Our Team
Board
Staff
Jim Stone
CHAIR, ROLLING STONE RANCH, OVANDO
Randy Gazda
VICE-CHAIR, RETIRED US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE
Jennifer Williamson
TREASURER, NORM WILLIAMSON CPA, MISSOULA
Denny Iverson
SECRETARY, IVERSON RANCH, POTOMAC
David Mannix
MANNIX BROTHERS RANCH, HELMVILLE
Randy Arnold
MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE & PARKS
Patti Bartlett
RETIRED SCIENCE TEACHER, SEELEY LAKE
Chris Bryant
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
Stoney Burke
LANDOWNER, OVANDO
Erin Carey
PARTNER, US BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
Quinn Carver
PARTNER, US FOREST SERVICE, SEELEY LAKE
Bill Cyr
B & C OUTFITTERS, LINCOLN
Benjamin Gilles
PARTNER, US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE
Amy Groen
RESIDENT, MISSOULA
Jim Yarbrough
PARTNER, US FOREST SERVICE, LINCOLN
Karl Hausmann
LANDOWNER, POTOMAC
Jason Jewett
US BANK, HELENA
Todd Johnson
PYRAMID MOUNTAIN LUMBER, SEELEY LAKE
Dwane Kailey
PARTNER, MT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pat Kane
PRO OUTFITTERS, OVANDO
Leigh Kelley
PAWS UP RANCH, GREENOUGH
Frank Maus
LANDOWNER, GREENOUGH
Jack Mulcare
LANDOWNER, GREENOUGH
Mike O'Herron
MT DEPT OF NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION
Christina Proops
LANDOWNER, OVANDO
Robert Ray
RETIRED MT DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
John Teller
LANDOWNER, OVANDO
Ryan Thompson
SWIFT CURRENT EVENTS, MISSOULA
Alan Townsend
PARTNER, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA FRANKE COLLEGE OF FORESTRY AND CONSERVATION
Magee Payne
GREENOUGH RESIDENT
Seth Wilson
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Seth joined the Challenge as Executive Director in 2019. He grew up in West Cornwall, CT and holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Government from St. Lawrence University, a M.S. in Environmental Studies as well as a Ph.D. in Forestry from the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. He was a post-doctoral research fellow at Yale University from 2009-2010. While conducting his doctoral research, Seth began working for the Blackfoot Challenge in 2001 as the organization’s first Wildlife Coordinator, helping to gather baseline data and develop strategies to reduce conflicts with grizzly bears and wolves that are still hallmarks of the program today. As an applied conservation biologist, Seth has worked on resolving issues between people and wildlife in the United States, Canada, and Europe for more than 20 years. Most recently, he spent three years in Slovenia as an advisor to the Slovenian Forest Service and partners from Italy, Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, and Romania to support brown bear and Eurasian lynx conservation and management. When not working, Seth enjoys cycling, skiing, traveling, cooking, and watching all three of his children play hockey.
Elaine Caton
BIRD PROGRAM & EDUCATION COORDINATOR
ELAINE@BLACKFOOTCHALLENGE.ORG
With a doctorate in ecology from the University of Montana and a postdoc in science education with the National Science Foundation, Elaine brings her combined experiences in research and education to her current position. Her interests in conservation, how science works, and how people learn all merge to help her share the excitement of learning and teaching about the natural world. Elaine lives in the Ovando area with her husband and two daughters, where they love to ski, hike, ride horses, view wildlife, and enjoy all the other special opportunities the Blackfoot has to offer.
Clancy Jandreau
BLACKFOOT WATER STEWARD
Clancy joined the Blackfoot Challenge in August 2022. Originally from rural Western Colorado, Clancy holds a B.S. in Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology from Colorado State University, and an M.S. in Resource Conservation and a graduate certificate in Natural Resource Conflict Resolution, both from the University of Montana. As an applied conservation biologist, Clancy has worked in resource conservation and land management on private and public lands in Colorado, Washington and Montana. Throughout those experiences, he has learned about the critical role of partnerships in conservation and of the significant common ground that exists at the intersection of private land stewardship and conservation. He is excited to work with a variety of landowners and partners in the Blackfoot watershed to sustain the water that sustains its life, livelihoods, and landscapes. Clancy and his wife live in Potomac and spend their time hiking, biking, skiing, floating and otherwise exploring Montana’s rivers and mountains.
Deb Dillree
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Deb is the Office Administrator for the Blackfoot Challenge and works out of the Ovando office. She lives in Ovando and is very active in the community—she serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Cemetery Board, volunteers as a librarian at the Ovando Grade School, and issues burn permits and rents meeting space for the Ovando Volunteer Fire Department, among other efforts. Deb also provides administrative assistance to the local Blackfoot Community Conservation Area Council, as well as Partners for Conservation, a national landowner-led conservation organization. Deb is married to Larry Dillree and she enjoys spending time with family and grandchildren, camping, riding snowmobiles, and all outdoor activities.
