Presenters
Melinda Barnes--Executive Director of Bike Walk Montana
Melinda is an avid bike commuter and also loves to mountain bike, road bike, and run. She loves getting people involved in biking and even more so in commuting. In 2010, Melinda began a local month long bike/walk commute to work challenge and became involved in local advocacy for non-motorized transportation. Taking it to a broader level, she helped to found Bike Walk Montana and became the first staff person in September 2012.
Jen Boyer--Cofounder, Future West
Future West is a nonprofit conservation organization that helps communities identify, choose, and achieve their desired future. Dedicated to fostering a constructive dialogue around natural resource and rural development issues, Future West provides the information, expertise and the public engagement tools essential for wise decision making. The payoff is a great place to live and work, a shared sense of community pride, and clear path to the future. Our vision: Future West works to realize a future where communities have a shared sense of place, robust economies, and sound stewardship of natural, cultural, and community assets.
Jennifer Boyer cofounded Future West with the goal of providing direct support for collaborative conservation projects. She has directed and organized Western watershed groups including the Big Hole River in Montana. She has led and organized community based planning efforts and facilitated training workshops on related topics. Her facilitation skills been have been utilized in public planning, organizational development and campaigns. Jennifer’s academic background is in fisheries, rural sociology and facilitation with a BS from Cornell University and a MS from Oregon State University.
Dianna Broadie, AICP--Planning Director, Miles City; Primary Planner Dawson County; Contract Planner McCone and Wibaux Counties
Dianna Broadie, AICP started her career as an at home mother and citizen activist on a planning commission in Kirkland, Washington. She then decided that she wanted to complete her education and went back to school earn a degree in Planning Studies. Shortly before graduation she landed an internship with the City of Redmond in their traffic planning department. This was merged into the long range planning department where she went on to develop skills in GIS and coordinate and write portions of the newly required Comprehensive Plan under the Growth Management Act. Her work was to coordinate with utility providers both outside and in the Public Works Department as well as preparing various zoning updates. Her job later evolved to development of the historic preservation plan for the City as well as to manage the transfer of development rights program, annexation, and growth projections. She then moved to Flathead County to try her hand at rural planning. Deciding she enjoyed rural planning, she accepted the job of Planning Director for Miles City and now is the primary planner for Dawson County as well as a contract planner for McCone and Wibaux counties.
Nicole Brown--Director, Broadwater County Community Development
Nichole Brown is a fifth generation Montanan, wife, and mother to two very active girls. She has been employed with Broadwater County for 11 years with no plans of ever leaving Townsend if she can help it. She most recently became the Broadwater County Community Development Director. She and her husband have owned and operated a gravel pit and readymix plant just outside of Townsend for the past 15 years. In her spare time when she is not running her daughters to practice or attending one of their many athletic events she can be found wandering the mountain trails with her troupe of adventurous friends, or sometimes just her faithful pup. She is a member of the Broadwater County Development Corporation (BCDC), Broadwater County Trust Board, Local Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church.
Doug Clark--Anaconda Deer Lodge Planning Director
Doug Clark has been serving as the ADLC Planning Director since April 2012. Prior to that, Doug spent seven years with the City of Lindsay, California, a small ag community in the central San Joaquin Valley working as a planning intern, a fulltime planner, and then a development project manager. During his time in Anaconda, Doug has worked closely with Jay Slocum and Planning/ICs team to standardize the County’s day today implementation of the County’s permitting policies and processes, including work to complete the County’s first comprehensive update to the DPS since its adoption in 1992. Doug has a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly-SLO, and a B.A. in History from BYU Hawaii. (Also, for the sake of his wife’s reputation, Doug is obligated to disclose that she is a native Mission Valley Montanan and his entry to Montana was only allowed as a direct result of her grace and magnanimity in marrying him.)
Charlie Coleman--Remedial Project Manager, EPA
Charlie Coleman is EPA's remedial project manager for the Anaconda Smelter NPL site, a large Superfund mining Mega-site in southwestern Montana, a position he has held since 1989. He specializes in complex negotiations with responsible parties, state partners, local governments, and other stakeholders to achieve fair and equitable cleanups to protect human health and the environment while supporting EPA's many initiatives for redevelopment of Superfund sites. Mr. Coleman is an environmental engineer with a degree from Montana Tech.
David Corcoran--Land Use Planning Specialist, Community Development Division at the Montana Department of Commerce
David currently works as a Land Use Planning Specialist in the Community Development Division of the Montana Department of Commerce. Prior to this, he spent two years working for Powell County in their Planning Department. He received his master’s degree in Planning in 2012 from the University of Arizona and his bachelor’s in Geography with a GIS emphasis from the University of Wyoming in 2010. Prior to working for Powell County, David worked on projects for the Arizona Department of Housing, Pima County Arizona, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the city of McCall, Idaho.
Janet Cornish--Owner and Principal, Community Development Services of Montana
Janet Cornish is the owner and principal of Community Development Services of Montana. She holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Wisconsin in Political Science and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. She has 35 years of experience in community planning, downtown redevelopment, historic preservation, capital improvements and transportation planning, heritage tourism, housing, and municipal finance, particularly in the area of tax increment financing. Janet recently completed growth policies for the town of East Helena and Butte-Silver Bow. Janet is a past president of the Montana Association of Planners and also served as the organization’s treasurer. She has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for eight years.
Anne Cossitt, AICP--Founder, Cossitt Consulting
Anne Cossitt, AICP, CoChair MAP Legislative Committee, began Cossitt Consulting in 1994. Over the course of her career to date, Anne has worked on a variety of land use planning projects at the local, state, and federal levels. She was project manager for the USFS/BLM EIS on the Jerritt Canyon Mine Expansion in Nevada and the Little Missouri Oil and Gas Leasing EIS in western North Dakota. In Montana, she was consultant project lead on the Turner Land Exchange with the state of Montana, Bannack State Park and Giant Springs State Park Management Plans, and has been involved in community and land use planning projects in more than half of Montana's 56 counties. In 2009, she moved from Park City, Montana to Helena.
Dave DeGrandpre, AICP--Principal Planner, Land Solutions LLC
Dave DeGrandpre, AICP is the Principal Planner at Land Solutions, LLC. Dave has practiced the art of planning in Montana for the past 17 years. He opened Land Solutions in 2005 to serve public and private sector clients across the state. His recent efforts have focused on updating growth policies, annexation plans, impact fee studies, downtown revitalization, development review and updating zoning and subdivision codes for Montana cities and counties. Previously he worked as a Senior Planner and then Planning Director for Lake County in Polson, Montana during a period of rapid growth and development. In addition to running Land Solutions, Dave serves on the Board of Directors for the Montana Association of Planners.
Elizabeth Erickson--Project Manager/Principal Hydrogeologist, Water & Environmental Technologies
Ms. Erickson has a M.S. degree in Geosciences/ Hydrogeological Engineering and a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering. She began her career as a Geophysicist for AMOCO Oil in Houston, Texas in the Africa and Middle East Division, before moving back to Montana and starting a consulting firm with two other partners. The consulting firm, Water & Environmental Technologies has been in business for over twelve years. For much of that time, Elizabeth has worked on Superfund or Superfund related projects, principally on the Anaconda and Butte sites. Tasks associated with the varied Superfund related projects listed below include project management, remedial investigation, monitoring and reporting. She has provided technical review and assistance services on remedial investigation and design documents, ground water monitoring and modeling documents and developed a Controlled Ground Water Area Petition in compliance with ROD requirements. Ms. Erickson has developed three dimensional geologic and hydrogeologic models of site data for interpretation, remedial design and litigation purposes. She has provided project management and oversight services for the Interim Institutional Controls Program for Anaconda Deer Lodge County (ADLC), and negotiation, technical and oversight services for ADLC for all aspects of the current negotiations between ADLC, USEPA and Atlantic Richfield for the last year. This work has included technical, review and negotiation services and the development of multiple technical documents in coordination with Atlantic Richfield (AR) and in conjunction with a ROD modification and Consent Decree negotiation between USEPA and AR.
Ms. Erickson was selected by Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Paul Babb to chair the Butte Natural Resource Damage Council (BNRC), which was tasked to develop a plan to guide the expenditure of the $28M Natural Resource Damage (NRD) Butte Area One (BAO) fund. Butte Area One is a subarea of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, which follows the historic course of Silver Bow Creek from Texas Avenue to Montana Street, through the middle of the Butte community. The 3YR plan development included multiple public meetings and workshops and relied heavily on citizen input on restoring the natural resources in and near the community. The plan was completed in the fall of 2012 and unanimously accepted by the Advisory Council to the Governor. The Governor signed the plan in December 2012 and it is currently in the implementation stage. The BNRC continues in an oversight role to ensure plan implementation as envisioned.
Laura Erickson--Community Development Coordinator, Lewis and Clark County
Laura Erikson is currently the Community Development Coordinator for Lewis and Clark County. She has worn many hats over the years, bus driver, forester, organic farmer, tribal tree salesperson a.k.a. Johnny Mango Seed, Environmental Health Specialist, Lead Educator, and backcountry ski guide. Outside of work her current obsessions are mountain biking single track sections of the Continental Divide Trail and being an Airbnb host. Laura is the project coordinator for the Joint Land Use Study project.
