Gianforte names Transition Advisory Team members
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News from Governor-elect Greg Gianforte
BOZEMAN — Recently Governor-elect Greg Gianforte announced members of several of his transition advisory teams.
“Good ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, and I’m counting on Montanans to make their voices heard,” Gianforte said. “We built our Montana Comeback Plan with the input of Montanans across our state, but it’s just a starting point. We have a lot of work to do to get our state back on track. I urge you to keep your ideas coming and make your voices heard as we kick off Montana’s comeback.”
Earlier this month, Gianforte launched ServeMontana.com, a website in which individuals may submit their credentials for consideration to serve Montana, including leading state agencies.
Wildlife and Parks Advisory Team members: Cheryl Arnaud, (owner of Montana Hunting Company); Ed Beall, (president of Capital Sports & Western; bowhunter ed instructor); Shane Gorder, (Richland County Commissioner; former president of Montana Association of Counties; rancher); Steve Harada, MBA, (faculty member at Ft. Peck Community College; former president of Walleyes Unlimited of Montana); John Lane, (rancher and co-founder of Devil’s Kitchen Management Area); Matt Lumley, (vice president of the National Trappers Association); Chuck Rein, (president of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association); Lesley Robinson, (former Phillips County Commissioner; rancher); Scott Sales, (Montana state senator (SD-35) and president of the Montana State Senate; former speaker of the Montana House of Representatives); KC Walsh, (executive chairman of Simms Fishing Products; director of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation); John Way, (fishing guide and owner of the Tackle Shop in Ennis); Kerry White, (executive director of Citizens for Balanced Use; Montana state representative (HD-64).
Agriculture/Livestock Transition Advisory Team: Dean Folkvord, (founder of Wheat Montana Farms and Bakery; farmer); John Helle, (rancher and co-founder of Duckworth Wool; board member for Northwest Farm Credit; past president of the Montana Wool Growers Association); Bob Quinn, (founder of Montana Flour & Grains, The Oil Barn, and Big Sandy organics; organic farmer); Lola Raska, (executive vice president of Montana Grain Growers Association; farmer); Lesley Robinson, (rancher and former Phillips County commissioner); Nicole Rolf, (director of national affairs and eastern Montana regional manager for the Montana Farm Bureau Federation; cattle rancher); Megan Shroyer, (Montana president of Northwest Farm Credit Services); Jim Steinbeisser, (first vice president and president-elect of the Montana Stockgrowers Association; farmer and rancher); Fred Wacker, (president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association; cattle rancher.)
The Department of Transportation Advisory Team:Vicki Bertelsen, (co-owner of K&K Trucking, Inc.; Richard Dunbar, (Phillips County commissioner; vice-chair of Montana Association of Counties Transportation Committee); Kevin Gustainis, (president and owner of Montana Peterbilt); Debbie Nohrton, (former Aeronautics Division administrator for the Department of Transportation); Tim Robertson, (chairman and CEO of Century Companies, Inc.); Erik Sletten, (president and CEO of Sletten Construction); Pete Smith, (president of HCR Inc.); Byron Stahly, (president and CEO of Stahly Engineering & Associates.)
The Department of Revenue Advisory Team: Nancy Balance, (Montana state representative (HD-87) and former three-term Chair of House Appropriations; Brenda Byrnes, (CPA – shareholder, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. PC in Great Falls; former president of the Montana Society of CPAs); Joan Duffield, (clerk and recorder for Rosebud County; former commissioner of Rosebud County); Don Jones, (owner of Dickey’s BBQ and commissioner of Yellowstone County); Adele Krantz, (treasurer of Flathead County and longest-serving county treasurer in Montana); Michael Lawlor, J.D., (attorney at Lawlor and Co., PLLC; former primary attorney for the Montana Department of Revenue’s Liquor Control Division); Mike McGinley, (commissioner of Beaverhead County; owner of Beaverhead Meats); Rick Ripley, (former Montana state senator (SD-9) and chair of the Finance Committee; former superintendent for Augusta and Choteau schools); Julie Sirrs, J.D., (attorney, Boone Karlberg P.C.; advisory board member of the Montana Tax Institute); Bob Story, (executive director of the Montana Taxpayers Association).
The Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor and Industry Transition Advisory Team: Andrew Brekke, (vice president of Erickson Insurance Group; member of the Montana Insurance Guaranty Association Board of Directors); Della Ehlke, (cattle rancher and owner of Montana Hydraulics); Kristen Heck (president and owner of LC Staffing; founder of Loyal Care In-Home Assistance); Christina Quick Henderson, (executive director of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance; adjunct instructor at University of Montana College of Business); Misty Kuhl, (director of Native American Outreach at Rocky Mountain College; A’aniiih member of the Fort Belknap Indian Community); Tony Martel, (president of Martel Construction; former president of the Montana Contractors Association); Derek Swank, (executive vice president of Swank Enterprises, a commercial construction company; former president of the Montana Contractors Association); Dexter Thiel, (president of Thiel Bros Roofing; founding member and former president of the Montana Roofing Contractors Association); Joe Unterreiner, (former president and CEO of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce, 1996-2020); Steve Wahrlich, (owner of the Best Western Plus ClockTower Inn & Stella’s Kitchen and Baker; member of Montana’s Tourism Advisory Council).
The Department of Military Affairs Advisory Team: Tim Fox, (J.D., M.P.A. – Montana Attorney General); Roger Hagan (retired lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, former Montana state representative - HD-19); Cari Kent (retired chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, 341st Missile Wing Command Chief and 819th Red Horse Chief of Logistics); Jesse Slaughter (sheriff of Cascade County); Nels Swandal (attorney at Swandal Law, PLLC, retired colonel in the U.S. Army and Montana Army National Guard, former judge for the 6th District Court, former Montana state senator SD-30); Mike Waters (retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, director of Veterans and Military Affairs for U.S. Greg Gianforte launched MontanaComeback.com, the official website for his transition.)
Montanans can access MontanaComeback.com to keep up with the transition, offer feedback on Montana’s response to COVID-19, submit their policy ideas, and apply to serve Montana in the governor-elect’s administration.
All members of the Transition Advisory Teams serve in a voluntary capacity and are not compensated for their time.
