Board of Directors

Parent Representative

Hi, my name is Whitney Brady. I grew up in Lewistown and am a former student of Small Wonder. I'm a mom of three young kids and co-owner and operator of Lewistown Veterinary Service. I love cooking, spending time with my kids and husband, and working on my family's cattle ranch.
As a small business owner and mother, I'm very passionate about providing quality childcare to working families. I'm very proud to be on the board of directors and am excited to support Small Wonder and our amazing Central Montana community.

Board President

Hello! My name is Karly DeMars. I am a Small Wonder parent as well as the current Board President of Small Wonder’s Board of Directors. The Small Wonder Board of Directors (BOD) is a dynamic, results driven group of volunteers comprised of both parents of Small Wonder children and interested community members.

I’ve been involved in the Small Wonder BOD since August of 2019, starting as a parent representative. I have enjoyed learning the ins and outs of early childhood education requirements and am proud of the positive learning environment our staff, leadership and BOD provides to the youngest citizens of Central Montana.

Outside of my involvement on the Small Wonder BOD, I work full-time for the U.S. Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM). I am the Montana/Dakotas State Fire Planner, where I provide strategic planning and implementation support (both workforce and budget strategy) to BLM fire suppression and fuels management programs throughout Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. The skills I use in my daily work life have been valuable in helping me contribute to the BOD’s strategic (long-term) sustainable goals.

My husband Casey and I are proud parents of Olivia (8 years old – 2nd grade/Kids Club) and Cody (4 years old – Preschool/Purple Room). We enjoy exploring Central Montana – camping, hiking and rock hounding!

I’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at swboardofdirectors@gmail.com

Board Secretary

Hello! My name is Allison Wahl. I am a parent representative on the Small Wonder Board of Directors. My husband, Dakota, and I moved to Lewistown in 2018 with our two sons (now 6 and 4) and we have been a part of the Small Wonder family since. I work as a Commercial Lender with First Bank of Montana, am President of the Lewistown Rotary Club, and Treasurer for the Crooked Creek Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited. In our free time, my family enjoys the outdoors, especially camping and fishing at Fort Peck.

I am excited for the future of Lewistown and know that Small Wonder is important to it’s success. I am happy to offer my time and banking experience to help Small Wonder continue to succeed and grow!

Board Treasurer

I have been on the Small Wonder board of directors since August 2020, and I am the current board treasurer. I joined the Small Wonder board of directors because I wanted to help Small Wonder succeed in its mission to provide a nurturing and supportive environment to our young children as they grow and develop. As a Small Wonder parent and a CPA with over a decade of experience in accounting and finance, my professional background and my hope for a positive experience for my kids and others make me a dedicated and passionate board member for Small Wonder.

Community Representative

Community Representative

I grew up on my family’s ranch at Judith Gap and my husband grew up on his family’s ranch at Winifred. We have had the opportunity to live in various places around Montana over the years but have always considered Central Montana home! My family had the opportunity to move back to Lewistown 6 years ago and we have loved every minute of being back. As a family, we enjoy camping and all of the great outdoor activities that Central Montana has to offer. I work as a Compliance Officer for Citizens Bank and Trust out of Harlowton and Big Timber. We are a former Small Wonder family and I cannot express the amount of love and gratitude I have for the staff. I am passionate about our community and the wonderful service that Small Wonder provides.

Board Vice President

I am Clint Schaaf. I moved to Lewistown with my wife Kim, and my son, Roland. Since then, we have
added Marshall and Franny-Lou to the family. I am a Professional Geologist with a degree from MSU-Bozeman who works with Absaroka Energy in Buffalo, WY. I founded the local medieval sword club in town, so if you see some weirdo running around in Medieval armor, it’s probably (though not
necessarily) me. My sons began learning at Small Wonder in lucky year 2020. Since then, Franny has joined them. My
oldest boy, Rolly, has just graduated kinder-prep and is ready to begin kindergarten this fall. I was asked by Small Wonder to join the board in 2020, shortly after Roland and Marshall began there. I thought it would be a great way to get to know other parents and better understand the system Small Wonder has set up for the children. A daycare is nothing without the teachers. I have sought to make the teachers jobs more enjoyable and ensure they are compensated fairly for their hard work. Early childhood development is the most
important time in a person’s life, and the teachers aren’t “watching children”, but rather building the
foundations for successful adults.