Board of Directors
The Board of Directors includes no less than nine and no more than 13 individuals from as diverse a representation of the stakeholder groups as possible. Members represent agricultural producers, irrigators, non-governmental organizations, watershed groups, recreationists, local government, natural resource managers, business,and other stakeholders in the watershed.
Peter
Skidmore, Chair
- Peter
Skidmore is Principal of Skidmore Restoration Consulting and provides planning,
review, and guidance services to organizations engaged in river and watershed
conservation, stewardship, and restoration. Peter currently serves on the Board
of Directors of River Restoration Northwest, a nonprofit established to advance
the science and standards of practice of river restoration, and as a board
member of the Greater Gallatin Watershed Council in Montana. Peter holds a
Master’s degree from Montana State University in Earth Sciences and is a
licensed professional geologist in the State of Washington.
Purcie
Bennett, Vice Chair – Purcie Bennett is Executive Director and Staff
Attorney at Cottonwood Environmental Law Center (CELC), a nonprofit law firm
dedicated to the protection of forests, water, and wildlife of the Northern
Rockies. Ms. Bennett works with a variety of grass-roots organizations to
promote the preservation and restoration of the environment and resources of
the wildlands of our bioregion. Current cases are aimed at preserving
intact ecosystems, and protecting aquatic ecosystem health, wildlife and
wildlife habitat, and endangered species. Ms. Bennett holds a Law degree
from Washington and Lee University and a Master’s degree in Environmental
Policy from George Washington University.
Doug Fletcher, Treasurer - For the past
10 years, Doug has served as Co-Founder and CEO of Bozeman based North Star
Consulting Group. North Star’s expertise
is in leading global employee and client feedback survey projects via the
Internet. Mr. Fletcher received his MBA
from The Darden School at the University of Virginia and his undergraduate
degree in electrical engineering from Clemson University.
Karin
Boyd
-Karin is a registered professional geologist with twenty years experience in
applied fluvial geomorphology. As a principal geomorphologist for Applied
Geomorphology, Inc., she specializes in geomorphic assessment and development
of process-based strategies for stream and watershed restoration. Karin's
professional experience includes work on stream stability and aquatic habitat
evaluations, channel design and restoration planning. She has performed
assessments on a watershed scale to determine channel response to human
impacts, develop sediment TMDLs and generate restoration strategies. Karin
lives with her husband and daughter in Bozeman.
Pat
Byorth
– Patrick
Byorth is a staff attorney with the Montana Water Project of Trout Unlimited.
He worked as a fisheries biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks for
nearly 17 years restoring Arctic grayling, Yellowstone and westslope cutthroat
trout in their native waters and managed renowned sport fisheries in the
Madison and Gallatin River basins. He
earned a J.D. with a certificate in Environmental Natural Resources Law at the
University of Montana School of Law in 2009.
He received a B.A. in biology and chemistry from Carroll College and
earned an M.S. in fish and wildlife management from Montana State
University. Patrick served as President
of the Montana Chapter of the American Fisheries Society and was recognized as
the Chapter's Fisheries Professional of the Year in 2006. He has published articles in scientific,
legal, and popular journals. Patrick
lives with his wife, Susan, and two sons near Belgrade, MT.
Tammy
Crone - Tammy is a
Water Quality Specialist with the Gallatin Local Water Quality District,
conducting ground water and surface water monitoring and research for more than
10 years. Prior to moving to Montana, she conducted water quality
assessments with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in
Milwaukee. Tammy serves on several statewide committees, is past-president
of the Montana Section-American Water Resources Association, and is a founding
member and former chair of GGWC. She established GGWC’s volunteer citizen
stream monitoring program. Tammy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in
Natural Resources and Molecular Biology from the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Susan
Duncan
- Since 1976, Susan and her husband have built a 76-acre irrigated farm in the
Gallatin Valley from a fallow grain field, raising registered Targhee sheep and
now, Dexter cattle, a rare half-sized breed from Ireland. Susan is a University
of Montana forestry graduate and has worked for the Bureau of Land Management,
the U.S. Forest Service, and the California State Parks where she taught in
nontraditional education programs for youth and adults. Susan is a published
author with articles in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, NewWest.net, and Zone 4
Magazine. She is also active on the boards for the Association of Gallatin
Agricultural Irrigators and READI Workforce Training Systems, Inc.
Kristin
Gardener - Kristin is a
resident of Big Sky and has worked on water issues in the Big Sky community
since 2003. She now serves as Executive Director of the Blue Water Task
Force after recently completing her doctorate at Montana State University.
Kristin has a background in Water Resource Engineering and Environmental
Planning and experience working for nonprofit organizations. For her Master's
research she worked closely with the Nantucket Land Council, a non-profit land
trust in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the Nantucket community on groundwater
quality issues. When she is not out studying the streams, Kristin enjoys
playing in the outdoors with her husband Jeremy, son Elijah and dog Thailer.
Candace
Hamlin
- Candace
partners with her husband in a general aircraft engines and parts business. She
holds an aeronautical avionics degree and a degree in international
interdisciplinary arts and sciences. However, her passions center around
nature, wildlife, ecosystems and environmental education. She studied water
ecology, watershed management and stream restoration at the University of
Washington and she also helped manage a Class A water company as part of a
community well in Washington state. She has recruited some of her neighbors and
friends to help care for the creeks in Bridger Canyon, where she lives with her
family.
JP
Pomnichowski -
JP served as a legislator for two terms in Montana’s House of Representatives
from 2006-2010, serving as Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee
in the 61st legislative session. JP has championed state laws and local
policies to preserve and protect water resources, to promote responsible
growth, and to honor Montana’s land-use heritage. She is a graduate of Montana
State University, and a fifth-generation Montanan.
Marye
Virginia Sanctuary
- Marye Virginia joined the GGWC board in January 2011. Since 2008, Marye
Virginia has worked as a Business Development Representative at RightNow
Technologies. Previous professional
experiences include stints at the Yellowstone Club and Blevins Creative. Before
joining the GGWC board, she worked as a volunteer with GGWC. Marye Virginia is
a graduate of the University of North Carolina with BA in Journalism and Mass
Communications.
Kathleen
Williams
- Kathleen moved to Montana from Oregon in 1995. She spent four years on
the water, mining, and recreation policy staff at the Montana Legislature,
then five years managing the statewide Water Resources Program at the Montana
Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks. She is the Executive Director
for the U.S./Canadian Instream Flow Council. In 2010, she was elected to the
Montana Legislature and serves on the House Natural Resources, Taxation, and
Agriculture Committees. She works to enhance citizen interest in and access to
public decision-making. She lives in Bozeman with husband Tom, and their three
dogs.
AGAI Representative. The GGWC has a seat on the Board of Directors that is reserved for an appointed member of the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators (AGAI).
Watershed Coordinator: Sharlyn Izurieta. Sharlyn has served as GGWC coordinator since February 2008.
Elections
Directors serve three-year terms, with staggered terms; three or four directors' terms expire each year. Elections are held at the Annual Meeting in January.
Board Meetings
Board business meetings are held the second Wednesday of each month. All are welcome.