Julie is the deputy office director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for Region VIII, Montana Office, which is in Helena. Julie is a 17 year employee of the U.S. EPA, with experience managing complex Superfund and watershed projects. She currently has direct management responsibilities for water quality planning, protection and remediation programs. Julie is a graduate of Montana State University with a Masters in Public Administration. She has served on the boards of the Montana Alliance for Progressive Policy, Montana Environmental Information Center, Plymouth Congregational Church, and Helena Area Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, with her U.S. EPA work, Julie manages a number of grants to local and regional watershed groups supporting nonprofit efforts to sustain and protect water quality.
Steve us currently the executive director of the Montana's Children's Initiative, an array of accessible, sustainable, quality services that offer healing, recovery and hope for Montana's children and families. Through the end of 2004, Steve was the executive director of the Montana Commission on Community Service, and served in this capacity for nearly four years. Previously, Steve served for ten years as the executive director of the Montana Conservation Corps headquartered in Bozeman, Montana. Steve worked for 21 years with the Montana State Board of Crime Control, managing juvenile justice grants programs. During his extensive career in state government, Steve was involved in several state initiatives to restructure youth services and promote state/private partnerships.
Al is the watershed coordinator for the Sun and Teton Rivers near Great Falls, Montana. For the past twelve years, he has worked as a consultant, helping local watershed efforts find funding and solutions to local natural resource issues. Al grew up on a farm in Illinois, entered the Air Force in 1971, and retired from the Air Force in 1995. For the past 25 years, he has been active in many Montana water related issues. His service to the nonprofit sector includes serving as a board member of the Soil & Water Conservation Society, past president of the Montana Wildlife Federation and board member for many years, and former board member of the Montana Consensus Council.
At the conclusion of a successful career in heavy industrial machinery marketing and sales, Dick returned to his native Montana and is the principal in RBR & Associates, Business & Tax Consultants. Dick has been active in many nonprofit volunteer capacities, both in Butte and statewide. Dick served on the Organizing Committee, Steering Committee, and Founding Board of Directors of the Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA).
Margaret is an educator, having spend 31 years in public education teaching high school English, French, photography, publications, and adult education. She has developed and implemented outcome based curriculum and has led several student tours to Europe. She is presently a free lance photographer, writer and book editor in the Montana-Idaho region. Margaret was born and raised in Helena and graduated from Helena High School. She did her undergraduate work at the University of Great Falls and obtained her Masters in Education from Grand Canyon University. She moved to Townsend in 1976.
Hal is an economist and planner with the Montana Department of Transportation. He was previously the executive director of the Downtown Helena Business Improvement District and the Helena Parking Commission and served in various planning, analytic and policy capacities with the City of Helena, the Northwest Policy Center (University of Washington), the Montana Department of Commerce, and the United States Senate. Hal holds a B. A. from the University of Montana in Psychology, a Ph. D. in economic geography from the University of Washington, and an M.B.A. from the University of Montana.
Joan is currently senior philanthropic advisor for St. Vincent Healthcare Foundation in Billings, Montana. She has 28 years development experience in the nonprofit sector, having worked on behalf of the Montana Arts Foundation, ZooMontana, Professional Grants Management, Billings Clinic Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County Endowment Foundation. As owner of Professional Grants Management, Joan provided fundraising services to nonprofit organizations and government entities. She was an arts management fellow for the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2002 received the Outstanding Fund Raising Executive award from the Montana chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals. Joan, a native of Havre, Montana, has made her home in Billings since her days as a college student at Eastern Montana College where she received her B.S. degree in 1980.
Bill is the owner of Milton Mediation and Facilitation, which helps build resilient communities through skillful dialogue. He is also a partner in the Milton Ranch with his wife Dana, his brother Max and his children Moria, Cameron and Morgan. Bill manages the ranch, which has a commitment to working with public agencies and the local community residents in land management. He is a mediator for the Farm Service Agency Mediation Program and co-coordinator of Lower Musselshell Conservation District Watershed Planning. Bill was a founding board member of the Montana Land Reliance and former chair of the Musselshell Valley Stockgrowers Association. He is an active community member and currently chairs School District 55 and 55H Board of Trustees, serves as chair of the Musselshell Valley Community Foundation and is a board member of the Billings Community Foundation. Bill studied agriculture at Montana State University in Bozeman and natural resources management at the University of California.
