Wednesday, September 20

Finlen Hotel Lobby

Pick-up your badges, register for the conference, register for a tour, or get a question about the conference answered.

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

The Montana Community Planning Platform (CPP) will be a single online location that provides resources to assist with planning activities including demographic, economic, land use, and other data resources. The CPP will work across state government, leveraging new technology to create a one-stop shop for your planning data needs. This talk will preview the project, provide updates, and elicit feedback from the MT Planning community on the types of information that is needed.

Presenter: Cody Ferguson, PhD

Cody Ferguson is Community Planning Program Manager for the Community MT Division at the Montana Department of Commerce. Cody manages the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) and helps guide community planning development efforts across the state. 

Presenter: John Houseal, FAICP

John Houseal is Partner and Cofounder of Houseal Lavigne and is regarded as one of the nation’s top urban planning professionals. John has directed a variety of planning, design, zoning, and economic development projects for hundreds of communities across the country. John has been a nationally featured speaker on topics relating to planning innovation, zoning, transportation, sustainability and the environment, economic development, context sensitive design, and visual communication.  

1 CM

Northwest Energy Building

Community bike shops, sometimes called bike co-ops or bike kitchens, provide affordable, often free repairs and access to bicycles. By promoting bicycling in general and lowering the barrier for marginalized folks specifically to start biking, community bike shops play an essential role in creating healthy, equitable, and prosperous communities. Several cities and towns in Montana have community bike shops and there is growing demand for more. Butte’s Bike Lab is perhaps the newest of these and organizer Dave Hutchins will share his successes, challenges, model, and vision for the future. 

Presenter: Dave Hutchins

Dave is a biomimetic materials scientist, an environmental engineer, an educator, and an assembler of rusty bits. He spends his free time tinkering in the sacrifice zones, dreaming on two wheels, and documenting the process. He founded the community bicycle shop Bike Lab in Butte in 2018

1 CM

Butte Archives Building

The City of Bozeman in Partnership with the Western Transportation Institute (WTI), Groundprint Consulting, and HRDC partnered and received a Safe Routes to Parks Equity grant. The pilot program designed and implemented a new style of community engagement that hired 3 community liaisons from underserved communities to help engage the community throughout the City’s Parks, Rec, & Active Transpo planning process. Come hear the story, meet folks, and learn about new ways of planning and engagement 

Presenter: Addi Jadin

The City of Bozeman in Partnership with the Western Transportation Institute (WTI), Groundprint Consulting, and HRDC partnered and received a Safe Routes to Parks Equity grant. The pilot program designed and implemented a new style of community engagement that hired 3 community liaisons from underserved communities to help engage the community throughout the City’s Parks, Rec, & Active Transpo planning process. Come hear the story, meet folks, and learn about new ways of planning and engagement 

Presenter: Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES

Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES: Research Associate, WTI. Matt has over 10 years of experience in the field of public health and is a staff lead on the intersection of transportation and public health at the Western Transportation Institute. He has extensive experience leading community-based projects and community engagement processes. 

Presenter: Susan Riggs 

Susan Riggs, Principal/Owner, GroundPrint, LLC: Susan has uniquely experienced the public, private and non-profit sectors over the past 20+ years. After working as a planner for the City of Bozeman and an architecture firm she established GroundPrint, LLC in 2017 to focus on helping local governments and nonprofits with their community development goals. 

1 CM

Finlen Hotel Lobby

Join Clark Grant and Mike Boysza for a tour of the historic Carpenters Union Hall. Built in 1906, the Carpenters Hall is Montana’s oldest labor temple and a center point of Butte labor history. Eight years of volunteer restoration work has brought the upper ballrooms of the Hall back into use, including most recently in the television series 1923. Clark Grant and Mike Boysza, members of the building’s governing board, will detail the effort to renovate the Hall using grant funding and a broad base of support from Butte community members. 

