Wednesday, September 9, 2026
7:30 am – 8:30 am Conference Open
University of Western Montana – Beier Auditorium
Pick-up your badges, register for the conference, register for a tour, or get a question about the conference answered.
Coffee & Morning Snacks Sponsored By
8:00am – 12:00 pm
Beier Auditorium
Through a series of short lectures followed by hands-on exercises, this session provides an introduction to lidar and working with lidar-derived products in ArcGIS Pro. Topics include: lidar 101, where to access lidar for Montana, deriving rasters from the lidar point cloud, and raster analysis. Attendees will have access to laptops to gain experience working with lidar-derived data in ArcGIS Pro. Seats are limited (20) and basic experience with ArcGIS software is required.
Presenters: Troy Blandford, Matt Trebesch, Garret, Weichel
Troy Blandford is the Water Information System Manager at the Montana State Library and works with lidar, hydrography, imagery, and other water- related geospatial data every day. Troy applies his skills and experience in geography and GIS towards facilitating discovery and use of Montana’s water-related information.
Matt Trebesch is a GIS Analyst at the Montana State Library (MSL), where he leads geospatial governance efforts and manages statewide geospatial initiatives that support Montana state agencies and the broader GIS community. He serves as the administrator of MSL’s ArcGIS Online platform, supporting both internal operations and other hosted state agencies. Matt is also a project manager for the Montana Geospatial Information Act (MGIA) grant program. His background includes municipal GIS coordination and managing GIS operations supporting 9-1-1 dispatch systems. He holds a B.S. in Earth Science, Geology with a focus on GIS from Montana State University, Bozeman
Garret Weichel is a GIS Technician at the Montana State Library. Garret graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Geography and a GIS certificate. His work at MSL includes processing and providing lidar data to the State of Montana and supporting the public and private sector with GIS expertise.
8:00am – 12:00 pm
Lewis and Clark Room
This interactive three-hour workshop is designed for planning and zoning staff, commissioners, and elected officials. Participants will learn the fundamentals of planning and zoning requirements in Idaho and Montana, gain practical insight into legal processes and terminology, and engage in roundtable discussions.
Presenters: Morgan Landers, Brad Cramer, Stephen Coe, Emily Glucken
Morgan Landers, AICP brings 20 years of experience in public, private, and non-profit planning and community development. After working in brownfield redevelopment across the country, she joined the public sector as Town Planner for Eagle, Colorado, and Planning Manager for Eagle County before relocating to Ketchum, ID in 2021. Following her time as Director of Planning and Building for Ketchum, she is now the Owner and Principal Planner for TIIR Consulting, LLC specializing in planning and development services supporting small and medium sized jurisdictions solve their most challenging issues. Morgan is celebrated for building collaborative partnerships, strategic solutions for navigating land use issues, and training high-performing teams to create great communities.
Brad Cramer is a certified planner and owner of Perspective Planning and Consulting, a firm focused on making professional planning services accessible to communities of all sizes. With nearly 20 years of experience in land use planning—including roles with the City of Idaho Falls and Idaho National Laboratory—Brad brings a practical, grounded approach to community development. He holds degrees from Idaho State University, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Idaho.
Stephen Coe, PE, AICP, is a planner and engineer based in Butte who has spent more than 30 years helping communities across Montana plan for the future. As a Senior Planning Engineer and Planning Group Business Leader at WET and WAYpoint, he works on projects ranging from growth policies and land-use planning to environmental permitting, redevelopment, and infrastructure improvements. Stephen believes good planning is ultimately about people, helping communities understand their options and make informed decisions about where they want to go next. He is honored to serve on the MAP Board and support the planning profession across Montana. When he’s not working, you’ll likely find him riding adventure motorcycles on Montana’s gravel roads, bringing another vintage motorcycle back to life, or exploring the world with his family.
Emily is a Missoula-based, AICP-certified planner who has worked with the City of Missoula for nearly 6 years – starting in permits and development review, and now in long-range planning. She holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning degree from the University of Colorado Denver and an undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont in Environmental Studies and Green Building and Community Design. This combination of studies has fueled her interest in how the design of communities influences the ways in which we interact with both natural and built environments, and with each other. While her planning education was based in an urban environment, her work experience has largely centered around rural and mountain communities, most recently focusing on sustainable tourism development in rural Oregon prior to working in Missoula. Outside of the office, you can typically find Emily mountain biking or hanging out with her pup, Lola.
11:00am – 12:00 pm
**Sign up at the Registration Table**
Meet at Jaycee Park (near band shell)
Experience an Inclusive Interdisciplinary Walk/Move Audit (I2Audit) firsthand through a community-led tour of Downtown Dillon. Participants will explore a selected route through the lens of the Dillon Downtown Master Plan, observing conditions and considering how the Plan’s goals and objectives translate to the built environment. This interactive session will introduce the I2Audit approach and demonstrate how it can be used as an inclusive public engagement tool.