Mary is development director for Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter, an open door, no kill shelter in Bozeman, Montana. Prior to joining Heart of the Valley in October 2007, Mary was with the Museum of the Rockies for nine years, where she provided executive leadership for both annual and capital campaign efforts. Mary was the first-ever development director for the MSU College of Nursing, as well as for NAFSA: Association of International Educators. She holds a B. A. in psychology from Wellesley College, with graduate work in Russian language and linguistics. Her published writings deal with cross-cultural ethics, international education, accreditation and fundraising. Mary maintains an active consulting practice and has led fundraising workshops on four continents. She is also active in the local community, helping organizations to raise money, develop strategic plans, design programs and structures for sustainability. Mary and her family moved to Bozeman in 1994 from Washington, D.C.
Denis is president of Strategic Consulting Services, established in 1994 to help a wide range of organizations think, plan and act more strategically. Previously, as director of the Health Program at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (1983-1994), he was responsible for the development and implementation of programs in mental health and human development, and in tropical disease research. Denis was associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 1978 to 1983 and responsible for the formulation and implementation of national science and technology policies in the health, agricultural and environmental sciences. He began his career in 1960 as a research scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); was a U.S. Public Health Service Fellow at Stanford University (1965-1968); and named chief of the Contraceptive Development Branch at NIH in 1969. From there Denis moved to the Battelle Memorial Institute, in Seattle, where he was the director of the Battelle Population Research Center. Denis received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and his Ph. D in physiology from Stanford University. He currently serves on the board of the Park County Community Foundation.
In January of 2001, Mike became the Big Sky Institute's full–time executive director. Prior to accepting this position, Mike was the president and owner of Eaglecliff Associates, a Helena–based consulting firm specializing in organizational development and fundraising for nonprofit organizations. Mike has over 34 years of professional experience in nonprofit program development, administration and fundraising, including 24 years as a consultant to nonprofits in the Northern Rockies. Mike has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Chicago and an M.S. in natural resources from the University of Michigan.
Michele Infanger joined Big Sky Institute in 2003 as its bookkeeper. She has a 20 year bookkeeping background starting in the banking and credit union industry. She currently keeps the books for and manages a local Bed and Breakfast in Wolf Creek, Montana and a Volunteer Fire Department.
Judi joined Big Sky Institute in July 2007. She is responsible for its information technology, website and database resources. In addition she acts as office operations manager and performs program associate duties for the Organizational Effectiveness Grantmaking (OEG) program. Judi has 25 years experience in small business operations and has experience as a founder of two local non-profits. Judi attended American University in journalism and psychology.
Michael joined Big Sky Institute as its development coordinator in 2007. He began his work with nonprofits in 1980 and has mentored clients in Arkansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Nevada and Nebraska. He holds a B.A. in English and philosophy from the University of Montana, an MFA in fiction and film from the University of Arkansas and a LL.B. in contract law from the Blackstone School of Law.
Bill joined Big Sky Institute in July 2006 as the projects coordinator for the Montana Philanthropy Initiative. Additionally, Bill represents BSI as a member of the Montana Governor’s Task Force on Endowments and Philanthropy and is a liaison to the Indian Nonprofit Association. He has 25 years of experience developing philanthropy in Montana and the Rocky Mountain west, working with state agencies, and community foundations, and as an independent consultant. Bill holds a B. A. in sociology from Rutgers University and a M.S. in sociology with a minor in film from the University of Wisconsin.
Rachael joined Big Sky Institute in 2007 as research coordinator for the Philanthropic Divide Initiative. Prior to joining BSI, Rachael was a researcher for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), where she focused on rural development philanthropy issues and Rural Philanthropy: Building Dialog From Within. Before receiving a B.A. in history from Temple University, Rachael studied fine arts at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
