BOARD CHAIR

Tom is a Financial Planner at Creative Planning in Bozeman specializing in small business and individual taxation. Tom’s family background is in agriculture. While growing up on a turkey farm in Central Minnesota, Tom spent as much time as he could at his family’s cabin on one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. Through his agricultural background, Tom developed a strong passion for all activities outdoors. This lead him to move to Bozeman in 2008 to pursue his college degree at Montana State University. Fortunately, after graduating from Montana State, Tom was able to call Bozeman home and has practiced accounting for over six years in both the private and public sectors. In his free time Tom is a passionate outdoorsman, spending as much time on his boat as he can with his dogs.

VICE CHAIR

Alzada is a Master's student in Aquatic Ecology at Montana State University. She got involved with GWC through the Busy Beavers program and was quickly drawn in by the larger goals of the organization. She can still scarcely believe that one organization can simultaneously enhance community resilience, promote ecological restoration, support local agricultural producers, and provide fantastic service opportunities for all types of volunteers. Alzada first came to Montana as an Americorps volunteer in 2013. She worked seasonally all over the Greater Yellowstone Area in resource management, data collection, trail work, and construction before starting her master's program in 2021. She loves gardening, high places, swimming in lakes and rivers, and two-stepping at the American Legion.

DIRECTOR

Tom is a consulting Hydrogeologist with Alpine Surveying & Engineering in Bozeman who has spent over 30 years evaluating and characterizing water resources. In his previous role as a researcher with the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, he spent 10 years managing two large-scale groundwater/surface water projects. These projects involved examining the relationship between irrigation, surface water, and groundwater, and how these resources are affected by changing land use in the Gallatin Valley. This work taught him the importance of dialogue, cooperation, collaboration, and public awareness as the Valley adapts and manages the effects of growth. GWC is instrumental in these efforts. Tom grew up in Nebraska and has geology degrees from the Universities of Wyoming and Montana. He has lived in Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, and now Butte. Tom enjoys all that Montana has to offer but especially cycling and beer.

DIRECTOR

Sale grew up in the Pacific Northwest and became passionate about freshwater as a critical link between human health and ecosystem integrity. She is a regional water planner for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and values engaging communities in the management of their water resources. Sale loves learning about local watershed challenges, interacting with other water advocates, and participating in protecting our shared water resources while serving on the GWC Board. Previous international work on clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and a master's degree from Yale’s School of the Environment exploring contaminants of emerging concern provide Sale with a strong background in hydrology and biogeochemistry. Upon moving to Bozeman to pursue a PhD at MSU, Sale's work has centered social-ecological systems and community resilience. In her free time, Sale can be found outside playing outside with dogs and family.

DIRECTOR

James was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where his passion for nature grew as he explored, camped and volunteered in the natural beauty of the Emerald Ilse. Knowing that he wanted to pursue a career in his passion of the natural world, James completed a BS (Honors) in Geography from the University of Ulster. What brought James to Bozeman was the University, where he is completing a Master of Public Administration with a focus on conservation and natural resource management. He got his start as a GWC board member via the Boardroom Bobcat program through Montana State University.

DIRECTOR

Ashlie is a Senior Planner for the Gallatin County Department of Planning and Community Development. Originally from Southern Utah, she is fascinated by the history of water in the West and the technical, governmental, and social mechanisms that allow communities to thrive in arid regions. Ashlie got her BS in Psychology and International Studies with an emphasis in global health from the University of Utah and, after a six-year or so hiatus traveling and working for a rafting company in Jackson Hole, earned her MS in Earth Sciences from Montana State University. For her master's thesis project, Ashlie examined the presence of adaptive governance of water resources in Montana. Ashlie is excited to support GWC's mission as a board member and meet more fellow water and community engagement nerds.

DIRECTOR

Don began his career in biology, studying freshwater ecosystems. He received his BA and MS from UC Santa Barbara and UW Madison, respectively. After studying high altitude lakes in Colorado, Don pursued a career in computer science with IBM, and later, as a consultant. Mid-career, Don studied higher education administration at U Minnesota. His work experience includes various administrative roles at universities. Montana's mountains have always had a strong pull for Don. Now retired, he enjoys volunteering and many outdoor activities, including running, hiking, biking, backpacking and XC skiing. He and his wife are happy to call Bozeman their home.

DIRECTOR

Katie is currently a Solutions Consultant at commonFont, helping some of the world’s largest companies build customer feedback programs to improve their customer experience. She grew up closely connected with her local watershed, the Farmington River, with her family running a canoe and kayak rental and retail store. Many weekends were spent at river cleanups, helping locals recreate responsibly on the water and learning about how local governance can impact a watershed and local businesses. The people and places that the outdoor industry brought into her life inspired her to pursue a degree in Environmental Economics at Cornell University while she also led expedition canoe trips in the summer. Now, Katie is excited to contribute a passion to preserve the Gallatin Watershed and eagerness to collaborate with the community as a member of the GWC.