Wyeth Friday, AICP--CityCounty Planning Division Manager, City of Billings and Yellowstone County
Wyeth Friday is the Manager for the City-County Planning Division. The Planning Division provides planning services to the City of Billings and most of Yellowstone County. He manages a staff of eight planners and administrative staff. Wyeth has worked for the Planning Division for 11 years, serving as Manager for the past eight years. During his tenure, he has worked on current and long range planning projects, including management of a grant and project administration for an update of the County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan and West Billings Flood Mitigation and Groundwater Recharge Study, participation on a complete streets working group to implement the City’s Complete Streets Policy, and ongoing leadership of the City’s Annexation Committee to administer the City’s Annexation Policy in coordination with the City’s Capital Improvement Program. Wyeth recently brought an expansion of a local Tax Increment Finance District through the review and approval process.
Wyeth has been a member of the American Planning Association since 2001 and of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2006. He has been involved with the Montana Association of Planners since 2005, including a stint as President of the organization, and continues to work on projects with MAP.
Dennis Glick--Director and cofounder, Future West
Dennis Glick is the Director and cofounder of Future West, a nonprofit organization based in Bozeman that helps communities create the future that they want. Future West provides information, training, technical assistance and facilitation services to key land use decision makers in the Northern Rockies. Previously, Dennis was the Director of the Sonoran Institute's Bozeman Office, the Private Land Stewardship Director for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Co-Director of the Wildlands and Human Needs Program of the World Wildlife Fund. He has a BS from Oregon State University and a MS from the University of Michigan.
Jerry Grebenc--Senior Planner, Great West Engineering
Jerry has worked in the community development profession in Montana for 15 years on issues ranging from comprehensive planning and infrastructure to subdivision and zoning. He has managed the development of subdivisions in the private sector for a number of consulting firms and served as a land use planner and planning director for Lewis and Clark County. At the Montana Department of Commerce he was the bureau chief for the Planning Division and program manager for the Community Technical Assistance Program, where he provided advice and assistance to local governments on land use planning and community development related issues. He moved onto serve as a project manager for both the Sonoran Institute and Future West working on conservation projects in Montana and Wyoming. Just recently he joined Great West Engineering as the firm’s senior planner. Jerry received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and Master of Arts in Geography/Land Use Planning, from the University of Montana.
Andrew Hagemeier, AICP--Community Planner, Land Solutions LLC
Andrew is currently a Community Planner based out of Helena with Land Solutions LLC. His experience as a planner includes work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In the public sector, Andrew was a neighborhood planner, working with communities in a wide range of landscapes facing unique and challenging issues. In the nonprofit sector, Andrew wrote Pathways to Prosperity, a publication for the National Parks Conservation Association that focuses on the competitive advantage comminutes surrounding large intact protected landscapes have at attracting talented employees and innovating businesses. He helped organize and establish a grassroots collaborative planning partnership to create a vision for forest management on the west side of Glacier National Park. While with Land Solutions, Andrew worked with the a team of department heads from state government and Montana business leaders to draft the Main Street Montana Project, an economic development plan for the State of Montana. Andrew specializes in long-range planning, community outreach and community development.
Lieutenant Colonel James Hesterberg--Construction and Facility Management Officer for the Montana Army National Guard, Fort Harrison, Helena, MT.
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) James Hesterberg was raised in Kalispell, Montana, and graduated from Flathead High School in 1986. He attended Montana State University on a four year ROTC Scholarship. In 1990 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer branch. LTC Hesterberg graduated from MSU in 1991 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Engineering Technology. Upon completion of Engineer Officer Basic Course in 1991 he entered the Montana Army National Guard. Additionally LTC Hesterberg’s education includes the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Staff and Service School, Intermediate Level Education, and he holds a Masters Degree in Facility Management Engineering from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. He is currently enrolled in the US Army War College class of 2016. LTC Hesterberg’s past assignments include Platoon Leader, 1063d Combat Engineer Company, Platoon Leader and Detachment Commander, Det 1, 1063 Combat Engineer Company, Platoon Leader and Company Commander 1063d Construction Support Engineer Company, Operations and Training Officer, Training Site Headquarters, S4, 3rd BDE Afghan National Army Embedded Training Team, Engineer Officer, Joint Force HQ’s MTNG, HHC Co Commander, Training Center Headquarters, and Chief of Department of Public Works, Training Center Headquarters. LTC Hesterberg works full time at Fort Harrison, Helena, MT, as the Construction and Facility Management Officer for the Montana Army National Guard.
Chase Hibbard--President, Sieben Live Stock Company
Chase is the President of Sieben Live Stock Company in Helena/Cascade, Montana. It is a 4th generation cattle and sheep ranch currently transitioning to the 5th generation. The ranch has grazed portions of the Beartooth Game Range owned by the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks since 1992. Chase is a cofounder and remains an active participant in the Devil’s Kitchen Management Team.
Robert Horne, Jr., AICP--Consultant, Applied Communications LLC
Robert Horne, Jr., AICP is a native of Florida and received his Master of Science in Planning from Florida State University. Following stints with a regional planning commission in Alabama and a water management district in Florida, he moved out west in 1980 and worked in Colorado Springs for 9 years (4 ½ with the City, and 4 ½ in private practice). He was Planning Director in Jackson, WY for 8 years and was the lead planner for the Town of Jackson on the JacksonTeton County Comprehensive Plan. From 1997 to 2003 he was CityCounty Planning Director in Great Falls, where he once again directed and wrote a comprehensive plan, and revised it to meet Growth Policy standards before leaving that position. In 2005 he was hired by the City of Whitefish to set up their first local planning program and toyou guessed itwrite a growth policy. After two years in Whitefish, he reentered private practice with Applied Communications LLC, a firm founded by his wife, Kate McMahon, over 16 years ago. AppCom is now a twoperson planning firm whose client base is primarily small communities and rural counties. At this time they are working on several projects around Montana. He has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for five years.
John How, AICP--Planner, KLJ
John is a planner with KLJ and leads their Montana planning group. He led the update to Richland County’s Growth Policy and coordinated with KLJ’s engineers and transportation planners regarding the County’s Transportation Plan. John also serves as the City of Sidney’s contract planner as well as for several other Montana Communities including the City of Glendive, the City of Conrad, the City of Bozeman, Fallon County and Park County. In his free time, he loves fishing mountain lakes and hiking the lesser known trails around the state. He and his wife, Kristin, are also expecting their second child in January; their son Jack in excited to become a big brother. John, on the other hand, is slowly realizing sleep is becoming an abstract thought that doesn’t really exist
Jim Jarvis--Consultant, Historysmith Consulting Services
James (Jim) R. Jarvis has worked in the historic preservation planning field for the past 15 years, specializing in community development, adaptive reuse of historic properties, and heritage tourism. Over this period, he has served as the Historic Preservation Planner for the CityCounty of Butte-Silver Bow and the Town of Virginia City, Montana.
Currently, Jim works as an independent planning consultant through his firm Historysmith Consulting Services, located in Virginia City, Montana. With an emphasis on project management, facility design, and fundraising, he has served various nonprofit organizations and communities wishing to expand public facilities, revitalize historic properties, and expand heritage tourism programs.
After a 12 year career as an environmental chemist, a lifelong passion for history and architecture lend Jim to pursue a Masters degree in Historic Preservation and Community Development from the University of Oregon.
Jim has contributed to numerous publications and conferences on subjects ranging from the Bozeman Trail to the industrial heritage of Butte, Montana. He is currently working on a book entitled, “Historysmithing – The Art of Working with History”. Jim, a Midwestern transplant, resides in Virginia City, Montana with his wife Sheri, a professional multimedia artist and native of Glasgow, Montana.
Jason Karp--Director of Planning, City of Belgrade
Jason recently celebrated his 20year anniversary working for the City in the Planning and Building Department. During most of that tenure, Belgrade has been one of the fastest growing cities in Montana. A lifelong Gallatin Valley Resident, Jason is also an avid cyclist. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University Bozeman in Political Science. Jason and his wife Brenda live in Belgrade and are the parents of two grown children, Stephanie and Jackson, along with their corgi, Ernie.
Barbara Kingery--Section Supervisor, Subdivision Program with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Barbara Kingery is the section supervisor of the Subdivision Program and a professional engineer with the Department of Environmental Quality. She has over 10 years of experience reviewing water, wastewater and storm water plans for the Montana DEQ Subdivision Section. Prior to moving to Montana, she worked for a private consultant in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joe Kruger--Forest Plan Revision Team Leader, Flathead National Forest
Joe Krueger is a US Forest Service employee specializing in national forest law, planning and policy. He has worked for the Forest Service since 1988 in Washington DC, California and Montana. He is currently the Forest Plan Revision Team Leader on the Flathead National Forest leading the process of drafting a revised Flathead National Forest Plan. He has served as a technical advisor for the US Government on natural resource and forest planning issues throughout Africa and Asia over the past 10 years. He has a B.S. in Forest Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and served in the Peace Corps Community Forestry Volunteer in Nepal from 19911993. When he is not being a planner, he spends his free time hiking and reading.
