MEET OUR TEAm
Andrea Keith
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
staff
Andrea is originally from Texas, where she attended Austin College and graduated Magna cum Laude with a dual degree in Psychology and Spanish. In January 2009, Andrea Keith and Lindsay Lavelle came together in Playa Sámara with a shared dream: to provide free, high-quality supplementary education to local youth. With just $2,000, art supplies, and a tiny library, they joined forces with Laura Ellington, founder of Intercultura language school, and Asociación CREAR was born.
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Over the past 15 years, Andrea has transformed CREAR into a thriving, sustainable, and self-supporting non-profit organization widely recognized within the community. Andrea's dedication and innovative approach to social entrepreneurship earned her the prestigious Yo Creo Award in 2015. She is known for her ability to engage and energize volunteers, staff, and community members, and for her strategic vision in securing funding and fostering partnerships. Her work includes grant writing, program evaluation, and maintaining high standards in finance, administration, and communication.
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Andrea is passionate about continuous improvement and development, both for herself and for CREAR. She enjoys surfing, playing the piano and spending time with her big black lab, Kimbo, who also serves as CREAR's official mascot.
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Bea was born and raised in El Torito and is a long-time friend of CREAR, originally volunteering with us as early as 2011 and serving as our English teacher in 2019-2020. Since 2023, Bea has served as our Programs Manager. She works diligently to support our teachers and assure that our programs run smoothly and can grow in a sustainable way.
Beatriz Jirón Arias
VOLUNTEER MANAGER
Rachele is a former student of CREAR who loved the program so much she returned to work for us. She is currently in charge of our In-School Assembly Program and the implementation of the Creando Futuros program within the local high school. She is honored to work for a program that she is an alumni of as well as work within schools that she is an alumni of. Rachele is a graduate of the University of Costa Rica where she earned her degree in Psychology.
Rachele Maestrini Bravo
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Yerusha is from El Torito and attended CREAR since she was 5 years old. She now serves as the assistant for all of the CREAR programs within her community. She loves that she has evolved from student to teacher within CREAR and is proud to inspire and help educate the next generation of children from her town.
Yerusha Ruiz
EL TORITO TEACHER'S ASSISTANT
Sandra Austrich
SAMARA ART TEACHER
Sandra is originally from Cuba but lived many years in Canada. She has been living in Samara for the past two years and loves the lifestyle. She studied graphic design in Havana and loves to encourage students to use their creativity to express themselves and create unique art.
Sami Kritz
COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT
Sami is from Florida but has called Guanacaste home since 2014. She loves reading, writing, and traveling. At CREAR, she manages most announcements, updates, and emails, helping the organization increase its visibility and engagement.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Bill Burden
Bill was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona where he earned a degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona. He has worked in business, management, marketing, and sales for over 13 years in a wide range of fields. He is also a certified English teacher and holds a master's degree in International Teaching from Framingham State University. Currently, Bill is a photographer and marketer for the Costa Rica School of Massage Therapy. He also provides consulting in the areas of design and digital marketing for Asociación CREAR. Bill is passionate about adventures and spending time with friends and family.
Tess McGrath
Originally from Albany, New York, Tess first volunteered at Asociacion CREAR in June of 2012 while pursuing her master’s degree in
non-profit management. After graduating from SUNY Albany, she returned to Samara and has been working closely with CREAR since. She is passionate about creating unique opportunities for growth among youth.
Barbara Miller
Barbara is originally from California and has lived in Costa Rica since 1999. She has a double Bachelors degree in Psychology and Multicultural and Gender Studies. She holds a Masters in Educational Administration, and a Masters in TESOL. She is the founding Director of Costa Rica TEFL, an ESL teacher training school in Playa Samara. In addition to training TEFL teachers, she is often invited by the MEP (Ministry of Public Education in Costa Rica) to lead workshops in classroom management and the use of multiple intelligence activities in the EFL classroom. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and exploring beautiful Costa Rica.