Presenters: Dani Arps AICP, Meg Traci PhD, Ricky Burns II ADAC-ADA Accessibility Specialist, Todd Godfrey, Tyler Stosich BA, Stephen Van Marter
Dani Arps is a Planner with the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) with the Montana Department of Commerce. Prior to that, she was the Planner, Floodplain Administrator and Grant Administrator for Teton County. She has been assisting with a variety of CTAP projects around the state as well as providing free trainings for local government planning boards and supporting implementation of Montana’s Land Use Planning Act. She lives in Dillon and spends her time camping, fishing, snowboard
Dr. Meg Ann Traci is a research professor and psychologist with expertise in life-span human development and healthy rural communities. Dr. Traci is the Knowledge Broker on the Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities at the University of Montana, drawing on over 30 years of experience in grant writing and a productive program of research, development, and systems change. She is the senior consultant on the Montana Disability and Health Program, a partnership with the Montana Department of Health supported through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She has published numerous articles covering a range of topics including early intervention, systems advocacy, healthy communities, and public health and health promotion.
Ricky Burns II is an Independent Living Specialist and ADA Accessibility Specialist at Ability Montana, based in the state of Montana. He is dedicated to expanding disability rights, inclusive health, and community-wide physical accessibility across the region.
Todd Godfrey is the E.D. of the Beaverhead Chamber of Commerce and Beaverhead Tourism & Development Council.
Tyler Stosich is co-founder of Dillon-based Accessible Skies. Tyler also is an Independent Living Specialist and Peer Advocacy Coordinator for Summit Independent Living, on of Montana’s four centers for independent living.
Steven Van Marter is the owner of Montana FPV and is the co-founder of Dillon-based Accessible Skies. More information about Accessible Skies is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZ1BbIc8OxI
1 CM: Equity
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch on your own
Beier Auditorium
Pick-up your badges, register for the conference, register for a tour, or get a question about the conference answered.
1:00 – 2:00 pm
Beier Auditorium
This lecture explores how interactive development impacts spreadsheets and can connect downtown vision to real-world feasibility. Participants will learn how scenario-based tools link land use, density, phasing, and financial outcomes to support better planning and decision-making. The session demonstrates how interactive models improve transparency, strengthen plan credibility, and help communities test trade-offs, align stakeholders, and move downtown plans from concept to implementation.
Presenter: Ben Levenger, AICP, PLA
Ben Levenger is an AICP planner, registered landscape architect, Certified Economic Developer, and Main Street American Revitalization Professional. He is the president of Downtown Redevelopment Services, LLC, a planning firm that assists communities through downtown planning and rural economic development initiatives.
1 CM
Lewis & Clark
In December 2025, a historic flood damaged communities and infrastructure across Lincoln County, Montana. Through photos, videos, and firsthand experience, the local Floodplain Administrator will describe how the disaster unfolded, emergency actions, recovery challenges, and mitigation efforts. The presentation also explores the complexity of serving the public while being impacted personally – highlighting lessons in preparedness, communication, property-owner assistance, and resilience.
Presenter: Jesse Haag
Jesse Haag is Director of Planning for Lincoln County, Montana, leading land-use and community development in one of the state’s fastest-growing counties. As designated Floodplain Administrator, he has been integral to the multi-agency response and recovery from the historic December 2025 flood. He holds a BSc in Geology and has conducted graduate research in rare earth element exploration at Stockholm University. He currently serves as MAP Board Treasurer and CAPNM Board President.
1 CM Resilience and Sustainability tentative
STC Conference Room
Following the morning Walk/Move Audit, participants will reconvene to discuss observations and lessons from the experience. The session will explore policy, systems, and environmental change recommendations; reflect on the effectiveness of I2Audits as a public engagement practice; and demonstrate a virtual participation option designed to include people who are unable to participate in person.
Presenters: Dani Arps AICP, Meg Traci PhD, Ricky Burns II ADAC-ADA Accessibility Specialist, Todd Godfrey, Tyler Stosich BA, Stephen Van Marter
1 CM Equity
2:00-2:20pm Break
Beier Auditorium
Sponsored by
2:20 – 3:50 pm
Beier Auditorium
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) provides technical assistance panels (TAP’s) of volunteer experts to help communities in addressing land use and development issues. ULI Idaho which includes Montana has undertaken TAP’s in a number of communities in both states addressing a variety of topics, including growth management, housing, economic development, corridor improvements and neighborhood revitalization. This session will consist of a panel of participants from some of these TAP’s.
Presenters: Diane Kushlan, Karlee May, Brad Cramer AICP, Dr. Jake Clark
Diane Kushlan, FAICP, is an active APA and ULI member. She has been a planning professional, serving local communities in California, Washington State and Idaho and currently as a consultant. She has participated in three ULI TAP’s. For this session, she will serve as the organizer and moderator.
