Our Board
Board of Directors
CanDee Baker is the Co-Founder and a founding Board Member of the Crafty Granny Project, a nonprofit organization she created alongside her sister to ensure every child has the opportunity to experience the power of creativity. Together, they envisioned an organization dedicated to supporting teachers, equipping classrooms, and expanding access to meaningful arts education so every student has the chance to discover their unique potential.
Professionally, CanDee is the Founder of eComm Financial Services, a Master Certified Profit First Professional®, a Certified Shopify Partner, and the author of Profit First for Retail™, where she shares practical strategies to help retail and eCommerce business owners build financially healthy, sustainable businesses. Throughout her career, she has helped entrepreneurs create stronger businesses by improving financial systems, increasing profitability, and building companies that support the lives they want to live.
Her passion for helping others extends beyond business. Through the Crafty Granny Project, CanDee combines her professional experience with her lifelong commitment to serving communities and creating opportunities for future generations.
CanDee believes that creativity is much more than making art—it is the foundation for innovation, critical thinking, communication, confidence, and problem-solving. These are skills that benefit students throughout their education and into adulthood.
The mission of the Crafty Granny Project is to support creativity in the classroom by providing teachers with art supplies, creative resources, classroom equipment, educational programs, and hands-on experiences that encourage every child to explore, imagine, and create.
Her philosophy is simple:
When we empower students, inspire creativity, spark curiosity, and nurture learning, we give every child the opportunity to build a happy, successful life.
CanDee is a passionate advocate for ensuring the Arts remain an essential part of STEAM education. She believes that when the arts are fully integrated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, students develop stronger problem-solving abilities, greater confidence, improved collaboration skills, and the courage to think beyond conventional solutions. The arts encourage children to ask questions, explore possibilities, and approach challenges with imagination—qualities that are essential in every career and every stage of life.
She believes every child deserves the opportunity to learn in an environment where imagination has no limits, curiosity is celebrated, and creativity is encouraged every day. By nurturing artistic expression alongside academic learning, students gain the confidence to dream bigger, discover their individual talents, and realize that there are no limits to what they can accomplish.
Through the Crafty Granny Project, CanDee is committed to ensuring every classroom has the resources to inspire the next generation of artists, innovators, educators, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers, and community leaders.
Whether guiding entrepreneurs toward more profitable businesses or inspiring students to discover their creative potential, CanDee is passionate about empowering others with the tools, confidence, and opportunities they need to build successful futures. She believes every child deserves the opportunity to create, explore, and imagine—and that by investing in young minds today, we help build a brighter, more innovative tomorrow.
Eleanor Hoskins is the Co-Founder and a founding Board Member of the Crafty Granny Project, a nonprofit organization she created alongside her sister to help ensure every child has the opportunity to learn, create, and thrive. Together, they founded the organization with a shared belief that creativity has the power to inspire confidence, unlock potential, and change lives.
For more than 20 years, Eleanor has served as a civilian employee with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where she currently serves as the Manager of the Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) Division. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside law enforcement professionals in support of the community while leading programs that require integrity, accountability, and a strong commitment to public service. Her experience has given her a unique perspective on the importance of providing children and families with positive opportunities, strong support systems, and the resources they need to build brighter futures.
Those experiences strengthened her commitment to serving children beyond her professional career. Eleanor believes that every child deserves an equal opportunity to discover their talents, express themselves creatively, and develop the confidence to pursue their dreams—regardless of their economic circumstances.
As a leader of the Crafty Granny Project, Eleanor is dedicated to supporting creativity in the classroom by helping provide teachers with art supplies, classroom resources, educational programs, and creative experiences that encourage imagination and lifelong learning.
She believes that when we invest in children, we invest in the future. By ensuring the Arts remain an essential part of STEAM education, students are given opportunities to think creatively, solve problems, collaborate with others, and develop the confidence to succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
Eleanor is known for her kindness, selfless spirit, and unwavering dedication to helping others. She approaches every decision with compassion, fairness, and the belief that every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential. Her leadership reflects the Crafty Granny Project's mission to empower students, inspire creativity, spark curiosity, and nurture learning—creating opportunities that can positively impact children for the rest of their lives.
For Eleanor, serving on the Board of the Crafty Granny Project is more than volunteer work—it's a lifelong commitment to helping build stronger communities by ensuring every child has the opportunity to imagine without limits, create with confidence, and grow into a happy, successful adult.
Gary Hoskins has dedicated his life to serving and protecting others. After proudly serving six years in the United States Air Force, he continued his commitment to public service as an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where he served the community for 17 years. Throughout his career, Gary gained a deep appreciation for the importance of strong families, supportive communities, and providing young people with positive opportunities to succeed.
His years of military and law enforcement service reinforced a belief that investing in children today helps build stronger communities tomorrow. Gary understands that when young people are encouraged, engaged, and supported, they are more likely to discover their strengths, develop confidence, and pursue bright futures.
As a member of the Crafty Granny Project Board of Directors, Gary is committed to supporting creativity in the classroom by helping provide teachers with the supplies, creative tools, and educational resources they need to inspire students. He recognizes that many educators generously invest their own time and money to enrich their classrooms, and he believes communities have a responsibility to stand beside them.
