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SANDPOINT — There are a few new faces on Kinderhaven’s board of directors.

The local children’s shelter and foster home recently announced that Betsy Dalessio and Rick Howarth joined the board.

A Sandpoint native, Dalessio said she was honored to join the board, adding she feels a deep passion, responsibility and call to serve the community in which she grew up.

"Growing up a Bulldog, I was offered every opportunity our area provides — access to sports teams, skiing at Schweitzer, attending camps and community events, and much more," Dalessio said. "I believe all children deserve the same opportunities I had, despite socioeconomic status and life circumstances and I am thrilled to join such a successful non-profit organization that truly puts children first." 

Dalessio has an extensive background in education, and currently works as the assistant principal at Farmin Stidwell Elementary, the school she attended as a child.

She is a graduate of University of Idaho, University of Montana, Northwest Nazarene University, and is a doctoral candidate at Liberty University, researching ways to support and encourage greater academic success of children experiencing homelessness.

In addition to serving on the Kinderhaven Board of Directors, she also works with Bonner Homeless Transitions, is the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison for Lake Pend Oreille School District, and is an avid grant writer.

She and her husband, Justin, reside in Sandpoint with their two children, a beautiful yellow lab and an old grumpy cat.

Howarth and his wife, Debbie, live in Sandpoint with their twin daughters, Anna and Alyssa.

Howarth, who grew up in Montana and Idaho, met his wife, Debbie, whose family are longtime residents of Sandpoint, at the University of Idaho.

"It was always our dream to retire in Sandpoint so that we could enjoy all that the community and the surrounding area have to offer," he said.

Howarth retired in 2020 after 36 years in the high tech industry, most recently at Intel Corporation as vice president of the Non-Volatile Memory Solutions Group. His responsibilities at Intel included development and start-up of technologically advanced manufacturing facilities.

He spent a large portion of his career overseas in China and Vietnam, where he initiated an education consortium called HEEAP — which continues to expand today — aimed at transforming engineering education taught in developing countries. Rick and team were honored with the Award for Corporate Excellence by then Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

Howarth’s community leadership includes service as president of the American Chamber of Commerce in both, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and Dalian, China as well as serving on the Litehouse Board. He is a very active member in the communities he has lived in through various service projects, including work with his church and non-profit education initiatives. 

Howarth prioritizes time with his family traveling, skiing, cycling, golfing and boating.

Kinderhaven serves an emergency shelter for children who had been removed from their homes for their own safety — usually abuse or neglect — as well as a group home, with no time limit for how long children can stay.

Currently licensed to house up to 16 children, Kinderhaven has welcomed about 2,000 children since it opened in 2006.

Kinderhaven also takes children of all ages, from birth to 18 for girls, and until around 11 years old for boys because of safety precautions. Many teenagers who go to Kinderhaven end up staying until they age out of the system.

Information: kinderhavensandpoint.com

Caroline Lobsinger can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @CarolDailyBee.