Karlee May is the Executive Director of the Urban Land Institute’s Idaho & Montana District Councils. As director, Karlee oversees the ULI program of work in both states, ensuring alignment with ULI’s initiatives and mission priorities, with a focus on regional priorities. In her role she has managed all the TAPs and support for ULI advisory services in the region.
Brad Cramer, AICP is the owner of Perspective Planning and Consulting, a firm focused on making professional planning services accessible to communities of all sizes. Brad has over 20 years of experience in land use planning—including roles with the City of Idaho Falls and Idaho National Laboratory. He has been the report writer on two ULI TAPs, for Chubbuck and the West Bench Neighborhood in Boise.
Dr. Jake Clark is Vice President of the Great Falls Development Alliance in Great Falls, Montana. His expertise is in economic development with a focus on workforce housing production and the growth of the health, education, and bioscience sectors for the Great Falls economy. Jake served as a panelist on the West Bench Neighborhood TAP in Boise, Idaho.
1.5 CM
Lewis & Clark
As western communities value healthy wildlife populations and also face growth pressures, protecting wildlife connectivity and sensitive lands requires more than vision—it demands implementation. Join our convergence of planning and ecology where we’ll highlight mapping of sensitive lands, best practices to address land use opportunities at various scales, and discuss the co-benefits of co-location between wildlife connectivity, housing, transportation, and economic development.
Presenters: Kristina Kachur Webb, Cody Marxer, Melissa Ruth AICP, Kylie Paul, Abigail Breuer
Kristina is dedicated to environmental, outdoor recreation, and natural resource planning to improve community quality of life, health and economic benefits, and resource conservation. At Logan Simpson, she leads a variety of wildlife corridor, park and recreation, open space, resiliency, natural resource, National Trail, and comprehensive planning projects at various scales, working with local, county, and federal clients.
Cody serves as the Planning Director for Madison County, where she works to balance responsible growth with the preservation of natural resources and rural character. She previously worked as a land use consultant, providing planning and development guidance to communities throughout the northwest and Montana. Cody is dedicated to fostering thoughtful, informed development that supports economic opportunity while protecting the landscapes and resources that define Madison County.
Melissa, with Logan Simpson, is a community planner focusing on work in rural and urban communities across the Mountain West. Her work spans public engagement, long-range comprehensive and subarea planning, downtown and place-based planning, and the drafting and implementation of land use codes and development regulations. Her work emphasizes actionable plans and regulatory tools that balance visionary goals with clear, achievable steps for implementation and long-term community vitality.
Kylie tackles issues surrounding wildlife habitat connectivity and transportation ecology at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, based in Montana. She advances wildlife-friendly transportation and connectivity projects and policies at federal, state, and local scales, using her extensive experience in nonprofit conservation, local government, wildlife research, and private business. She co-authored the toolkit Integrating Wildlife Habitat Connectivity into Local Government Planning.
Abigail engages with agency, research, business and nonprofit and community partners to investigate and plan landscape-level activities to forward on-the-ground habitat connectivity at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. A contributor to Integrating Wildlife Habitat Connectivity into Local Government Planning, Abigail helps to highlight communities that integrate conservation with development goals. She has participated in community-based conservation efforts in SW Montana since 2000.
1.5 CM: Sustainability
STC Conference Room
Resort communities while small face many of the same challenges as cities multiple times their size. These resort communities, Ketchum and Victor Idaho and Whitefish and Park County Montana, have populations and staffing of small rural communities however they are anything but. With community economies based around access to outdoor recreation and/or national parks these areas see significant impacts from tourists that can take their toll on local residents. Hear panelists share concerns and ways their communities have been working towards solutions around housing, transportation, partnerships, outreach, staffing, and the limits of state legislation.
Presenters: Kimberly Kolner, AICP, Alan Tiefenbach, Morgan Landers, AICP, Lawson Moorman, CFM, AICP
Kimberly Kolner serves as the Planning and Zoning Director for Victor, Idaho. With nearly two decades of urban planning experience spanning municipal leadership and zoning reform, she specializes in designing resilient, community-first spaces. At this event, Kimberly will share insights on foundational city planning challenges and strategies. Outside of public service, she enjoys spending time with her family exploring trails and rivers.
Alan Tiefenbach’s career in City Planning spans nearly 25 years, with the majority of his experience working in mountain communities in Colorado. He is presently the Long-Range Planner with the City of Whitefish and the primary author of the Vision Whitefish 2045 community plan – the first comprehensive rewrite in nearly 20 years and developed in the context of the recently enacted Montana Land Use Planning Act. He has broad knowledge in current and long-range planning, as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Alan graduated summa cum laude from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning. Alan is a veteran who served 5 years in the amphibious Beachmaster Unit One Team of the United States Navy.