Nick Kaufman--Land Use Planner, WGM Group, Inc
Nick Kaufman has more than 37 years of experience in the planning and design of residential, commercial, and industrial development. In addition, his experience includes the development of traditional neighborhoods and award winning conservation design.
Nick has a Master’s degree in Rural, Town, and Regional Planning and a BA in Economics – both from the University of Montana. He has also been an instructor at the University of Montana teaching land use design. Nick was the Chairman of the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce during the last legislative session and currently serves on MAP’s Legislative Committee Nick’s education and experience allow him to incorporate innovative planning and design options with a thorough understanding of the public review process into each project for maximum return to both the client and the community.
Bill Long--Consultant, Solid Ground Consulting
Bill retired from a thirty year career in private land conservation at the Montana Land Reliance in 2009. As a Managing Director, his responsibilities included assisting landowners protect their ranches with conservation easements, fundraising, public outreach and education, and planning and financial management. He has been the facilitator of Devil’s Kitchen Management Team for 25 years. Bill currently works as a consultant with Solid Ground Consulting, based in Portland, Oregon.
Chase is the President of Sieben Live Stock Company in Helena/Cascade, Montana. It is a 4th generation cattle and sheep ranch currently transitioning to the 5th generation. The ranch has grazed portions of the Beartooth Game Range owned by the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks since 1992. Chase is a cofounder and remains an active participant in the Devil’s Kitchen Management Team.
Kelly Lynch--Administrator, Community Development Division, Montana Department of Commerce
Kelly was raised in East Helena, Montana and graduated from Helena High School in 1989. She received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1993; her M.A. in Urban Planning in 1997 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. in 2001 from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2001 and the State Bar of Montana in 2003.
Kelly joined the Montana Department of Commerce in July 2007, serving as the Staff Attorney for the Community Technical Assistant Program (CTAP), support legal counsel in the Director’s Office, and then Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for the Department. In March 2010, Kelly was appointed as the Administrator for the Community Development Division with the Montana Department of Commerce. As Administrator, she oversees the Coal Board, Hard Rock Mining Impact Board, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP), Quality Schools Grant Program, and Treasure State Endowment Programs (TSEP). Kelly is responsible for overseeing the allocation and administration of over $120 million in state and federal grant funding and technical planning assistance to local governmental entities in Montana for community development planning and infrastructure construction.
After receiving her J.D. in 2001, Kelly was employed at the law firm of Richards, Watson & Gershon in Los Angeles, California, from August 2001 to August 2003, where she served as special counsel to several California cities and public agencies in land use planning, environmental review, water supply planning, and agricultural land and open space preservation.
From August 2003 to November 2006, Kelly served as Deputy County Counsel for the County of Santa Barbara, California, where she provided land use, planning, subdivision, and environmental review advice to the Planning & Development, Redevelopment Agency, Public Works, and other county departments.
Hollie Lund--MAP Lobbyist
Hollie Lund pursued her law degree following a nearly tenyear academic career in urban planning and community development. She now has her own law firm with offices in Helena, Montana and Bellingham, Washington, where she practices a mixture of land use law, local food law and estate planning. Hollie was the lobbyist for the Montana Association of Planners for the 2015 legislative session, and continues to teach as an adjunct professor in the accredited Urban and Regional Planning program at Cal Poly Pomona. She also draws from experience in property and water law, agriculture law, administrative and municipal law, and employment law.
Mary McCormick--Butte-Silver Bow Historic Preservation Officer
Mary McCormick is an architectural historian with 30 years of professional experience in historic preservation. Mary spent most of her carrier as a working partner, along with Mitzi Rossillon, in a small cultural resource firm in Butte, where she specialized in the inventory and evaluation of dams, mines and other industrial resources. From 2011 to 2014, Mary held an historian position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle. She currently serves as the Historic Preservation Officer for Butte-Silver Bow, a position she accepted in July 2015. Mary is acutely aware of the complexities of balancing historic preservation needs with other community issues.
Greg McNally--Planner II, Lewis and Clark County Community Development and Planning
Greg McNally has worked as a Land Use Planner with the Lewis and Clark County Community Development and Planning Department since June 2005. The Community Development and Planning Department is responsible for the coordination and guidance of growth and development through planning, zoning, subdivision review, parks, transportation, and special districts. Greg leads the Department in the development and administration of subdivision regulations and he represents the Department on the Lewis and Clark County Rural Fire Council. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the Montana Association of Planners, and a Board Member of FireSafe Montana. Greg received a B.A. degree in rural sociology and an M.S. degree in geography from the University of Montana.
Laval Means--Planning Services Manager, Development Services, City of Missoula
As Manager, Laval oversees the activities of the long range planning division of Development Services. During her 18year tenure with Missoula government, her accomplishments include leading a complete overhaul and rewrite of the City’s zoning ordinance as well as managing several neighborhood planning projects including the Wye Mullan Neighborhood Plan and the Joint Northside/Westside Neighborhood Plan. She is currently managing the development of a new growth policy for the City. Prior to joining the City of Missoula, she worked for several architecture offices. She holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture with an emphasis in Urban Planning and is a licensed Architect in Montana. Her emphasis during her education along with her interests focus on understanding how a sense of place and community identity can be enhanced through the built environment. Developing the growth policy is the perfect opportunity to explore how identity, community, and development come together. She supports a collaborative team environment that spans from the workplace to the community.
Roger Millar, AICP--Vice President, Smart Growth America
Roger serves as Director of SGA’s Leadership Institute and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Roger has held leadership positions in the public and private sectors, most recently as Director of the Missoula Office of Planning and Grants. Roger is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Certified Floodplain Manager. He is Past President of the Oregon Section of ASCE and of the Montana Association of Planners.
Anindita Mitra, AICP--President of CREÄ Affiliates, Seattle, Washington
Anindita is an award winning planner, designer and president of CREÄ Affiliates, a practice focused on sustainable planning, design and landscapes. Anindita has authored several reports including “Painting the Town Green” and “Energy Fact Sheets – United States” for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Foundation in London, and chaired the committee that developed the leading publication for the American Society for Civil Engineers, “Planning Infrastructure to Sustain America.” An accomplished writer, her articles have appeared in publications for the Urban Land Institute, Municipal Research Services Center, the National Civic Review and The Local Environment. Ms. Mitra has been active with the Community Indicators Consortium since 2004 and was their President from 20072009. She also established an energy task force and a climate and sustainability initiative for the Washington Chapter of the APA. Ms. Mitra is currently writing a book about helping cities retain and attract small, homegrown, local businesses, “Planning for the 99%.” You can follow her blog at: http://www.creaaffiliates.com/Our_Stories.html.
Brent Moore, AICP--Planning Group Manager, CTA Architects Engineers
Brent Moore, AICP, is the Planning Group Manager for CTA. Brent was raised in Northeast Montana and went on to St. Olaf College for undergraduate, and then pursued a graduate degree from Florida State University in Urban and Regional Planning. Following graduate school, Brent practiced planning in a high growth area in Southwest Florida. He returned to Montana to be the first Planning Director for the City of Red Lodge. He now manages an office for CTA in Red Lodge and provides planning services to public and private sector clients throughout the region. His current work focuses on providing growth management expertise to clients throughout Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. He’s also been leading the planning practice into urban planning opportunities in Canada.
Lucy MorellGengler--Planner, City of Helena Planning Division
Lucy Morell-Gengler grew up in a large family in south Texas which may have been what sparked her interest in group dynamics. She earned undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice and developed a fascination with local government while attending the LBJ School of Public Affairs. When she and her husband decided to settled down they agreed Montana was a much better place to raise kids than Washington D.C. So they loaded up the van and moved to Helena. Ms. Morell-Gengler has been a Planner with the City of Helena for over 15 years. During that time she has processed many land use application, particularly subdivisions, and worked on updates to the city Subdivision Regulations and Growth Policy.
Allison Mouch, AICP--Planning Bureau Chief, Montana Department of Commerce Community Development Division
Allison joined the Montana Department of Commerce in March 2012 as Planning Bureau Chief for the Community Development Division. As Bureau Chief, Allison oversees the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Montana Main Street Program, in addition to administering a variety of state and federal grant programs in support of comprehensive planning activities throughout Montana. Allison has over 10 years of professional planning experience in the public, private and nonprofit sector, spanning several states including Montana, Ohio and Virginia. She holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Miami University (OH). Allison is an AICP certified professional planner and an active member of the American Planning Association (APA), president of APA’s Western Central Chapter (MT, WY, ND, SD), and currently sits on the Montana Association of Planners (MAP) Board of Directors. Allison also serves on the Zoning Commission for the City of Helena. In her spare time she enjoys trail running (often with her dog Paxson) and any number of outdoor activities Montana has to offer, whether it be summer, fall, winter or spring. She and her husband Andrew own a 133 year old home in the South Hills of Helena that they enjoy (continuously) fixing up!
