Sheila Rice
President
Great Falls, MT
Sheila has served as the Executive Director of NeighborWorks Great Falls and NeighborWorks Montana, and as the interim Chief Operating Officer for Neighborworks America. In 2007, she completed the NeighborWorks America Achieving Excellence Program at Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Sheila has served on several national committees, including the Board of Directors of the National NeighborWorks Association and the Fannie Mae National Advisory Committee. She is currently a member of the Montana Board of Housing. Prior to joining NWGF and MHN, she was a senior officer of ENERGY WEST, a natural gas utility and energy marketing firm located in Great Falls. Sheila is a graduate of Great Falls Central High School, holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of Montana and an MBA from the University of Montana. She served in the Montana House of Representatives in 1991 and 1993 legislative sessions and was a member of the Montana Redistricting Commission in 2000.
Ashlee Schleicher
Vice President
Missoula
Ashlee Schleicher has been a CLT homeowner with Trust Montana since October 2023. Before buying her home and becoming a first time homeowner, her family experienced housing instability due to the shortage of affordable rental properties that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ashlee is currently the Community Engagement Manager at Missoula Food Bank & Community Center and has been with the organization since 2019. She leads the organization’s cooking classes, on-site children’s center, advocacy work, and lived expert programming. Ashlee has her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Montana and two BA degrees in Political Science and Geography. She lives in Missoula with her writer husband, soccer loving son, and naughty puppy.
Tatyana Schmidt
Secretary
Missoula, MT
Tatyana is a community land trust homeowner living in Missoula. She was one of the first homeowners in the Trust Montana program and has recently become more active in the HOA and the CLT. She was elected as the Treasurer during the November, 2022 board development training in Livingston, and served in that position for over a year. She recently transitioned to become the Secretary. She works as Lead Billing Specialist for a federally qualified health care clinic and pharmacy serving the community of Missoula.
Larry Philips
Treasurer
Great Falls, MT
Larry works as the Real Estate Lending Director at NeighborWorks Montana. In his role, Larry leads the Real Estate Development and Acquisition (REDA) program at NWMT, focused on supporting affordable housing development and preservation through their various loan products. He also works in NWMT’s capital growth efforts and on grant compliance. Larry holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Great Falls as well as a Housing Development Finance Professional Certificate from the National Development Council. Larry is passionate about assisting hardworking Montanans in achieving the dream of homeownership.
Jo Ann Eder
Red Lodge, MT
Jo Ann is the President of the O.P. and W.E. Edwards Foundation, located in Red Lodge. In that role, Jo Ann has learned the importance of the nonprofit sector to the life of a community. She is proud to serve as the board chair of the Red Lodge Area Community Foundation, a board member of the Montana Community Foundation, and is the former co-chair of the Montana Children’s Trust Fund Board. She is a former board member and present volunteer for the Baretooth Cupboards – Carbon County’s Community Food Bank and Philanthropy Northwest, a regional association of foundations. She is also a member of Leadership Montana. She has a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Yale University and a M.S. in Cross Cultural Education from the University of New Mexico.
Beth Heilig
Belgrade, MT
Beth is a community land trust homeowner living in Belgrade, Montana, in one of the homes built through the Habitat for Humanity of Gallatin Valley program. She built her own home with her family, and is a stay-at home mom who homeschools her children.
Dorothy Young
Missoula, MT
Dorothy Young is a CLT homeowner who built her home in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Missoula in 2022. She is employed as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Montana and is currently working on obtaining her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from George Washington University. Dorothy also serves on the board of the Montana Association for Rehabilitation, and is involved in various efforts to address behavioral health and substance abuse issues affecting Montana communities. She strongly believes that access to stable and affordable housing is an integral part of the solution to these problems.
Tom Zavitz
Missoula, MT
In 1977, Tom moved to Montana to study Land Rehabilitation at the University of Montana. After graduating with a Masters of Science in Land Reclamation from Montana State University, he was employed as a consultant on major pipeline construction eventually leading a company with a staff of 200 overseeing pipeline construction in the west and midwest. Tom then worked as a Senior Planner for the City of Missoula leading growth policy and other local legislative and neighborhood planning projects during the last 15 years of his career. He recently retired from his position as Senior Planner to pursue landscape painting and spending time with his daughters full time. He currently lives outside of Missoula with his daughter, Annie.
Alexandra Isern
Bozeman
Alexandra is the founder of Summit Science Solutions, a consulting firm focused on strategic science leadership and environmental resilience. A Bozeman resident for eight years, she is passionate about fostering sustainable, equitable communities across Montana. As a former Assistant Director for Geosciences at the National Science Foundation, Alexandra brings extensive experience in guiding complex initiatives and building partnerships that connect science, policy, and community needs. She is inspired by Trust Montana’s mission to preserve land and housing affordability and is dedicated to applying her collaborative leadership and systems-thinking approach to strengthen opportunities for Montanans today and in the future.
Nicole Borner
Roundup
Nicole is a co-owner and consultant with Trillium Cooperative, a women-owned, Native-led cooperative. She provides consulting, cooperative development, education, grant writing, and community engagement services. A lifelong Montanan, Nicole has over a decade of experience in economic development and four years focused on cooperative models, guiding communities from visioning to governance. A former small business owner and local elected official, she is committed to rural resilience and believes in the power of cooperation to strengthen and sustain communities.
Kayla Lappin
Butte
Kayla is the Economic Development Coordinator for the City-County of Butte-Silver Bow and serves as the administrator for Butte’s industrial districts as well as the foreign trade zone. Previously, Kayla worked as the Director of Marketing and Business Recruitment for Butte Local Development Corporation and Headwaters RC&D, and as the Communications and Events Coordinator for The Clark Fork Watershed Education Program. Kayla has over 15 years of experience in marketing, website development, graphic design, and social media. Kayla also has 9 years of experience in non-profit fundraising. Kayla is a graduate of Twin Bridges High School and holds a BS in Professional and Technical Communication from Montana Tech. She lives in Butte with her husband, three children, and Bernese Mountain dog.
Missoula
Conrad Stroebe
Lockwood
Conrad is a dedicated Taxation Advisor at Conrad & Brown, serving clients in Billings, Montana since October 1, 1975. With his extensive experience, Conrad provides expert financial taxation guidance. He has worked as a Low Income Housing Tax Credit developer, a non profit leader, and a community advocate with a focus on the well-being of youth (via neighborhood elementary and secondary schools) and community development for the town of Lockwood. He is currently working on a master plan to develop a village town center for the unincorporated community of Lockwood, which will include permanently affordable homes and commercial facilities and services for area residents.
Nate Richmond
Missoula
Nate Richmond is President and CEO of BlueLine Development, Inc., owner of BlueLine Property Management and BlueLine Construction. Nate has been working in the affordable housing industry since 2005. In that time, he developed more than 3,500 affordable homes in developments across the Rocky Mountain and Central Plains region. Nate has a passion for providing creative solutions for community affordable housing challenges. He currently resides in Missoula and has called Western Montana home for more than 30 years.
You can read Trust Montana’s By-Laws here.
