A pair of Parkites known for their quiet, selfless dedication to the community were named Citizens of the Year by the Park City Rotary Club this week — a recognition that many said was long overdue.
Dr. Rob Harter, the chief executive officer of the Christian Center of Park City, and Kim Carson, the former executive director of the Park City Education Foundation, former Summit County councilor and now chair of the High Valley Transit Board of Trustees, were awarded with the Linda Singer Berrett Professional Citizen of the Year and Jack C. Green Volunteer Citizen of the Year awards during a ceremony on Tuesday.
The annual awards have been given to citizens who have made significant contributions to the community and embody the values of the Four-Way Test followed by Rotarians.
“Park City has been a great place for all of us to live,” said Bob Richer, who oversees the awards. “But what really makes our community stand out is the work done behind the scenes by individuals like Kim and Rob who give tirelessly of their time and effort to make Park City and Summit County a better place for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. They embody our community spirit of helping each other.”
Selfless service
Harter has served as CEO of the Christian Center for more than 12 years. He was nominated by Park City Mayor Nann Worel, who said he exemplifies “service over self.”
For Harter, embodying the saying is part of how he was raised and an expression of his faith.
“I want to look at what the world needs and how can I with the resources and training and experiences I’ve had … make the biggest impact or meet the greatest needs of the world — or the community, in my case,” he said in an interview with The Park Record. “Service means giving back.”
The nonprofit leader also strives to lead by example. Jaime Mira, the food pantry manager, said Harter works shoulder to shoulder with staff and volunteers to put what he teaches into practice.
Originally from the Midwest, Harter moved to Park City from the Denver area in 2010 to work for the Christian Center. He had only worked in local faith communities at the time, but Harter was drawn to the nonprofit sector because it combined the service aspect of being a faith leader with a broader community approach.
He was also inspired by the potential of the nonprofit, which was working to meet area needs in a time where few other organizations were doing so. Former director Tim Dahlin set up the foundation, and Harter helped grow its potential to Summit County, and recently, Wasatch County.
Nearly every program — from rent assistance to Back 2 School Basics — has been improved under Harter’s leadership. The food pantry has also expanded, there are three thrift stores, and there’s a mental health counseling center, which is seeing tremendous success. The Christian Center has partnered with the Goshute tribe and members of the Navajo Nation, stretching its services beyond the Wasatch Back.
It’s been a great fit for Harter, who earned his doctorate in theology. He’s grown the organization from eight paid staff to a team of 72 while also balancing a $10 million budget, improving services and expanding into Heber City.
“There are a lot of moving parts. The challenge is always maintaining the vision, testing that vision so the team is on board and we’re moving in the right direction — so we don’t have a mission drift of going into things that are really not what we’re about,” Harter said.
Keeping staff and volunteers motivated, relentless fundraising efforts and engaging the community are essential to running a nonprofit, too.
Colleagues of Harter spoke about his enthusiasm, passion and endless supply of energy. It’s proven useful with his participation on various panels over the years, including standout moments as the chair of the Utah Nonprofits Association and the MLK Jr. Human Rights Commission of Utah as well as the board president of the Park City Interfaith Council and member of Mountainlands Community Trust and the Urban Indian Center.
Each role came at a different time. However, they all allowed Harter to connect with nonprofit stakeholders and organizations, which helped him establish relationships with other leaders and solidify crucial connections.
He said that’s especially important as the need for social services offered by organizations such as the Christian Center continues to rise, even after the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.
There’s opportunity for future growth, particularly with the nonprofit’s mental health services. Around one-third of the clients are from the Salt Lake area, according to Harter. He also plans to continue working with Summit County and Park City officials to address the community’s needs.
He accepted the award on behalf of his team — because the work wouldn’t be possible without them. He also thanked his wife and their three daughters for their support.
Committed to community
Kim Carson was unanimously selected because of her tireless commitment to the Summit County community for the last two decades. She was nominated by Chris Robinson and Roger Armstrong, with whom she served for eight years on the County Council.
Armstrong praised Carson’s willingness to serve in challenging roles that others might shy away from, such as establishing leash laws in Park City. He said she is thoughtful, wise and deliberate when making decisions.
Carson and her husband moved to Park City from Salt Lake City in 1987 after their home in Silver Springs was built. She became active in the schools and became a member of the parent-teacher organization at Parley’s Park Elementary School, later earning the title of president.
In the late 1990s, Carson was asked to join the board of the Park City Education Foundation.
Teresa Woodard, the executive director at the time, left the role for another position, and called Carson to ask if she would consider applying for the position. Carson did. And she was selected by the board soon after.
“It was a much smaller operation in those days,” she said in an interview.
The Education Foundation started a strategic planning process soon after, and it became apparent there was a need for the executive director who could put in more hours.
Carson wasn’t at a point in her life where she wanted to work full time and she felt she didn’t have the right professional background to help “raise the bar” in terms of fundraising. So she helped the organization launch another search for a new leader to help them get there.
A spot on the Board of Education opened up around the same time. Carson decided to campaign for the seat, with encouragement from former Park City Schools Superintendent Nancy DeFord. She was elected and her first term started in January of 2003.
“That was an incredible experience. I built some really strong relationships with the teachers and with the administration, and had some great mentors there,” Carson said. She mentioned the late David Chaplin, who was a prominent artist and educator, as well as Moe Hickey, who served almost seven years on the Board of Education.
Carson was on the school board until December of 2010, and served a stint as president. It was hard work and time consuming, she said, but it was worthwhile. Her colleagues praised her ability to be patient, humorous and motivated despite the hostile environments that can come with public service.
Two years later, Carson was elected to the Summit County Council.
Her desire to serve stems from the encouragement of those she admires and a deep investment in the Summit County community. Carson also had people committed to helping her succeed. She recalled meetings during her campaign with people who were knowledgeable in topics such as water, sewer and land planning. This gave her insight and background into important county issues.
“It just really helped me hit the ground running and I knew I wouldn’t be out there by myself,” she said.
During her time on the Park City Board of Education, the Summit County Council and now, the High Valley board of trustees, Carson has been regarded as the conscious and guiding hand of each board. She is someone who always puts the community and children first and has helped provide stability during periods of transition.
Even when Carson was ready to retire in 2021 after leaving the County Council, she was willing to step up for the High Valley chair position. Since then, the transportation district has seen great success with two million riders in two years.
Carson has around three and a half years left in her term and said she is committed to High Valley Transit, where there is plenty of work to do. She likened it to a public startup that’s still getting on its feet.
Her dedication to serving the community has provided Carson with several unique experiences. Former Summit County Manager Tom Fisher, who is a brigadier general and the former commander of the Utah Army National Guard’s Land Component Command, nominated Carson to spend a week at the Army War College in West Virginia.
Carson was also selected by Gov. Spencer Cox to serve on the Third District Judicial Nominating Commission, where she just completed a four-year term.
As a new grandparent, Carson plans to spend a bit more time in Colorado with her family. However, she affirmed she tries to be available to constituents as much as possible. Carson also wants to find a way to thank her mentors by paying it forward to the next generation of community leaders as a coach.
“There are a lot of different opinions on how we can do things, but I think if people can come together and identify some of the greatest interests they have and try to focus on that as they work through issues and really listen to what each other is saying, I think we can work toward finding solutions that will really continue to make this a great place to live,” Carson said.
The Park City Rotary Club started in 1980. The Citizen of the Year awards began the following year, with the professional award added in 1983.
Harter and Carson will be featured as grand marshals in the Miners Day parade.