Paul Nicol--Special Assistant Attorney General, Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Paul Nicol is a Staff Attorney for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He currently represents the Public Water and Subdivisions Bureau, as well as, the Waste and Underground Tank Management Bureau. Paul prosecutes and defends cases for DEQ, works as a hearings examiner, and provides general legal counsel. Paul graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2010 with a Certificate in Natural Resources Conflict Resolution. Before making the transition to DEQ he worked as a Deputy County Attorney in Flathead County working closely with the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department.
Daniel M. Norderud, AICP Consulting Planner, Robert Peccia & Associates
Daniel M. Norderud, AICP, has more than 36 years of professional planning experience and has conducted a wide variety of work for numerous Federal, State, and local governments and private clients during his career. The majority of his work has been focused on community and public infrastructure planning, the development of transportation facilities, NEPA/MEPA compliance activities, and environmental permitting. Dan received a B.S. in Earth Science-Geographical Planning from Montana State University in 1978 and briefly served as an intern with the Gallatin County Planning Office. He has been a consulting planner with Robert Peccia & Associates in Helena since 1979. Dan has been a member of the Montana Association of Planners since 1981 and has been a member of the Western Central Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) since 1997.
Monica Plecker--Community Planner, CTA Architects Engineers
Monica Plecker is a community planner in CTA’s planning group. Prior to coming to CTA, she served as the Planning Director for the City/County Planning Department in Laurel and Yellowstone County, Montana and as a Regional Planner in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Monica was recently awarded a Professional Achievement Award from the Montana Association of Planners for her work on the City of Laurel’s Growth Management Plan. She is particularly interested in and enjoys long-range planning, contemplating ways to bridge the gap between infrastructure deficiencies and land use planning, and innovative financing tools aimed at plan implementation
Marilyn Ross--Chairman, Montana Heritage Commission
Marilyn Ross is wellknown in historic preservation circles in Montana. She served as Chairman of the Butte Public Archives for 20 years. She is fond of telling the story of the creation of the Public Archives in an old fire station with not much more than broken glass, pigeon doodoo, and idealistic volunteers. During her tenure the Butte Archives grew to national recognition including two national awards for the preservation of history. However, Marilyn still says her greatest accomplishment during that period was hiring Ellen Crain who has guided the Archivers into the impressive institution it is today.
In 2005 Marilyn was appointed by then Governor Brian Schweitzer to the 7 member Historic and Cultural Advisory Council charged with studying the benefits of historic preservation and providing information and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
In 2006 Marilyn was appointed by the Governor to the Montana Heritage Preservation and Development Commission. She has served as Chair of the Heritage Commission since 2009. In that capacity she has guided the work of the Heritage Commission in its mandate of preserving and developing Virginia City, Nevada City and Reeder’s Alley as historic, cultural and economic resources to the State. Under her leadership Virginia and Nevada Cities have become the number 1 tourist destination in the State and welcomes thousands of families every year to experience Montana’s birth and history.
When not busy with all of that Marilyn was also elected Madison County Commissioner and has served on numerous local, county, state and national preservation councils and committees.
Mitzi Rossillon--Archeological Consultant and Owner of Mitzi Rossillon, Consulting Archeologist, LLC
Mitzi Rossillon is an historic archaeologist who owns a small cultural resource consulting firm in Butte. A good part of her career has focused historic mining and milling technologies and the archaeological remains of associated camps. Mitzi has worked on and off over the last 15 years at three Superfund sites in western Montana, conducting field inventories and evaluations and preparing historic preservation plans. She currently serves as a member of Butte-Silver Bow’s Historic Preservation Commission and its Redevelopment Trust Fund Authority.
Chris Saunders, AICP--Policy and Planning Manager, City of Bozeman Department of Planning and Community Development
Chris Saunders, AICP is Policy and Planning Manager for the City of Bozeman Department of Planning and Community Development. He has been with the City for over 14 years and has been lead or co-lead planner for several of Bozeman’s most significant recent planning processes including a new Unified Development Ordinance, Transportation Plan Update, and growth policy. Mr. Saunders received his Master’s degree in Town and Regional Planning in 1993 from Utah State University. He has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for eight years.
Dori Skrukrud, MLA Community Development Coordinator, County of Butte-Silver Bow
Ms. Skrukrud has worked for the City and County of Butte-Silver Bow since 1991, first in the Planning Department and for the last thirteen years in the office of Community Development. In 1998, she began serving as the staff member to the Greenway Management Board, responsible for project design, engineering, implementation and management of the Silver Bow Creek Greenway project and managing the administration of Natural Resource Damage Program restoration grants in excess of $19M for the Silver Bow Creek Greenway.
Jay Slocum Wildlife Biologist/GIS Specialist, Water and Environmental Technologies
Jay Slocum is a Wildlife Biologist/GIS Specialist employed by Water and Environmental Technologies who began working on issues associated with the Smelter Hill NPL Superfund Site in 2010 as an environmental consultant. During his 5 years with the Superfund Program Jay has developed multiple databases that manage and analyze ADLC’s Development Permit System (DPS) through the use of geospatial data. By utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) he manages ADLC’s geospatial database system and serves as the county’s primary cartographer. Jay has trained other Superfund Program staff the intricacies of GIS so that the Interim Institutional Controls Program (IICP) is fully supported by the capabilities of geospatial data analysis. As part of an interdisciplinary team task with effectively implementing ADLC’s Development Permit System (DPS), he has intimate knowledge of the local land development regulations as well as the guidelines adopted pursuant to Superfund remediation, including the Interim Institutional Controls Program (IICP). Jay was involved in creating the Administrative/Major Development Permit (ADP/MDP) application forms used by the public and was also involved in the development and implementation of the General Utility and Street Opening Permit (GUS). He understands the importance of coordinating with other county departments to achieve overall longterm Superfund Program goals. He was involved with the creation of the Community Protective Measures Program (CPMP) which allows the Superfund Program to respond to public health and safety inquiries associated with the superfund site. He created many of the protocols and procedure implemented by the Superfund Program presently and is responsible for the administration and future development of the program. In order to manage and analyze the local permits and public inquires he continues to develop database tracking and reporting methods that are strongly tied to geospatial data and promote long term Superfund Program goals.
Michael Sweet--Research and Information Systems Specialist, Montana Climate Office
Michael Sweet is a Research and Information Systems Specialist with the Montana Climate Office. His primary duties are to provide analytical and information systems support. Mike has been at the University of Montana since 1983 as forest researcher, and joined the staff of the Montana Climate Office in 2012. He is active in the Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals and has worked extensively in geographic information systems since 1988. Mike has degrees in Resource Conservation, Sociology, and Computer Science. Prior to arriving at The University of Montana, he worked with the Forestry Division of the Montana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service’s Aerial Fire Depot, Ninemile Range District, and the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Warren Vaughan--Director of the Gallatin County BEAR Program, Gallatin County Planning and Community Development Department
Warren Vaughan has worked at the Gallatin County Planning and Community Development Department for 11 years. Much of that time has been spent working around the edges of the planning profession looking for ways to expand the definition of planning and community development. Most recently he has directed the Gallatin County/Bozeman Business Expansion and Retention Program (BEAR), an economic development program connecting business owners with mentors, coaching, and training opportunities.
Ken Wall Founder and President, Geodata Services, Inc.
Ken Wall has 27 years of GIS experience and has been founder and president of Geodata Services, Inc. since 1993. Mr. Wall is an industry leader in GIS and collaborative process. He has applied geospatial analysis to many projects in the US and Australia. Geodata Services has been a business partner with ESRI for 17 years and was awarded new partner of the year in 2000, and founding partner of the year in 2008. Mr. Wall served as an instructor on many courses and training sessions in GIS, and is one of the leading instructors in ArcGIS Online. Ken Wall is a certified Esri Desktop Associate, and is a CompTIA CTT+ Certified Technical Trainer. Mr Wall is a certified CommunityViz consultant and trainer. He was also certified to teach ArcGIS Desktop I, II and III courses. Geodata Services, Inc. is one of 55 Esri ArcGIS Online Specialty Partners recognized worldwide.
Tom Zavitz, AICP--Senior Planner, Development Services, City of Missoula, Montana
Tom is nearing his tenth year as a planner in the City of Missoula. During this time he has reviewed building permits, staffed the Board of Adjustment, and guided several changes to the development code through adoption including allowance of accessory dwelling units, new subdivision street and road standards, and now is leading the citizendriven writing of the new growth policy. Prior to joining the City of Missoula he led a company specializing in environmental compliance of largescale utility construction projects. He holds a Master’s Degree from Montana State University in Land Rehabilitation and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. In his work, he especially enjoys helping community members understand and participate in the planning process.
Melinda is an avid bike commuter and also loves to mountain bike, road bike, and run. She loves getting people involved in biking and even more so in commuting. In 2010, Melinda began a local month long bike/walk commute to work challenge and became involved in local advocacy for non-motorized transportation. Taking it to a broader level, she helped to found Bike Walk Montana and became the first staff person in September 2012.
