2007 Board of Directors

 

Board of Directors 2008

Jess Alger ranches near Stanford, and has been active in AERO's Farm & Ranch Improvement Clubs since 1990. Jess is past president of the National Farmers' Organization, Montana chapter. Jess markets beef through a cooperative he developed that promotes and sells Montana beef. All acres are certified organic and Jess's calves and yearlings are organic. The cows are not eligible because they were not born organic. Jess joined the MOPC (Montana Organic Producers Co-op) to sell the calves and yearlings. He is president of the Montana NFO. A 10 kw turbine on the ranch supplies all the power for the wells and buildings. Jess graduated from MSU Bozeman in 1971 with a BS in Animal Science.

Sally Bostrom has been a community leader, activist and volunteer for over 40 years. While a resident of Steamboat Springs, CO, Sally represented the environmental community on a broad based “smart growth” coalition. The group included ranchers, farmers, community leaders and policy makers that worked to build consensus on issues relating to residential growth, public transportation and working lands. This unique collaborative community effort became a model for other areas of the country.

Jacob Cowgill is an organic farmer and researcher on the Quinn Organic Farm in Big Sandy, Montana. He and Bob Quinn are currently experimenting with dry land vegetable production. He has an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana where he focused on food, agriculture, and writing.

Anna Jones-Crabtree Board Secretary, is the Sustainable Operations Coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Region of the Forest Service. She received a Phd in Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology where her dissertation work focused on the paradigm of sustainable decision-making. Anna is a registered Professional Engineer.

Jean Duncan Board Co-Chair, is the Director of Finance & Admin for Women’s Voices of the Earth (WVE) in Missoula. She has worked for the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, the Montana Hunger Coalition, the Good Food Store, and the Organic Certification Association of Montana (OCAM.) She has extensive experience with natural foods stores and cooperatives. She is a working to establish an ecovillage in the Missoula area with others who want to live in community with a small ecological footprint. She is sustained by spending time with her children and in the great out of doors.

Pat Doplar has lived in Red Lodge, Montana since 1974. He is currently president of the Green Electricity Buying Co-op and owner of Dopler Solar. Since 1982 Dopler Solar has been in the business of selling and distributing Energy Efficient Products. They have also done residential construction. The current focus is on the most efficient form of Solar Energy, Solar Hot Water.

Judith Fraser is a former Wilderness and Trails Program Manager for the Bitterroot National Forest. In this capacity she supervised over 20 employees, managed a large budget, administered numerous trail contacts, and was involved in strategic planning. She has an MS in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on resource management and a passion for plants, especially wildflowers. In her free time, she is an avid, non-linear gardener and addicted to Farmers' Markets. She's been involved with education in the public school system, NOLS, and the USFS. She is dedicated to any aspect of making alternative energy, alternative agriculture, and local food networks a larger reality in Montana.

Jeffry Funk has been an avid organic gardener all his adult life, and has been deeply interested in energy issues for much of that time. Jeffrey believes that how we envision agriculture and energy issues will largely define the future of our society, and that the challenges we will face on both fronts are nothing short of extraordinary. The grass roots work and consensus building in AERO is important in contributing to that vision, and to fostering a practical approach to community life in the twenty first century.

A resident of Whitefish, MT, Jeffrey has worked as an artist Blacksmith since 1976 -- an artist producing both sculpture and architectural forged metalwork on commission, from plowshares to public sculpture. He has a particular interest in the history of metals and fuels. Jeffrey has two terrific children: Hillary, 27, who lives in Missoula, and Mariah, 22, in Boulder, CO.

Pam Gerwe is a small sustainable farmer committed to using food, compost, chickens, weeds and soil as tools to build community in Whitefish. Pam has spearheaded the development of a farmer directory for Flathead area farmers and ranchers to help citizens appreciate and buy locally grown products.

Kristina (Kiki) Hubbard recently completed a Master's thesis on the regulatory frameworks governing organic agriculture and genetic engineering as a student in the University of Montana's Environmental Studies program. During graduate school, Kiki worked as a Research Fellow for the Western Organization of Resource Councils (WORC) in Billings, MT, where she researched the implications of genetically engineered alfalfa. Kiki began her advocacy work as the Outreach Director/Research Associate at the Center for Food Safety in Washington, DC. There, she managed campaigns on genetic engineering and other industrial agriculture issues. Kiki currently works as a consultant for M+R Strategic Services and coaches a dozen 11-year-old girls in soccer.

John Mann received his BA in psychology from the University of Oklahoma, moved to Bozeman and met his wife Jodi all in 2000. After moving to Helena in 2004, his interest in gardening and agriculture became more vivid while learning to spin yarn, weave and shear sheep. In the summer of 2006, owning sheep and farming became a reality with a flock of Icelandic sheep. February 2007 saw John and Jodi at their own farm in Toston.

Jill Owen resides in Choteau with her husband and two horses. Jill owns and operates Mountain Front Market in Choteau, a grocery store specializing in organic and locally grown foods. She has always been interested in sustainable living practices and hopes to help AERO spread the word.

Bruce Smith is the Dawson County Extension Agent in Glendive, MT and was born and raised on a diversified farm/ranch near Dagmar in northeastern Montana. Bruce has a BS in Agricultural Production/Animal Science and a BS in Agricultural Business from Montana State University and an MBA from Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo, CA. Bruce managed food manufacturing plants in California, Illinois, and Idaho before returning to Montana. He is currently working on developing local food systems, value-added agriculture, and rural leadership development.

Brett Tallman is Co-Chair of the Board and has been a self employed woodworker and building contractor for the past 14 years and focuses mostly on creative designs. He has also spent several years as a coach for the Flathead Valley Ski Education Foundation and has managed a sporting goods store for 2 years. Brett has a physics degree from Montana State University and has had a long time interest in alternative energy, energy conservation and sustainable practices.

Charlotte Trolinger completed her architecture degree in Chicago in the 70s of which passive solar, appropriate design and pedestrian, bicycle and mass transit planning were all important components. But her interest in sustainable agriculture began with vegetable gardens and with parents who refused to use pesticides. While still in Chicago she became involved in the city's urban garden program. In 1981, she moved to Bozeman to teach photography in the Media and Theatre Arts Department at MSU. As a faculty member and community activist, Charlotte's courses and workshops focused on both image content and civic involvement.