About US
Who we are
The Boulder Cuba Sister City Organization (BOCUSCO) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-political, all-volunteer citizen network that exists to create lasting partnerships to promote cultural sharing, understanding, and exchange between citizens of Boulder, Colorado, and the municipality of Yateras, Guantánamo, Cuba. Yateras, a municipality located in the mountainous easternmost Cuban province of Guantánamo, became Boulder’s sixth sister city in 2002. President Eisenhower promoted a people-to-people initiative in 1956 to involve individuals in citizen diplomacy, with the hope that personal relationships, fostered through sister city, county, and state affiliations, would lessen the chance of future world conflicts. Boulder is a member of Sister Cities International and has other sister cities in Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nepal, Palestine, Tibet, and Tajikistan.
Although many of our exchanges and activities involve the community of Yateras, we are also involved in projects, such as health and environmental projects in other areas of Guantánamo Province, including Baracoa and Guantánamo City.
















Our leadership
Tom Kunstman
President
Tom oversees our initiatives and partnerships, ensuring our mission is fulfilled.
Photo in Santiago de Cuba
Kim Horton
Vice President & Operations Director
Kim manages our day-to-day operations, keeping projects on track and initiatives moving forward. She coordinates committees, oversees interns and ensures our team’s talents are used effectively to advance our mission.
Photo in Humboldt National Park
Bill Medina
Board Member
Bill was born in Cuba and now lives in Estes Park, Colorado with his family. He joined our Board in November 2024
Bill’s Professional Photo
Herchel Goldberg
Board Member
Herschel Goldberg lives half the year in Cuba and runs a bicycle tour company.
Photo in Holguin, Cuba
Patrick Bohin
Board Member
Patrick is an avid cyclist who has traveled recently to Cuba. He’s worked with the Yamagata Sister Cities project.
Photo is in Boulder
Russ Chandler
Board Member
Russ owns Full Cycle in Boulder, Colorado and is passionate about Cuba and our mission to help the people, despite government barriers.
Photo in Santiago de Cuba
Joan O'Connell
Past Board Member
Joan O’Connell, PhD, is a health economist on the faculty of the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver. She has traveled to Cuba many times to collaborate on health projects, which have included providing health supplies.
Photo in Cienfuegos, Cuba
Mike Sandrock
Past President
Mike has been instrumental in guiding our organization’s vision and growth.
Photo in Holguin, Cuba
Val and Spense Havlick
Val and Spense’s leadership has left a lasting impact on our community initiatives.
Photo in Humboldt National Park