Jen Boyer--Cofounder, Future West
Future West is a nonprofit conservation organization that helps communities identify, choose, and achieve their desired future. Dedicated to fostering a constructive dialogue around natural resource and rural development issues, Future West provides the information, expertise and the public engagement tools essential for wise decision making. The payoff is a great place to live and work, a shared sense of community pride, and clear path to the future. Our vision: Future West works to realize a future where communities have a shared sense of place, robust economies, and sound stewardship of natural, cultural, and community assets.
Jennifer Boyer cofounded Future West with the goal of providing direct support for collaborative conservation projects. She has directed and organized Western watershed groups including the Big Hole River in Montana. She has led and organized community based planning efforts and facilitated training workshops on related topics. Her facilitation skills been have been utilized in public planning, organizational development and campaigns. Jennifer’s academic background is in fisheries, rural sociology and facilitation with a BS from Cornell University and a MS from Oregon State University.
Dianna Broadie, AICP--Planning Director, Miles City; Primary Planner Dawson County; Contract Planner McCone and Wibaux Counties
Dianna Broadie, AICP started her career as an at home mother and citizen activist on a planning commission in Kirkland, Washington. She then decided that she wanted to complete her education and went back to school earn a degree in Planning Studies. Shortly before graduation she landed an internship with the City of Redmond in their traffic planning department. This was merged into the long range planning department where she went on to develop skills in GIS and coordinate and write portions of the newly required Comprehensive Plan under the Growth Management Act. Her work was to coordinate with utility providers both outside and in the Public Works Department as well as preparing various zoning updates. Her job later evolved to development of the historic preservation plan for the City as well as to manage the transfer of development rights program, annexation, and growth projections. She then moved to Flathead County to try her hand at rural planning. Deciding she enjoyed rural planning, she accepted the job of Planning Director for Miles City and now is the primary planner for Dawson County as well as a contract planner for McCone and Wibaux counties.
Nicole Brown--Director, Broadwater County Community Development
Nichole Brown is a fifth generation Montanan, wife, and mother to two very active girls. She has been employed with Broadwater County for 11 years with no plans of ever leaving Townsend if she can help it. She most recently became the Broadwater County Community Development Director. She and her husband have owned and operated a gravel pit and readymix plant just outside of Townsend for the past 15 years. In her spare time when she is not running her daughters to practice or attending one of their many athletic events she can be found wandering the mountain trails with her troupe of adventurous friends, or sometimes just her faithful pup. She is a member of the Broadwater County Development Corporation (BCDC), Broadwater County Trust Board, Local Advisory Committee on Mental Health and Trailhead Christian Fellowship Church.
Doug Clark--Anaconda Deer Lodge Planning Director
Doug Clark has been serving as the ADLC Planning Director since April 2012. Prior to that, Doug spent seven years with the City of Lindsay, California, a small ag community in the central San Joaquin Valley working as a planning intern, a fulltime planner, and then a development project manager. During his time in Anaconda, Doug has worked closely with Jay Slocum and Planning/ICs team to standardize the County’s day today implementation of the County’s permitting policies and processes, including work to complete the County’s first comprehensive update to the DPS since its adoption in 1992. Doug has a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly-SLO, and a B.A. in History from BYU Hawaii. (Also, for the sake of his wife’s reputation, Doug is obligated to disclose that she is a native Mission Valley Montanan and his entry to Montana was only allowed as a direct result of her grace and magnanimity in marrying him.)
Charlie Coleman--Remedial Project Manager, EPA
Charlie Coleman is EPA's remedial project manager for the Anaconda Smelter NPL site, a large Superfund mining Mega-site in southwestern Montana, a position he has held since 1989. He specializes in complex negotiations with responsible parties, state partners, local governments, and other stakeholders to achieve fair and equitable cleanups to protect human health and the environment while supporting EPA's many initiatives for redevelopment of Superfund sites. Mr. Coleman is an environmental engineer with a degree from Montana Tech.
David Corcoran--Land Use Planning Specialist, Community Development Division at the Montana Department of Commerce
David currently works as a Land Use Planning Specialist in the Community Development Division of the Montana Department of Commerce. Prior to this, he spent two years working for Powell County in their Planning Department. He received his master’s degree in Planning in 2012 from the University of Arizona and his bachelor’s in Geography with a GIS emphasis from the University of Wyoming in 2010. Prior to working for Powell County, David worked on projects for the Arizona Department of Housing, Pima County Arizona, the Wyoming Department of Transportation, and the city of McCall, Idaho.
Janet Cornish--Owner and Principal, Community Development Services of Montana
Janet Cornish is the owner and principal of Community Development Services of Montana. She holds a B.A. Degree from the University of Wisconsin in Political Science and an M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana. She has 35 years of experience in community planning, downtown redevelopment, historic preservation, capital improvements and transportation planning, heritage tourism, housing, and municipal finance, particularly in the area of tax increment financing. Janet recently completed growth policies for the town of East Helena and Butte-Silver Bow. Janet is a past president of the Montana Association of Planners and also served as the organization’s treasurer. She has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for eight years.
Anne Cossitt, AICP--Founder, Cossitt Consulting
Anne Cossitt, AICP, CoChair MAP Legislative Committee, began Cossitt Consulting in 1994. Over the course of her career to date, Anne has worked on a variety of land use planning projects at the local, state, and federal levels. She was project manager for the USFS/BLM EIS on the Jerritt Canyon Mine Expansion in Nevada and the Little Missouri Oil and Gas Leasing EIS in western North Dakota. In Montana, she was consultant project lead on the Turner Land Exchange with the state of Montana, Bannack State Park and Giant Springs State Park Management Plans, and has been involved in community and land use planning projects in more than half of Montana's 56 counties. In 2009, she moved from Park City, Montana to Helena.
Dave DeGrandpre, AICP--Principal Planner, Land Solutions LLC
Dave DeGrandpre, AICP is the Principal Planner at Land Solutions, LLC. Dave has practiced the art of planning in Montana for the past 17 years. He opened Land Solutions in 2005 to serve public and private sector clients across the state. His recent efforts have focused on updating growth policies, annexation plans, impact fee studies, downtown revitalization, development review and updating zoning and subdivision codes for Montana cities and counties. Previously he worked as a Senior Planner and then Planning Director for Lake County in Polson, Montana during a period of rapid growth and development. In addition to running Land Solutions, Dave serves on the Board of Directors for the Montana Association of Planners.
Elizabeth Erickson--Project Manager/Principal Hydrogeologist, Water & Environmental Technologies
Ms. Erickson has a M.S. degree in Geosciences/ Hydrogeological Engineering and a B.S. in Geophysical Engineering. She began her career as a Geophysicist for AMOCO Oil in Houston, Texas in the Africa and Middle East Division, before moving back to Montana and starting a consulting firm with two other partners. The consulting firm, Water & Environmental Technologies has been in business for over twelve years. For much of that time, Elizabeth has worked on Superfund or Superfund related projects, principally on the Anaconda and Butte sites. Tasks associated with the varied Superfund related projects listed below include project management, remedial investigation, monitoring and reporting. She has provided technical review and assistance services on remedial investigation and design documents, ground water monitoring and modeling documents and developed a Controlled Ground Water Area Petition in compliance with ROD requirements. Ms. Erickson has developed three dimensional geologic and hydrogeologic models of site data for interpretation, remedial design and litigation purposes. She has provided project management and oversight services for the Interim Institutional Controls Program for Anaconda Deer Lodge County (ADLC), and negotiation, technical and oversight services for ADLC for all aspects of the current negotiations between ADLC, USEPA and Atlantic Richfield for the last year. This work has included technical, review and negotiation services and the development of multiple technical documents in coordination with Atlantic Richfield (AR) and in conjunction with a ROD modification and Consent Decree negotiation between USEPA and AR.
Ms. Erickson was selected by Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Paul Babb to chair the Butte Natural Resource Damage Council (BNRC), which was tasked to develop a plan to guide the expenditure of the $28M Natural Resource Damage (NRD) Butte Area One (BAO) fund. Butte Area One is a subarea of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit, which follows the historic course of Silver Bow Creek from Texas Avenue to Montana Street, through the middle of the Butte community. The 3YR plan development included multiple public meetings and workshops and relied heavily on citizen input on restoring the natural resources in and near the community. The plan was completed in the fall of 2012 and unanimously accepted by the Advisory Council to the Governor. The Governor signed the plan in December 2012 and it is currently in the implementation stage. The BNRC continues in an oversight role to ensure plan implementation as envisioned.
Laura Erickson--Community Development Coordinator, Lewis and Clark County
Laura Erikson is currently the Community Development Coordinator for Lewis and Clark County. She has worn many hats over the years, bus driver, forester, organic farmer, tribal tree salesperson a.k.a. Johnny Mango Seed, Environmental Health Specialist, Lead Educator, and backcountry ski guide. Outside of work her current obsessions are mountain biking single track sections of the Continental Divide Trail and being an Airbnb host. Laura is the project coordinator for the Joint Land Use Study project.
