OUR TEAM

Pete Louras worked as a senior executive of Clorox for more than a decade, building and operating a significant international business and working with people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds around the world. He continued to use his strong operations and financial expertise as the independent chairman of Simpson Manufacturing Company, Inc. He’s also served and led several boards of nonprofits and public and private companies in the last 35 years. Currently, he’s a member of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School board, the Aspen Hopsital Foundation board and Audit Committee, and he serves as a board member on the Pitkin County Financial Advisory Board. He and his wife, Sam, moved to Aspen full time in 2005 and enjoy skiing, golf, tennis, hiking, biking, and pickleball. 

Dr. Kimberly Levin is an emergency physician who moved to Aspen in 2006 and works in the ER at both Aspen Valley Hospital and Valley View Hospital. She did her Emergency Medicine residency at Stanford University in California. She also has a Masters in Public Heath and has filled the role of Pitkin County Medical Officer since 2013, advising the county on medical and public health issues, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She has participated in several medical trips to work in developing nations including in Haiti, Ethiopia, and Nicaragua. Originally from the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, Levin found home in Aspen where she can be passionate about her career while immersing in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.

Dr. Mary E. Schmidt is a physician, is board certified in Infectious Diseases, and has a master’s degree in public health focusing on the barriers to receiving and implementing care. She’s volunteered in several countries, each with different economic and health concerns. Dr. Schmidt is President of Schmidt & Libby Health Advisory Group, where she advises individuals and organizations on the best health and infectious disease practices. She’s participated on several boards and committees throughout her career, often taking leadership roles. In addition to Action for Afghan Women, she is on the board of Hememics Biotechnology Company and the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation. She’s been on the board of Inova Health System Quality and Safety, the Medical Society of Virginia, and was President of the Medical Staff of Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. Dr. Schmidt is involved in education as an adjunct professor in the School of International Health at John Hopkins School of Public Health, a fellow of the Infectious Disease Society of America, and a special advisor to the President of Elizabethtown College. She and her husband, Dr. Russell Libby, support scholarships for students at Elizabethtown College, George Washington University School of Medicine, and George Mason University. In her spare time, she likes to hike, bike, ski, listen to and play music.

Ward Hauenstein is serving his second term on the Aspen City Council. He’s served on many boards and commissions, including Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, Community Office for Resource Efficiency, Aspen Pitkin County Housing Authority, Aspen Community Church, Aspen Chapel, Colorado Association of Ski Towns, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Aspen Ski Club, and an after after-school program called Connect! Hauenstein started an IT business in 1986 and was previously involved in the skiing and bicycle industries. He's an active Nordic, AT, and alpine skier in the winter. In the summer, he enjoys hiking, sea kayaking, mountain, and road biking. He met his wife, Mimi, on the Bell Mountain ski lift. They were married in 1980 and have two grown daughters. He’s honored to devote efforts to educating women in Afghanistan.

Dr. Alana Shah has worked as a hospitalist at Aspen Valley Hospital since 2019 and is a board certified physician in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. She attended University of Pittsburgh for medical school and Vanderbilt University Medical Center for her residency. Prior to medical school, she worked full-time in Ecuador in the nonprofit sector as the Medical Brigade Coordinator for Timmy Global Health, an international organization empowering communities to improve local health outcomes. It was there that she gained a first-hand appreciation for the challenging path faced by so many people in developing countries. Dr. Shah also serves on the Executive Committee of the Section on Med-Peds for the American Academy of Pediatrics. She was honored to join AFAW and is invested in the mission to increase access to education for women​ in Afghanistan.

Barbara Platts has more than a decade of experience in the communication industry. She's worked in different forms of media, from public radio and podcasts to newspapers, magazines, and websites. She currently serves as an editor for two magazines, works with several brands on marketing content, and writes for multiple publications. Platts has experience in nonprofit work centered around women's rights in countries in the Middle East. She's been on the board of AFAW since the start. She was previously on the board of the Marshall Direct Fund, an organization dedicated to alleviating poverty in Pakistani communities by providing free, quality education for girls, as well as economic empowerment opportunities for women. She lives in Longmont, Colorado, with her husband, daughter, and three adorable pups. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @BarbaraPlatts.

Nadima Sahar, born in Kabul, holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Political Science and Public Policy and Administration from prestigious U.S. universities. Returning to Afghanistan in 2009, she co-founded the Galleria, promoting Afghan art and creating jobs. In 2011, she founded Soft Power Solutions, a research firm addressing health, education, governance, and food security. As Head of Afghanistan's Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority in 2018, she expanded student enrollment from 15,000 to 68,000 and increased educational centers from 54 to over 400 across all provinces. Ms. Sahar serves on the boards of the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women and the Afghan Women’s Chamber of Commerce, highlighting her commitment to empowering Afghan women and preserving cultural heritage. Her journey reflects her dedication to Afghanistan's socio-economic development, particularly for women and girls.