Montana Conservation Voters Board of Directors

Ryan Busse, Chairperson

Ryan has been involved with Montana Conservation Voters for the past three years and is one of the founding members of the Flathead Chapter that began during that same time period. Since that time he has served as a State Board Representative as well as a former Vice Chair. He credits his wife, and fellow member Sara, for encouraging his involvement in non-profit organizations. Sara’s work as the Development Director for the Flathead Land Trust served as a motivating factor for Ryan to become more involved within local non-profit organizations.
 

Rachel Carrol, Secretary

Rachel is from Helena and spends her working hours with the Montana Human Rights Network. She has a MS in Sociology from Utah State University with a focus in Social Change and Development. She received her BA in Sociology from the University of Montana, as well as her Certification in Nonprofit Administration from American Humanics. Rachel is also the co-chair for the Helena Peace Seekers and has in addition worked in the areas of rural sustainable development, workers rights, and environmental justice. She is originally from Great Falls and loves to spend time in the great outdoors. Rachel has greatly enjoyed spending time volunteering with the Montana Conservation Voters annual meeting and volunteering for MCV endorsed candidates around the state. She is dedicated to educating and advocating for the conservation of our natural environment and to building stronger environmental voice in the political arena.

David Tyler, Treasurer

David, Belgrade, is a civil engineer who owns and operates Thirteen Mile Lamb and Wool Company with his partner, Becky Weed. This is a certified organic sheep ranch and wool processing mill, with a predator-friendly ethic. David Tyler came to Montana in 1986 after working for years as a civil engineer on dams, power plants, and in the classroom. He`s worked in offshore exploration and in GPS navigating, topography, and farming. Dave taught at MSU for several years, started a precision agricultural electronics and software company that still operates in Belgrade and is a member of a national board that accredits academic engineering programs in the United States.

Tracy Cosgrove, Director

Tracy, Missoula, has been a Montana Conservation Voters member since 2002 and brings a wealth of non-profit experience to the Board. She just completed service as national chairperson of the YWCA USA Board, and the Seattle-based Social Justice Fund. She has worked and volunteered for several progressive groups including Women's Voices for the Earth and Montana Women Vote, a group she helped found. Tracy has degrees in Journalism and Political Science from Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota, respectively.

Rich Day, Director

Rich, Butte, currently works as MWF’s Teaming with Wildlife Coordinator and Communications Coordinator. He served as MWF’s first full-time executive director. Rich, as the regional director in California and Nevada for the Mule Deer Foundation, worked with local chapters to raise funds for mule deer habitat. Rich is a founding member and first president of the Gallatin Wildlife Association, president of the Montana Wildlife Federation from 1980-82 and served on the NWF board from 1985-88. Rich currently serves as a director of the George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Butte.

Ben Greybill, Director

Ben, Great Falls, was born into a politically active family. He worked in a variety of campaigns - mayoral to presidential. He completed law school in 1988, and for the last eighteen years has represented injured persons and victims of fraud. Ben spent three months as the intermittent page to his father, Leo Graybill, Jr., during his presidency of the 1972 Constitutional Convention. In witnessing the drafting of Montana's Constitution, he gained a deep appreciation for those who fought for the inclusion of the article obligating government and citizens to maintain a "clean and healthful environment". Through MCV, Ben hopes to help elect candidates who will fight to preserve the principles embodied in that article.

Betsy Scanlin, Director

Betsy, Red Lodge, is an attorney in private practice whose interests are economic development with environmental responsibility.  She practiced this ethic as Red Lodge's mayor and a City Council member, where she was a advocate of responsible land use planning.  A graduate of the University of Montana Law School with a B.A. in English, Betsy was a staff  attorney for New York City's Department of City Planning, and directed their Drought Variance Board and Water Use Management Plan before returning to Red Lodge in 1993.  She was a Red Lodge Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year recipient (2000) and has extensive involvement in community non-profits.

Dan Short, Director

Dan, Kalispell, is a long time hunting, fishing, floating and hiking enthusiast. He is a financial advisor with Merrill Lynch, where he has worked for 12 years. Dan is involved in a number of conservation groups and is currently the Vice Chairperson of the State Council of Montana Trout Unlimited. He has participated in MCV's Flathead Chapter, has been active with MCV endorsement interviews, and has helped with candidate campaigns including meeting voters at their doors and helping with fundraising. He has two children and one grandson who he is teaching how to fish.

Jason Smith, Director

Jason, Helena, works for the Montana Department of Commerce as a program manager of the State Tribal Economic Development Commission, and has extensive civic engagement experience. He worked in the 2009 Legislature as Majority Aide and Montana American Indian Caucus staff member. A member of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nations, Jason was the Chairman's Assistant and Get Out The Vote Coordinator, and was a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Jason graduated from Salish Kootenai College in business entrepreneurship. He is working with his family to protect Chief Cliff Mountain near Elmo from rock quarry mining.

Michelle Stearns, Director

Michelle, Arlee, is a counselor in the Missoula school system. She grew up in the headwaters of the Musselshell River. After receiving her graduate counseling degree from MSU, and a brief stint in Helena, she moved to Missoula to begin her counseling career, and where she served on other community boards. She and her husband, Pat Smith, live in Arlee and share a passion for the Montana outdoors.

Juanita Vero, Director

Juanita, Greenough, oversees the fourth generation of a family-owned and operated guest ranch in the Blackfoot Valley. The ranch prides itself on its conservation ethic and long term range and timber management. Her community involvement includes the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited (President for 2 years, and now Secretary); Sunset School Board, serving a small, rural public school; the Missoula County Open Lands Committee; and fundraising for conservation easements in the Blackfoot as part of the Blackfoot Community Project. Juanita is also a member of Montana Conservation Voters, the Blackfoot Challenge and Community Food Agriculture Coalition.

David Chambers, Alternate Gallatin-Park Chapter Representative

David, Bozeman, is the president of the Center for Science in Public Participation, a non-profit corporation that provides technical assistance on mining and water quality to public interest groups and tribal governments in the US and Canada. Dave is a registered professional geophysicist with a Professional Engineering Degree in Physics from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Masters Degree in Geophysics from the University of California at Berkeley. He also has a Ph.D. in Environmental Planning from Berkeley. Dave and his wife, Sigrid, have resided in Bozeman for 12 years.

Jacquelyn Corday, Missoula Chapter Representative

Jacquelyn leads Missoula's open space acquisitions. Previously, she was a planner for the Missoula Office of Planning and Grants. She also practiced real estate, land use and environmental law in Oregon and Montana. Jackie received her B.A. in Environmental Biology from Humboldt State University and her law degree from University of Oregon School of Law.

Robin Saha, Missoula Chapter Representative

Robin is assistant professor in the Environmental Studies Department at the University of Montana. His teaching and research interests focus on environmental justice, health and policy with an emphasis on community engagement and empowerment. He is committed to providing assistance to contaminated communities and works actively on tribal environmental issues in Montana. Robin served on the MCV Missoula chapter steering committee.

Brad Webb, Gallatin-Park Chapter Representative

Gallatin-Park County MCV Chapter: Director Brad Webb, Bozeman, has been serving on the Institute for Conservation Leadership as Program Associate in the Western office located in Bozeman, Montana since September 2001.  He currently manages the Great Lakes Executive Director Program in addition to smaller programs in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to joining the Institute, Brad’s professional work revolved around developing alternative educational experiences for a wide range of participants. Some of those experiences included developing educational travel programs for Elderhostel, directing Professional Development Programs for the Colorado Outward Bound School, and a few forays into consulting in the corporate world. He has also been a member of boards and committees for conservation and community groups.