Wyeth Friday, AICP--CityCounty Planning Division Manager, City of Billings and Yellowstone County
Wyeth Friday is the Manager for the City-County Planning Division. The Planning Division provides planning services to the City of Billings and most of Yellowstone County. He manages a staff of eight planners and administrative staff. Wyeth has worked for the Planning Division for 11 years, serving as Manager for the past eight years. During his tenure, he has worked on current and long range planning projects, including management of a grant and project administration for an update of the County Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan and West Billings Flood Mitigation and Groundwater Recharge Study, participation on a complete streets working group to implement the City’s Complete Streets Policy, and ongoing leadership of the City’s Annexation Committee to administer the City’s Annexation Policy in coordination with the City’s Capital Improvement Program. Wyeth recently brought an expansion of a local Tax Increment Finance District through the review and approval process.
Wyeth has been a member of the American Planning Association since 2001 and of the American Institute of Certified Planners since 2006. He has been involved with the Montana Association of Planners since 2005, including a stint as President of the organization, and continues to work on projects with MAP.
Dennis Glick--Director and cofounder, Future West
Dennis Glick is the Director and cofounder of Future West, a nonprofit organization based in Bozeman that helps communities create the future that they want. Future West provides information, training, technical assistance and facilitation services to key land use decision makers in the Northern Rockies. Previously, Dennis was the Director of the Sonoran Institute's Bozeman Office, the Private Land Stewardship Director for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and the Co-Director of the Wildlands and Human Needs Program of the World Wildlife Fund. He has a BS from Oregon State University and a MS from the University of Michigan.
Jerry Grebenc--Senior Planner, Great West Engineering
Jerry has worked in the community development profession in Montana for 15 years on issues ranging from comprehensive planning and infrastructure to subdivision and zoning. He has managed the development of subdivisions in the private sector for a number of consulting firms and served as a land use planner and planning director for Lewis and Clark County. At the Montana Department of Commerce he was the bureau chief for the Planning Division and program manager for the Community Technical Assistance Program, where he provided advice and assistance to local governments on land use planning and community development related issues. He moved onto serve as a project manager for both the Sonoran Institute and Future West working on conservation projects in Montana and Wyoming. Just recently he joined Great West Engineering as the firm’s senior planner. Jerry received his Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Minnesota, Duluth and Master of Arts in Geography/Land Use Planning, from the University of Montana.
Andrew Hagemeier, AICP--Community Planner, Land Solutions LLC
Andrew is currently a Community Planner based out of Helena with Land Solutions LLC. His experience as a planner includes work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In the public sector, Andrew was a neighborhood planner, working with communities in a wide range of landscapes facing unique and challenging issues. In the nonprofit sector, Andrew wrote Pathways to Prosperity, a publication for the National Parks Conservation Association that focuses on the competitive advantage comminutes surrounding large intact protected landscapes have at attracting talented employees and innovating businesses. He helped organize and establish a grassroots collaborative planning partnership to create a vision for forest management on the west side of Glacier National Park. While with Land Solutions, Andrew worked with the a team of department heads from state government and Montana business leaders to draft the Main Street Montana Project, an economic development plan for the State of Montana. Andrew specializes in long-range planning, community outreach and community development.
Lieutenant Colonel James Hesterberg--Construction and Facility Management Officer for the Montana Army National Guard, Fort Harrison, Helena, MT.
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) James Hesterberg was raised in Kalispell, Montana, and graduated from Flathead High School in 1986. He attended Montana State University on a four year ROTC Scholarship. In 1990 he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Engineer branch. LTC Hesterberg graduated from MSU in 1991 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Engineering Technology. Upon completion of Engineer Officer Basic Course in 1991 he entered the Montana Army National Guard. Additionally LTC Hesterberg’s education includes the Engineer Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Staff and Service School, Intermediate Level Education, and he holds a Masters Degree in Facility Management Engineering from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. He is currently enrolled in the US Army War College class of 2016. LTC Hesterberg’s past assignments include Platoon Leader, 1063d Combat Engineer Company, Platoon Leader and Detachment Commander, Det 1, 1063 Combat Engineer Company, Platoon Leader and Company Commander 1063d Construction Support Engineer Company, Operations and Training Officer, Training Site Headquarters, S4, 3rd BDE Afghan National Army Embedded Training Team, Engineer Officer, Joint Force HQ’s MTNG, HHC Co Commander, Training Center Headquarters, and Chief of Department of Public Works, Training Center Headquarters. LTC Hesterberg works full time at Fort Harrison, Helena, MT, as the Construction and Facility Management Officer for the Montana Army National Guard.
Chase Hibbard--President, Sieben Live Stock Company
Chase is the President of Sieben Live Stock Company in Helena/Cascade, Montana. It is a 4th generation cattle and sheep ranch currently transitioning to the 5th generation. The ranch has grazed portions of the Beartooth Game Range owned by the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks since 1992. Chase is a cofounder and remains an active participant in the Devil’s Kitchen Management Team.
Robert Horne, Jr., AICP--Consultant, Applied Communications LLC
Robert Horne, Jr., AICP is a native of Florida and received his Master of Science in Planning from Florida State University. Following stints with a regional planning commission in Alabama and a water management district in Florida, he moved out west in 1980 and worked in Colorado Springs for 9 years (4 ½ with the City, and 4 ½ in private practice). He was Planning Director in Jackson, WY for 8 years and was the lead planner for the Town of Jackson on the JacksonTeton County Comprehensive Plan. From 1997 to 2003 he was CityCounty Planning Director in Great Falls, where he once again directed and wrote a comprehensive plan, and revised it to meet Growth Policy standards before leaving that position. In 2005 he was hired by the City of Whitefish to set up their first local planning program and toyou guessed itwrite a growth policy. After two years in Whitefish, he reentered private practice with Applied Communications LLC, a firm founded by his wife, Kate McMahon, over 16 years ago. AppCom is now a twoperson planning firm whose client base is primarily small communities and rural counties. At this time they are working on several projects around Montana. He has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for five years.
John How, AICP--Planner, KLJ
John is a planner with KLJ and leads their Montana planning group. He led the update to Richland County’s Growth Policy and coordinated with KLJ’s engineers and transportation planners regarding the County’s Transportation Plan. John also serves as the City of Sidney’s contract planner as well as for several other Montana Communities including the City of Glendive, the City of Conrad, the City of Bozeman, Fallon County and Park County. In his free time, he loves fishing mountain lakes and hiking the lesser known trails around the state. He and his wife, Kristin, are also expecting their second child in January; their son Jack in excited to become a big brother. John, on the other hand, is slowly realizing sleep is becoming an abstract thought that doesn’t really exist
Jim Jarvis--Consultant, Historysmith Consulting Services
James (Jim) R. Jarvis has worked in the historic preservation planning field for the past 15 years, specializing in community development, adaptive reuse of historic properties, and heritage tourism. Over this period, he has served as the Historic Preservation Planner for the CityCounty of Butte-Silver Bow and the Town of Virginia City, Montana.
Currently, Jim works as an independent planning consultant through his firm Historysmith Consulting Services, located in Virginia City, Montana. With an emphasis on project management, facility design, and fundraising, he has served various nonprofit organizations and communities wishing to expand public facilities, revitalize historic properties, and expand heritage tourism programs.
After a 12 year career as an environmental chemist, a lifelong passion for history and architecture lend Jim to pursue a Masters degree in Historic Preservation and Community Development from the University of Oregon.
Jim has contributed to numerous publications and conferences on subjects ranging from the Bozeman Trail to the industrial heritage of Butte, Montana. He is currently working on a book entitled, “Historysmithing – The Art of Working with History”. Jim, a Midwestern transplant, resides in Virginia City, Montana with his wife Sheri, a professional multimedia artist and native of Glasgow, Montana.
Jason Karp--Director of Planning, City of Belgrade
Jason recently celebrated his 20year anniversary working for the City in the Planning and Building Department. During most of that tenure, Belgrade has been one of the fastest growing cities in Montana. A lifelong Gallatin Valley Resident, Jason is also an avid cyclist. Jason holds a bachelor’s degree from Montana State University Bozeman in Political Science. Jason and his wife Brenda live in Belgrade and are the parents of two grown children, Stephanie and Jackson, along with their corgi, Ernie.
Barbara Kingery--Section Supervisor, Subdivision Program with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Barbara Kingery is the section supervisor of the Subdivision Program and a professional engineer with the Department of Environmental Quality. She has over 10 years of experience reviewing water, wastewater and storm water plans for the Montana DEQ Subdivision Section. Prior to moving to Montana, she worked for a private consultant in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joe Kruger--Forest Plan Revision Team Leader, Flathead National Forest
Joe Krueger is a US Forest Service employee specializing in national forest law, planning and policy. He has worked for the Forest Service since 1988 in Washington DC, California and Montana. He is currently the Forest Plan Revision Team Leader on the Flathead National Forest leading the process of drafting a revised Flathead National Forest Plan. He has served as a technical advisor for the US Government on natural resource and forest planning issues throughout Africa and Asia over the past 10 years. He has a B.S. in Forest Management from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and served in the Peace Corps Community Forestry Volunteer in Nepal from 19911993. When he is not being a planner, he spends his free time hiking and reading.
