to invite and welcome others who would like to be involved too! 

Kelli Igoe

Board: Vice President 

You may recognize me from the school pickup line where I'm walked by our energetic chocolate lab - it's her favorite to see the kids!

 

My husband and I have one kid left at Carver Elementary - a fourth grader, Lucas. My oldest, Jack, started Middle School this year! I am a nurse by trade so you may catch my kids using my medical lingo! We love spending time at our family lake places, Friday movie nights, family games and I'm always looking for a good book. 

 

This is my fourth year on the PTO and I love meeting new families, getting to know the amazing Carver Elementary staff, and seeing the smiles on the kids' faces at school events! 

Billie Thomas

Board: Treasurer

If you’ve ever seen me at school drop-off rocking pajamas and a messy bun the size of my head, first of all...no you didn’t. But if you did, just know it probably followed a night of my kids treating bedtime like a group negotiation. We’re surviving (mostly) on love, coffee, and sheer willpower!

 

My husband and I have three energetic boys. Gunther is in 4th grade, Bruno just started Kindergarten, and little Magnus is our future Carver Coyote in training. Our home is equal parts chaos and fun—we love board games, puzzles, biking around town, reading stacks of books, playing tug-of-war with our new puppy and finding new adventures on family trips.

 

Professionally, I work in the finance space (which proves I'm much better with spreadsheets than glitter). Meanwhile, my kids are busy turning our house into a mini art studio...turns out creativity skipped a generation.

 

This is my second year on the Carver Elementary PTO, and I’m passionate about supporting our teachers, students, and school community. I'm excited to be part of the team again this year because together, we really can do great things!

 Andrea Kath

Board: Communications

You might have seen me cheering at my son’s lacrosse games or helping my daughter with her dance shoes. Our family loves skiing and snowboarding at Buck Hill and spending Sunday nights at Monarch Singletrack. My husband Brent, who graduated from Chaska in 2000, and I have two kids at Carver Elementary. I'm also an entrepreneur, which keeps life busy and exciting!

 

I’ve been volunteering with the PTO for a couple years and decided to take on an official role as the secretary last year. This year I'm the communications chair!  I’m passionate about supporting our amazing teachers and staff and helping to create a nurturing and positive environment for all the students. The PTO does incredible work, and our events are always a blast! It's also been a fantastic way to connect with other parents and create a wonderful circle of adult friends.

Erika Spande

Board: Event and Volunteer Coordinator

You may know me from the hockey rink, where I coach both my kids' teams, or as the loud-voiced momma cheering passionately from the sidelines at a baseball or soccer game. Sporting events are where you will usually see me and the family in our element and enjoying the company, camaraderie, and excitement each of them provides. A baseball game is actually where a fellow PTO mom recruited me to join and get involved, and I'm happy to say I have enjoyed each of the last 4 years serving on the PTO alongside some incredibly dedicated parents and teachers.
 
My husband and I have lived in Carver for 9 years and have two children - a 4th grader at Carver Elementary and a 6th grader that starts his middle school journey this year. We feel incredibly blessed to be part of the Coyote community that has offered such a fulfilling and enriching experience for our kids to grow and learn. I am grateful for the opportunity that being part of the PTO has provided in serving our school, getting to know many of the incredible staff we have there, and seeing the smiles of the children day in and day out, but especially at the fun extra PTO sponsored events that have always proven to be a big win for the Coyote families.
 
I am a registered trauma certified and wound care specialist nurse by day, and by night and on the weekends you will find me unwinding by playing hockey, helping run the Women's Hockey Association of MN (WHAM), coaching hockey and soccer, golfing with the family, playing with our two energetic dogs, coordinating the chaos of my active kiddos, or researching our next big family adventure.
 
I look forward to meeting new families this upcoming year and continuing to support the staff, kids and school with the many fun opportunities and allotments the PTO works hard to provide our Coyote family.

Abbey Nagel

Board: Event and Volunteer Coordinator

I’m new to the PTO board this year, and couldn’t be more excited. I love everything about our school and the sense of community that is fostered by the staff, students, and families. After volunteering in my kiddos classrooms throughout the years and helping with school events, I decided to take a more formal role on the board this year. I’ve loved learning more about what the PTO does and feel lucky to be part of something that makes such a large impact for our school.

 

My husband and I live in Chaska with our 3 kiddos—Lily who graduated from Carver last year and is headed to middle school, Luke who will be in 3rd grade, and our youngest, Sophie, who has one more year before officially becoming a Carver Coyote. We love taking advantage of the warm weather by spending as much time outside as possible, whether it’s taking our rescue pup French Toast out for a walk, reading on our porch or playing basketball out on the street with our (amazing) neighbors. I also like to keep busy by volunteering as a swim meet official, serving as a local election judge and most recently have joined the Chaska Basketball Association Board (like I said, I love our community).

 

I’m looking forward to a new school year, meeting new families and reconnecting with the ones from last year.

Kate Pierce

Leadership: Technology

 

 

Hi there! I am originally from Eden Prairie, MN and our family has lived in Carver since 2021. My husband, Preston, and I have three daughters - Molly (3rd grade), Nora (1st grade), and Presley, our spirited toddler who will join Carver Elementary in a few years. They keep us busy outside of school running around to dance classes and gymnastics - when we're not spending time with family or just hanging out at home.

 
This is my first year volunteering on the PTO and with two of our girls in elementary school, I am excited to get more involved and give back to a place that has already given us so much. Joining the PTO felt like a great way to connect with other families, support the staff, and help create fun experiences for our kids along the way. 
 
I am looking forward to a fun year ahead and always happy to chat with anyone who is curious about getting involved. Please don't hesitate to say hi!

Chelsea Eichmann

Leadership: Spiritwear

 

 

I grew up nearby in Belle Plaine and moved to Carver 3 years ago with our crew of boys.  My husband Brendan and I have four boys - Leo (1st grade), Noah (kindergarten), Bennett (3 yrs) and Carter (1 year).  My husband is incredible and stays home with the boys, while I help Target and Walmart strategize around how to best capture the Nutrition category.

It seems like space to be active is the key to success with boys.  You'll likely see our family playing whatever sport is in season, attending Twins games, at local parks or Brendan and I running away our worries as we train for marathons together.  
 
We feel so lucky to be a part of a kid-friendly community and have been super impressed by Carver Elementary.  I'm glad to have a bit of bandwidth left to give back to our PTO who is so committed to providing a great experience for our kiddos, and a great way to meet other parents.  Looking forward to another great schoolyear, Go Coyotes!

CoryAnn Bartusch

Leadership: Staff Appreciation

 

 

 

Hi my name is CoryAnn Bartusch. I grew up in Victoria and graduated from Chaska High School. My husband, Mark and I have two kids at Carver Elementary (Gavin 2nd grade and Greenly Kindergarten), and we absolutely love this school!
 
When we are not busy with hockey, lacrosse, or dance, we are at the cabin or finding our next adventure!
I am so excited to be member of the Carver PTO! Getting to know the parents, students, and staff has been an amazing experience. I cannot wait to give back to the wonderful community that I grew up in.
 
Looking forward to another successful school year!