Eric Graham
WILDLIFE COORDINATOR
Before joining the Challenge, Eric spent 15 years working for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on grizzly bear DNA and population estimates and carnivore tracking. A Missoula native and University of Montana graduate, Eric joined the Challenge in 2013 as the seasonal Range Rider, monitoring wolf and grizzly bear activity in proximity to livestock. In 2016, Eric moved into the full-time Wildlife Coordinator position with the Challenge, spending the winters monitoring carnivore activity, including wolverine, lynx, and fisher, in addition to range riding in the summer. The relationships Eric has built with ranchers throughout the watershed are critical to the success of the Range Rider and Carcass Pick Up Programs.
Jennifer Schoonen
COMMUNICATIONS & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Jennifer Schoonen joined the Blackfoot Challenge in 2013 and has since managed programs that cover drought management, irrigation efficiency, water quality issues, and collaborative watershed stewardship. Previously, Jennifer worked for the National Forest Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Jennifer holds a MS in Journalism and Natural Resource Management from the University of Arizona. She grew up in a small town in Eastern Arizona’s White Mountains, in a region that nurtured her interests in the intersection of natural resource stewardship and rural community needs. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, and traveling with her husband, Tony, and daughters, Carli and Brooke.
Cindy Super
FORESTRY & PRESCRIBED FIRE COORDINATOR
Cindy grew up in the heart of the Blackfoot Valley at the DNRC Clearwater Unit headquarters. She attended Sunset School, Seeley Lake Elementary, and Seeley Swan High School before moving to Missoula. Cindy received her BS in Forestry from the University of Montana and fought fire with the Seeley Lake Ranger District and the Missoula Smokejumpers. She then did a 6-year stint in the US Army. She returned to Montana in 2006 and was hired at the Montana DNRC. She worked her way back to the Clearwater Unit where she was most recently a Trust Lands Management Forester. Cindy joined the Blackfoot Challenge in 2020. She especially loves hiking with her family, skiing, backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, and most recently playing ice hockey.
Brad Weltzien
LAND STEWARD
Brad received a BS in Wildlife Biology from University of Montana and an MS in Protected Landscape Management from University of Wales. Brad has worked in a variety of positions from wildlife research assistant in Yellowstone National Park and the Bitterroot National Forest, deckhand and visitor information specialist in Alaska, to US Peace Corps volunteer and ecotourism consultant for seven years in and around Mt. Elgon National Park in Uganda. Brad began working in the Blackfoot watershed in 2005 with the North Powell Conservation District. He joined the Challenge in 2009 as the Land Steward, where today he continues to work with the Blackfoot Community Conservation Area Council and private landowners across the watershed to accomplish their land stewardship goals. Brad thoroughly enjoys life in western Montana with his son, Corbin, where you can find them riding, floating, driving, photographing, or during fall, hiking to, searching for, or hauling something along the way.
Mike Buchanan
FUND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Mike Buchanan joined the Blackfoot Challenge in April 2024. He holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Montana and a J.D. from Willamette University. The bulk of Mike’s nonprofit career stems from nearly 12 years as Director of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Montana, where he oversaw service delivery and secured grant funding from private and corporate foundations as well as state and federal agencies. Mike recognizes that by understanding local needs, fostering collaboration, and deomonstrating the positive impact of our work, we build trust and secure sustainable funding for long-term success. Mike is a sucker for Montana summers and enjoys floating on a lazy river or simply taking in the sunshine. He lives in Clancy with his wife and two children.
Marley Held Wilson
RECREATION COORDINATOR
Marley joined the Challenge in 2024. Originally from Montana, Marley grew up recreating throughout the state and enjoying the rural landscapes that make Montana the treasure that it is. She received a B.S. degree in Fish & Wildlife Ecology from the University of Montana Western and an M.A. degree in Sociology from Idaho State University. Marley studied human/grizzly bear relationships and bear behavior in graduate school and has worked as an environmental scientist and field technician in Montana. During these experiences, Marley discovered her passion towards genuine relationship building and integrating new ways of learning, understanding, and communicating for community conservation. Marley and her husband, Logan, live in Drummond and can be spotted backpacking, skiing, and, most frequently, fly fishing.
Karen Laitala
VEGETATION COORDINATOR
Karen serves as both the Blackfoot Challenge Vegetation Program Coordinator and as the Powell County Weeds Board Coordinator.