Nick Kaufman--Land Use Planner, WGM Group, Inc
Nick Kaufman has more than 37 years of experience in the planning and design of residential, commercial, and industrial development. In addition, his experience includes the development of traditional neighborhoods and award winning conservation design.
Nick has a Master’s degree in Rural, Town, and Regional Planning and a BA in Economics – both from the University of Montana. He has also been an instructor at the University of Montana teaching land use design. Nick was the Chairman of the Missoula Area Chamber of Commerce during the last legislative session and currently serves on MAP’s Legislative Committee Nick’s education and experience allow him to incorporate innovative planning and design options with a thorough understanding of the public review process into each project for maximum return to both the client and the community.
Bill Long--Consultant, Solid Ground Consulting
Bill retired from a thirty year career in private land conservation at the Montana Land Reliance in 2009. As a Managing Director, his responsibilities included assisting landowners protect their ranches with conservation easements, fundraising, public outreach and education, and planning and financial management. He has been the facilitator of Devil’s Kitchen Management Team for 25 years. Bill currently works as a consultant with Solid Ground Consulting, based in Portland, Oregon.
Chase is the President of Sieben Live Stock Company in Helena/Cascade, Montana. It is a 4th generation cattle and sheep ranch currently transitioning to the 5th generation. The ranch has grazed portions of the Beartooth Game Range owned by the Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks since 1992. Chase is a cofounder and remains an active participant in the Devil’s Kitchen Management Team.
Kelly Lynch--Administrator, Community Development Division, Montana Department of Commerce
Kelly was raised in East Helena, Montana and graduated from Helena High School in 1989. She received her B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 1993; her M.A. in Urban Planning in 1997 from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her J.D. in 2001 from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2001 and the State Bar of Montana in 2003.
Kelly joined the Montana Department of Commerce in July 2007, serving as the Staff Attorney for the Community Technical Assistant Program (CTAP), support legal counsel in the Director’s Office, and then Deputy Chief Legal Counsel for the Department. In March 2010, Kelly was appointed as the Administrator for the Community Development Division with the Montana Department of Commerce. As Administrator, she oversees the Coal Board, Hard Rock Mining Impact Board, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Neighborhood Stabilization Program, Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP), Quality Schools Grant Program, and Treasure State Endowment Programs (TSEP). Kelly is responsible for overseeing the allocation and administration of over $120 million in state and federal grant funding and technical planning assistance to local governmental entities in Montana for community development planning and infrastructure construction.
After receiving her J.D. in 2001, Kelly was employed at the law firm of Richards, Watson & Gershon in Los Angeles, California, from August 2001 to August 2003, where she served as special counsel to several California cities and public agencies in land use planning, environmental review, water supply planning, and agricultural land and open space preservation.
From August 2003 to November 2006, Kelly served as Deputy County Counsel for the County of Santa Barbara, California, where she provided land use, planning, subdivision, and environmental review advice to the Planning & Development, Redevelopment Agency, Public Works, and other county departments.
Hollie Lund--MAP Lobbyist
Hollie Lund pursued her law degree following a nearly tenyear academic career in urban planning and community development. She now has her own law firm with offices in Helena, Montana and Bellingham, Washington, where she practices a mixture of land use law, local food law and estate planning. Hollie was the lobbyist for the Montana Association of Planners for the 2015 legislative session, and continues to teach as an adjunct professor in the accredited Urban and Regional Planning program at Cal Poly Pomona. She also draws from experience in property and water law, agriculture law, administrative and municipal law, and employment law.
Mary McCormick--Butte-Silver Bow Historic Preservation Officer
Mary McCormick is an architectural historian with 30 years of professional experience in historic preservation. Mary spent most of her carrier as a working partner, along with Mitzi Rossillon, in a small cultural resource firm in Butte, where she specialized in the inventory and evaluation of dams, mines and other industrial resources. From 2011 to 2014, Mary held an historian position with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle. She currently serves as the Historic Preservation Officer for Butte-Silver Bow, a position she accepted in July 2015. Mary is acutely aware of the complexities of balancing historic preservation needs with other community issues.
Greg McNally--Planner II, Lewis and Clark County Community Development and Planning
Greg McNally has worked as a Land Use Planner with the Lewis and Clark County Community Development and Planning Department since June 2005. The Community Development and Planning Department is responsible for the coordination and guidance of growth and development through planning, zoning, subdivision review, parks, transportation, and special districts. Greg leads the Department in the development and administration of subdivision regulations and he represents the Department on the Lewis and Clark County Rural Fire Council. He is a member of the American Planning Association, the Montana Association of Planners, and a Board Member of FireSafe Montana. Greg received a B.A. degree in rural sociology and an M.S. degree in geography from the University of Montana.
Laval Means--Planning Services Manager, Development Services, City of Missoula
As Manager, Laval oversees the activities of the long range planning division of Development Services. During her 18year tenure with Missoula government, her accomplishments include leading a complete overhaul and rewrite of the City’s zoning ordinance as well as managing several neighborhood planning projects including the Wye Mullan Neighborhood Plan and the Joint Northside/Westside Neighborhood Plan. She is currently managing the development of a new growth policy for the City. Prior to joining the City of Missoula, she worked for several architecture offices. She holds a Master’s Degree in Architecture with an emphasis in Urban Planning and is a licensed Architect in Montana. Her emphasis during her education along with her interests focus on understanding how a sense of place and community identity can be enhanced through the built environment. Developing the growth policy is the perfect opportunity to explore how identity, community, and development come together. She supports a collaborative team environment that spans from the workplace to the community.
Roger Millar, AICP--Vice President, Smart Growth America
Roger serves as Director of SGA’s Leadership Institute and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Roger has held leadership positions in the public and private sectors, most recently as Director of the Missoula Office of Planning and Grants. Roger is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a Certified Floodplain Manager. He is Past President of the Oregon Section of ASCE and of the Montana Association of Planners.
Anindita Mitra, AICP--President of CREÄ Affiliates, Seattle, Washington
Anindita is an award winning planner, designer and president of CREÄ Affiliates, a practice focused on sustainable planning, design and landscapes. Anindita has authored several reports including “Painting the Town Green” and “Energy Fact Sheets – United States” for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Foundation in London, and chaired the committee that developed the leading publication for the American Society for Civil Engineers, “Planning Infrastructure to Sustain America.” An accomplished writer, her articles have appeared in publications for the Urban Land Institute, Municipal Research Services Center, the National Civic Review and The Local Environment. Ms. Mitra has been active with the Community Indicators Consortium since 2004 and was their President from 20072009. She also established an energy task force and a climate and sustainability initiative for the Washington Chapter of the APA. Ms. Mitra is currently writing a book about helping cities retain and attract small, homegrown, local businesses, “Planning for the 99%.” You can follow her blog at: http://www.creaaffiliates.com/Our_Stories.html.
Brent Moore, AICP--Planning Group Manager, CTA Architects Engineers
Brent Moore, AICP, is the Planning Group Manager for CTA. Brent was raised in Northeast Montana and went on to St. Olaf College for undergraduate, and then pursued a graduate degree from Florida State University in Urban and Regional Planning. Following graduate school, Brent practiced planning in a high growth area in Southwest Florida. He returned to Montana to be the first Planning Director for the City of Red Lodge. He now manages an office for CTA in Red Lodge and provides planning services to public and private sector clients throughout the region. His current work focuses on providing growth management expertise to clients throughout Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota. He’s also been leading the planning practice into urban planning opportunities in Canada.
Lucy MorellGengler--Planner, City of Helena Planning Division
Lucy Morell-Gengler grew up in a large family in south Texas which may have been what sparked her interest in group dynamics. She earned undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice and developed a fascination with local government while attending the LBJ School of Public Affairs. When she and her husband decided to settled down they agreed Montana was a much better place to raise kids than Washington D.C. So they loaded up the van and moved to Helena. Ms. Morell-Gengler has been a Planner with the City of Helena for over 15 years. During that time she has processed many land use application, particularly subdivisions, and worked on updates to the city Subdivision Regulations and Growth Policy.
Allison Mouch, AICP--Planning Bureau Chief, Montana Department of Commerce Community Development Division
Allison joined the Montana Department of Commerce in March 2012 as Planning Bureau Chief for the Community Development Division. As Bureau Chief, Allison oversees the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Montana Main Street Program, in addition to administering a variety of state and federal grant programs in support of comprehensive planning activities throughout Montana. Allison has over 10 years of professional planning experience in the public, private and nonprofit sector, spanning several states including Montana, Ohio and Virginia. She holds a Master of Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Miami University (OH). Allison is an AICP certified professional planner and an active member of the American Planning Association (APA), president of APA’s Western Central Chapter (MT, WY, ND, SD), and currently sits on the Montana Association of Planners (MAP) Board of Directors. Allison also serves on the Zoning Commission for the City of Helena. In her spare time she enjoys trail running (often with her dog Paxson) and any number of outdoor activities Montana has to offer, whether it be summer, fall, winter or spring. She and her husband Andrew own a 133 year old home in the South Hills of Helena that they enjoy (continuously) fixing up!