BOARDROOM BOBCAT

Joe Lackman is an advocate for agriculture, serving on the Gallatin Watershed Council through Montana State University’s Boardroom Bobcat program. Growing up on his family’s farm near the Yellowstone River in Hysham, MT, Joe developed a strong connection to agriculture early on. Now a senior majoring in Agricultural Leadership with an Agricultural Business minor, he brings hands-on experience as an ag broadcasting intern with Northern Ag Network and as owner/operator of Joe Lackman Farms, where he manages pollination of alfalfa and canola while also engaging in diversified crop production. Joe has served the Montana FFA Foundation and was the State President of the Montana FFA Association in 2021- 2022, advancing agricultural education and leadership for young students across the Big Sky state and nationwide. He currently serves as an Ag Ambassador for MSU’s College of Agriculture and remains involved with the Montana Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Program.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

holly@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Holly grew up on a cattle ranch in Southwestern Montana where her passion for the natural world began. It was after leaving home and living in some of the country’s largest cities that she quickly realized the true treasures of her home state and returned to help work towards preserving them. Holly has fifteen years of experience working with non-profit organizations in the areas of conservation, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, climate change, and sustainable communities on both regional and national levels. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College. Holly lives near the Gallatin River in the Gallatin Canyon with her husband and their two daughters. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, mountain biking, trail running, and sharing her love for wild places with her children.

WATERSHED RESTORATION DIRECTOR

lilly@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Lilly comes from a big farming family in Maryland, where she grew up exercising race horses, baling hay, and welding farm equipment. She has made a home in Bozeman after coming here for school in 2006, and has since graduated with her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Civil Engineering. Her studies focused on soil and water as they apply to agriculture, from irrigation and streams, to nutrient cycling and waste management. With her heart and roots in farming, and her technical background, Lilly looks forward to working with GWC to create dialogue between different interest groups. She believes that we can all find common ground in our dependence on clean water, and that our efforts to protect the resources in the Gallatin Watershed are stronger together. In addition to working with GWC, Lilly is currently working in construction, both helping run a small roofing and siding company, as well as rebuilding her own house in downtown Bozeman.

PROJECT MANAGER

jared@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Originally from Wisconsin, Jared came to Montana to pursue wildland firefighting with the Forest Service while completing his undergraduate degree in Resource Conservation. After seven years of running a chainsaw and digging line, he explored an interest in farming, working on two small organic farms and a 1.2 million-acre cattle ranch in Australia. During that time, Jared developed an enthusiasm for plants and put that energy into obtaining a master’s degree in Restoration Ecology from Montana Tech, studying plant communities associated with contaminated soils to improve vegetation establishment in the Butte area. After receiving his degree, Jared utilized his botanical skills with the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service in both monitoring and research capacities. More recently, Jared worked as a wetland scientist performing wetland and stream monitoring, mitigation, and restoration. Jared is excited to lead collaborative restoration projects that benefit the community and the environment. In his free time, Jared may be found backpacking, botanizing, waterfowl hunting, and practicing yoga.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

tess@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Tess has always appreciated water due to her upbringing on a small island in the South Puget Sound in Washington State. She traded in saltwater for freshwater rivers and streams and attended the University of Montana to explore the recreational opportunities of Montana. She graduated with honors and a B.A. in Organizational Communication and minored in hiking and fly fishing in her free time. Tess has led a trail crew, worked in events and outreach, and served as the Big Sky Watershed Corps member for GWC in 2022. She hopes that her time with the Gallatin Watershed Council will continue to allow her to do what she loves most: serving her community.

WATER POLICY MANAGER

katherine@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Katherine grew up in northern Connecticut, exploring the deep woods and creeks of her backyard, and spending the summers at her grandparents house where she would sell painted sea shells and donate the money to conserve Barnegat Bay. Her exposure to these environments started her passion for protecting and conserving natural places, as she went on to receive her B.A. in Environmental Policy and M.S. in Sustainable Water Management. She moved to Bozeman after graduate school excited to ski, hike, and explore a new environment that she is now making her home. Prior to GWC, she worked remotely for the World Wildlife Fund on their Freshwater & Food Transformation team, focusing on systems level interventions that improve basin health with a lens through water stewardship, sustainable agriculture, and climate resilience. Katherine is excited to work for a community conservation organization and tackle water challenges through collaborative, integrative landscape approaches that can inspire transformational change.

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

ben@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org

Originally from Saint Louis, Missouri, Ben developed a love for wildlife and conservation from a young age, spending countless hours playing outside and volunteering at the local zoo. He later moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University where he received a degree in Wildlife Biology, minors in Zoology and Global Environmental Sustainability, and worked as a technician in an acoustic ecology lab. Since graduating, Ben has held various positions - from environmental education and volunteer coordination in Kaua’i’s wildlife refuges to guiding trips and wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park. Ben has a passion for learning in an ecological context and he is excited to bring his skills together to serve GWC and the county in fostering a sustainable relationship with our local watershed.

BIG SKY WATERSHED CORPS MEMBER

Abigail will be joining the team in January 2025.