Morgan Landers, AICP is a community development expert and the former Director of Planning and Building for the City of Ketchum, Idaho. With over 17 years of experience in urban planning, she has led major municipal initiatives, including comprehensive plan updates and zoning code overhauls across the East and West coasts. She has recently established the TIIR Consulting LLC, specialized in providing planning and development services tailored for small and medium-sized rural communities, as well as private development clients. Morgan holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning and previously served as the Town Planner for Eagle, Colorado. Outside of her professional work, she is an active member of the American Planning Association’s Idaho chapter and an avid backcountry skier and cyclist.
Lawson Moorman, AICP, CFM is the Co-Director of Planning for Park County, Montana, with more than 12 years of experience in land use planning in gateway communities across Montana. Lawson served six years on the Board of Directors of the Montana Association of Planners. He enjoys working in small communities where thoughtful planning can have a meaningful impact, with a particular interest in public engagement and developing processes that bring diverse perspectives into community decision-making. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, good food, and spending time in nature with his family.
1.5 CM
3:50 – 4:00 pm Break
Beier Auditorium
Sponsored By
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Beier Auditorium
An overview of APA Ethics cases and outcomes in 2024-2025
Presenter: Staron Faucher
Staron Faucher, AICP is a Senior Transportation Planner at Gresham Smith in Dallas, Texas, with over 18 years of experience in mobility planning, Active Transportation studies, corridor redevelopment, land use analysis, and public engagement. He received his Master in Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma and Master of Environmental Studies from Baylor University.
1 CM: Ethics
Lewis & Clark
Agricultural viability is more than preserving farmland—it is a strategy for building resilient communities. This session explores how planners, producers, local governments, and conservation partners can sustain working lands while accommodating growth. Drawing on Idaho case studies, participants will learn practical tools and collaborative approaches that strengthen local economies, food systems, and long-term community resilience.
Presenters: David Anderson. Mauri Knott
David Anderson is the Idaho Senior Program Manager for American Farmland Trust, where he leads initiatives that strengthen agricultural viability through land use planning, working lands conservation, and regional collaboration with partners. He convenes the Idaho Agland Roundtable and works with local governments, producers, and community partners to develop practical strategies that support resilient agricultural economies and communities across Idaho.
Mauri Knott is the Senior Planner in Latah County. Mauri’s background in the agriculture industry and heart for public service drives her passion to serve patrons in her county while preserving the rural character and beautiful farm and forest lands of the Palouse. Mauri serves as a regional representative for the Idaho Chapter of the American Planning Association, on the Idaho Department of Lands Resource Coordinating Council, the Idaho Forest Legacy Program, and the Latah County Preservation Working Group. Mauri is active in her community, wearing several volunteer hats serving youth organizations. She and her husband enjoy renovating their 1930’s small farmstead and spending time in the beautiful mountains of North Idaho.
1CM
STC Conference Room
Across the Mountain West, communities face shared challenges that cross jurisdictions, sectors, and landscapes. This session explores how innovative, community-supported plans can bridge divides by serving as practical tools for decision-making, investment, and implementation. Using real-world examples, we will discuss ways to align land use, transportation, infrastructure, funding, and fiscal balance; prioritize projects; track progress; and keep plans active, collaborative, and connected to outcomes that support a shared future.
Presenter: Aaron Qualls, Rachel Granrath AICP, Maureen Gresham, AICP
Aaron is a Senior Project Manager with SCJ Alliance, serving public and private clients from SCJ’s Downtown Sandpoint, Idaho office. With over 15 years of experience, he has produced data and community-driven plans and projects related to housing, urban design, critical areas, trails, parks, economic development, transportation, and comprehensive plans. Aaron has also served as a City Council member, planning commissioner, and on various boards, including APA ID.
Rachel is a Kimley-Horn planning consultant with public and private planning experience across the Pacific and Mountain West. Her Spokane-based practice helps small towns and rural counties create implementable comprehensive plans, code rewrites, development review, and subarea plans aligned with community goals. She holds degrees in architecture and urban and regional planning and enjoys art and the outdoors with her husband and four daughters.
With 25 years of experience linking land use, transportation, funding, and project delivery, Maureen leads land use and transportation planning efforts with Kimley-Horn and helps communities move from long-range vision to practical implementation. Her work includes multimodal planning, Complete Streets, corridor studies, grant strategy, and tools that prioritize projects, support decisions, and keep plans connected to real outcomes. She holds planning degrees from Georgia Tech and Appalachian State University.
1 CM
6:00 – 8:00 pm Trivia Night
Lewis and Clark Room on Campus
Join your fellow conference attendees for an evening of trivia and pizza.
Sponsored By