Paul Nicol--Special Assistant Attorney General, Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Paul Nicol is a Staff Attorney for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He currently represents the Public Water and Subdivisions Bureau, as well as, the Waste and Underground Tank Management Bureau. Paul prosecutes and defends cases for DEQ, works as a hearings examiner, and provides general legal counsel. Paul graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 2010 with a Certificate in Natural Resources Conflict Resolution. Before making the transition to DEQ he worked as a Deputy County Attorney in Flathead County working closely with the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department.
Daniel M. Norderud, AICP Consulting Planner, Robert Peccia & Associates
Daniel M. Norderud, AICP, has more than 36 years of professional planning experience and has conducted a wide variety of work for numerous Federal, State, and local governments and private clients during his career. The majority of his work has been focused on community and public infrastructure planning, the development of transportation facilities, NEPA/MEPA compliance activities, and environmental permitting. Dan received a B.S. in Earth Science-Geographical Planning from Montana State University in 1978 and briefly served as an intern with the Gallatin County Planning Office. He has been a consulting planner with Robert Peccia & Associates in Helena since 1979. Dan has been a member of the Montana Association of Planners since 1981 and has been a member of the Western Central Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) since 1997.
Monica Plecker--Community Planner, CTA Architects Engineers
Monica Plecker is a community planner in CTA’s planning group. Prior to coming to CTA, she served as the Planning Director for the City/County Planning Department in Laurel and Yellowstone County, Montana and as a Regional Planner in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Monica was recently awarded a Professional Achievement Award from the Montana Association of Planners for her work on the City of Laurel’s Growth Management Plan. She is particularly interested in and enjoys long-range planning, contemplating ways to bridge the gap between infrastructure deficiencies and land use planning, and innovative financing tools aimed at plan implementation
Marilyn Ross--Chairman, Montana Heritage Commission
Marilyn Ross is wellknown in historic preservation circles in Montana. She served as Chairman of the Butte Public Archives for 20 years. She is fond of telling the story of the creation of the Public Archives in an old fire station with not much more than broken glass, pigeon doodoo, and idealistic volunteers. During her tenure the Butte Archives grew to national recognition including two national awards for the preservation of history. However, Marilyn still says her greatest accomplishment during that period was hiring Ellen Crain who has guided the Archivers into the impressive institution it is today.
In 2005 Marilyn was appointed by then Governor Brian Schweitzer to the 7 member Historic and Cultural Advisory Council charged with studying the benefits of historic preservation and providing information and recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature.
In 2006 Marilyn was appointed by the Governor to the Montana Heritage Preservation and Development Commission. She has served as Chair of the Heritage Commission since 2009. In that capacity she has guided the work of the Heritage Commission in its mandate of preserving and developing Virginia City, Nevada City and Reeder’s Alley as historic, cultural and economic resources to the State. Under her leadership Virginia and Nevada Cities have become the number 1 tourist destination in the State and welcomes thousands of families every year to experience Montana’s birth and history.
When not busy with all of that Marilyn was also elected Madison County Commissioner and has served on numerous local, county, state and national preservation councils and committees.
Mitzi Rossillon--Archeological Consultant and Owner of Mitzi Rossillon, Consulting Archeologist, LLC
Mitzi Rossillon is an historic archaeologist who owns a small cultural resource consulting firm in Butte. A good part of her career has focused historic mining and milling technologies and the archaeological remains of associated camps. Mitzi has worked on and off over the last 15 years at three Superfund sites in western Montana, conducting field inventories and evaluations and preparing historic preservation plans. She currently serves as a member of Butte-Silver Bow’s Historic Preservation Commission and its Redevelopment Trust Fund Authority.
Chris Saunders, AICP--Policy and Planning Manager, City of Bozeman Department of Planning and Community Development
Chris Saunders, AICP is Policy and Planning Manager for the City of Bozeman Department of Planning and Community Development. He has been with the City for over 14 years and has been lead or co-lead planner for several of Bozeman’s most significant recent planning processes including a new Unified Development Ordinance, Transportation Plan Update, and growth policy. Mr. Saunders received his Master’s degree in Town and Regional Planning in 1993 from Utah State University. He has been presenter for the Planning 101 Seminar for eight years.
Dori Skrukrud, MLA Community Development Coordinator, County of Butte-Silver Bow
Ms. Skrukrud has worked for the City and County of Butte-Silver Bow since 1991, first in the Planning Department and for the last thirteen years in the office of Community Development. In 1998, she began serving as the staff member to the Greenway Management Board, responsible for project design, engineering, implementation and management of the Silver Bow Creek Greenway project and managing the administration of Natural Resource Damage Program restoration grants in excess of $19M for the Silver Bow Creek Greenway.
Jay Slocum Wildlife Biologist/GIS Specialist, Water and Environmental Technologies
Jay Slocum is a Wildlife Biologist/GIS Specialist employed by Water and Environmental Technologies who began working on issues associated with the Smelter Hill NPL Superfund Site in 2010 as an environmental consultant. During his 5 years with the Superfund Program Jay has developed multiple databases that manage and analyze ADLC’s Development Permit System (DPS) through the use of geospatial data. By utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) he manages ADLC’s geospatial database system and serves as the county’s primary cartographer. Jay has trained other Superfund Program staff the intricacies of GIS so that the Interim Institutional Controls Program (IICP) is fully supported by the capabilities of geospatial data analysis. As part of an interdisciplinary team task with effectively implementing ADLC’s Development Permit System (DPS), he has intimate knowledge of the local land development regulations as well as the guidelines adopted pursuant to Superfund remediation, including the Interim Institutional Controls Program (IICP). Jay was involved in creating the Administrative/Major Development Permit (ADP/MDP) application forms used by the public and was also involved in the development and implementation of the General Utility and Street Opening Permit (GUS). He understands the importance of coordinating with other county departments to achieve overall longterm Superfund Program goals. He was involved with the creation of the Community Protective Measures Program (CPMP) which allows the Superfund Program to respond to public health and safety inquiries associated with the superfund site. He created many of the protocols and procedure implemented by the Superfund Program presently and is responsible for the administration and future development of the program. In order to manage and analyze the local permits and public inquires he continues to develop database tracking and reporting methods that are strongly tied to geospatial data and promote long term Superfund Program goals.
Michael Sweet--Research and Information Systems Specialist, Montana Climate Office
Michael Sweet is a Research and Information Systems Specialist with the Montana Climate Office. His primary duties are to provide analytical and information systems support. Mike has been at the University of Montana since 1983 as forest researcher, and joined the staff of the Montana Climate Office in 2012. He is active in the Montana Association of Geographic Information Professionals and has worked extensively in geographic information systems since 1988. Mike has degrees in Resource Conservation, Sociology, and Computer Science. Prior to arriving at The University of Montana, he worked with the Forestry Division of the Montana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service’s Aerial Fire Depot, Ninemile Range District, and the Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Warren Vaughan--Director of the Gallatin County BEAR Program, Gallatin County Planning and Community Development Department
Warren Vaughan has worked at the Gallatin County Planning and Community Development Department for 11 years. Much of that time has been spent working around the edges of the planning profession looking for ways to expand the definition of planning and community development. Most recently he has directed the Gallatin County/Bozeman Business Expansion and Retention Program (BEAR), an economic development program connecting business owners with mentors, coaching, and training opportunities.
Ken Wall Founder and President, Geodata Services, Inc.
Ken Wall has 27 years of GIS experience and has been founder and president of Geodata Services, Inc. since 1993. Mr. Wall is an industry leader in GIS and collaborative process. He has applied geospatial analysis to many projects in the US and Australia. Geodata Services has been a business partner with ESRI for 17 years and was awarded new partner of the year in 2000, and founding partner of the year in 2008. Mr. Wall served as an instructor on many courses and training sessions in GIS, and is one of the leading instructors in ArcGIS Online. Ken Wall is a certified Esri Desktop Associate, and is a CompTIA CTT+ Certified Technical Trainer. Mr Wall is a certified CommunityViz consultant and trainer. He was also certified to teach ArcGIS Desktop I, II and III courses. Geodata Services, Inc. is one of 55 Esri ArcGIS Online Specialty Partners recognized worldwide.
Tom Zavitz, AICP--Senior Planner, Development Services, City of Missoula, Montana
Tom is nearing his tenth year as a planner in the City of Missoula. During this time he has reviewed building permits, staffed the Board of Adjustment, and guided several changes to the development code through adoption including allowance of accessory dwelling units, new subdivision street and road standards, and now is leading the citizendriven writing of the new growth policy. Prior to joining the City of Missoula he led a company specializing in environmental compliance of largescale utility construction projects. He holds a Master’s Degree from Montana State University in Land Rehabilitation and is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners. In his work, he especially enjoys helping community members understand and participate in the planning process.