Gary is a strong advocate for ensuring the Arts remain an essential part of STEAM education. He believes creativity helps students become better problem-solvers, critical thinkers, communicators, and innovators. By encouraging imagination alongside academic learning, children gain confidence in their abilities and learn that there are countless paths to achieving their dreams.
He believes every child deserves the opportunity to explore their creativity regardless of their family's financial circumstances. Whether through painting, crafting, designing, building, or creating, Gary knows that artistic expression can open doors to new interests, lifelong skills, and future careers.
Known for his integrity, humility, dependability, and servant leadership, Gary brings a calm, thoughtful perspective to the Crafty Granny Project Board. His commitment to service continues beyond his professional career through his dedication to helping create opportunities that empower children and strengthen communities.
For Gary, serving on the Board of the Crafty Granny Project is an opportunity to invest in the next generation—ensuring every child has the encouragement, resources, and creative opportunities to imagine without limits, discover their potential, and build a future filled with purpose and possibility.
Helen B. Arnold, CFRE, brings more than 40 years of nonprofit leadership, fundraising expertise, and board governance experience to the Crafty Granny Project Board of Directors. An internationally recognized Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Helen has devoted her career to helping nonprofit organizations strengthen their missions, build meaningful donor relationships, and create lasting community impact.
Helen is the President of Arnold Olson Associates, a consulting firm specializing in fund development for nonprofit organizations. She is also a principal of Clearly Compliant, a company that provides charitable registration services to nonprofits nationwide. Throughout her career, she has helped organizations develop sustainable fundraising strategies, strengthen board leadership, and expand their ability to serve their communities.
A respected educator and mentor, Helen has taught and spoken nationally on fundraising, nonprofit ethics, grant writing, board development, capital campaigns, and organizational leadership. She is a Certified AFP Master Trainer, holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Iowa State University, serves as faculty for CharityChannel, and is a contributing author to You and Your Nonprofit: Practical Advice and Tips from the CharityChannel Professional Community.
Service has always been central to Helen's life. Over the years, she has volunteered on 58 nonprofit boards representing education, human services, faith-based organizations, youth development, and community initiatives across Chicago, New York, Eastern Iowa, and Las Vegas. Her extensive volunteer leadership reflects a lifelong commitment to strengthening organizations that improve lives and create opportunities for others.
As a member of the Crafty Granny Project Board of Directors, Helen is committed to helping build a strong and sustainable organization that expands opportunities for students and teachers. She believes that supporting creativity in the classroom helps children develop confidence, curiosity, resilience, and problem-solving skills that serve them throughout their lives. Helen is also a passionate advocate for ensuring the Arts remain an essential part of STEAM education, believing creativity plays a vital role in preparing students for the future.
Helen has received numerous honors recognizing her professional achievements and community service, including being named Outstanding Professional Fundraiser by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She continues to serve the nonprofit sector through leadership roles that advance philanthropy and strengthen charitable organizations around the world.
For Helen, serving on the Board of the Crafty Granny Project is an opportunity to help create lasting impact by supporting teachers, empowering students, and ensuring every child has access to the creative experiences that inspire lifelong learning and limitless possibilities.
Jason Rutel is the Founder and CEO of Creative Nomads, a creative agency dedicated to helping nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and mission-driven businesses communicate with clarity and purpose. Leading a team of more than 20 creatives, strategists, and digital specialists, Jason has spent his career helping organizations tell meaningful stories that inspire action and create lasting impact. The agency's guiding philosophy—"Mobilizing Good Creatively"—reflects his belief that great storytelling can strengthen communities and advance worthy causes.
Over the past several years, Creative Nomads has partnered with more than 100 organizations across the country, including nonprofits, ministries, and community-focused initiatives. Before founding the agency, Jason's work centered on communications within global missions, and his passion for serving organizations that make a difference continues to shape his leadership today.
In 2025, Jason and his family relocated to Northwest Arkansas, where they quickly found a welcoming community and a place to call home. His commitment to serving others has remained constant throughout his career, whether helping organizations communicate their mission or volunteering his time and expertise to causes that invest in the next generation.
Jason joined the Crafty Granny Project Board of Directors because he believes every child deserves access to the resources that inspire creativity, curiosity, and confidence. He understands the transformative power of creative expression and recognizes that many teachers work tirelessly to provide meaningful experiences for their students, often with limited resources. Supporting those educators is a mission he embraces wholeheartedly.
He is a strong advocate for ensuring the Arts remain an essential part of STEAM education, believing that creativity equips students with the skills they need to think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, and innovate throughout their lives. By investing in creative learning opportunities, Jason believes we empower children to discover their unique gifts and realize their full potential.
As a member of the Crafty Granny Project Board, Jason brings strategic leadership, communications expertise, and a passion for helping mission-driven organizations grow their impact. He is committed to ensuring the organization's story reaches more communities, inspires more supporters, and ultimately creates more opportunities for students and teachers.
For Jason, serving on the Board of the Crafty Granny Project is an opportunity to combine his professional experience with a cause he deeply believes in—helping ensure every child has the opportunity to imagine boldly, create freely, and build a future filled with possibility.