Presenter: Clark Grant

Clark Grant is a creative musician, burgeoning builder, and stubborn collaborator. He co-founded the Butte America Foundation in 2013 to bring community radio station KBMF to life. He is a board member of the Carpenter’s Union Hall and former Assistant Director of the Butte Archives, and is restoring several buildings in Butte and Walkerville through sheer force of will.  

Presenter: Mike Boysza

Mike Boysza is a lifelong union carpenter and longtime board member of Habitat for Humanity. He has been worn down by Clark’s determination to restore the Carpenter’s Union Hall, joined the KBMF board, tries to keep Clark from making carpentry mistakes, and fixing the ones he does make. In his spare time he likes to rest. 

2 CM

Northwest Energy Building

The social determinants of health (SDoH) are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life. The goal of this session is to introduce planners, developers, and those involved in community development to the SDoH while exploring the connectedness of the built environment and health. 

Presenter: Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES

Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES: Research Associate, WTI. Matt has over 10 years of experience in the field of public health and is a staff lead on the intersection of transportation and public health at the Western Transportation Institute. He has extensive experience leading community-based projects and community engagement processes.

Presenter: Sarah Rosenberg , AICP

Sarah Rosenberg , AICP, is a Planner and the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Bozeman. She joined the City in 2017 as a development review planner but has since taken over managing the Historic Preservation Program. Prior to working in Bozeman, she worked for municipalities in Colorado. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation and a Master in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado Denver. 

Presenter: Garrett McAllister, AICP

Garrett is a Senior Planner for Gallatin County, responsible for identifying and managing long-range planning projects. His experience as a planner in three different states is wide ranging, from development review and code enforcement in small-town Oregon to countywide land use planning in South Florida. He holds an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, with a focus on environmental policy and planning. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Garrett lives in Belgrade, Montana with his wife and son. 

1 CM

Butte Archives Building

Connectivity is a top priority for community members. They want safe travel routes between home to schools, parks and work. Shared use paths are an important recreation amenity for residents and visitors. To achieve a truly connected trail system requires coordination between multiple stakeholders as well as a complicated mix of revenue sources. Learn about recent legislation and communities that used a collaborative outdoor recreation planning approach to address these challenges. 

Presenter(s):Kathleen McMahon, FAICP

Kathleen McMahon has 35 years of community planning experience. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from George Washington University. She is a member of the Montana Association of Planners, a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and Montana Economic Development Association. 

Presenter(s):Diane Conradi

Diane is an experienced attorney, founder and advisor to Whitefish Legacy Partners/Whitefish Trail, Montana State Parks Foundation, appointed member to the Montana Environmental Quality Council, Flathead Reservation Fish and Wildlife Commission, and Montana’s first State Parks and Recreation Board. She is an innovator of recreation approaches on public lands, state trust lands and private lands from a practical, legal and policy perspective. 

1 CM

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

Presenter(s):Petra Hurtado, PhD

Petra (Stieninger) Hurtado is the Director of Research and Foresight at the American Planning Association, heading APA’s research programs and foresight practice. In this role, she is responsible for expanding a future-focused research agenda, advancing planning practices that assist communities in navigating change, and developing APA’s foresight practice to inform APA’s strategic governance. Her areas of expertise and research include strategic foresight, urban futures and emerging technologies. urban sustainability, smart cities, nature-based solutions, and environmental psychology. In addition, Petra teaches a course on “community visioning with foresight” at the University of Maryland.    

Prior to joining APA, she worked as an advisor, planner, researcher, and educator in the global urban sustainability arena. She has a Ph.D. in urban planning from the Vienna University of Technology, where she teaches on urban sustainability and environmental psychology.    

Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer at Harvard GSD, Loyola University Chicago and the Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar in Colombia. Petra has authored and co-authored multiple books, research papers, publicly funded reports, and articles and has presented as a keynote speaker and subject matter expert at numerous conferences around the globe.  

1 CM

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

Join this session, facilitated by HUD Region 8 Director Dominique Jackson, which centers on discussions about housing, land use planning and zoning. These expert panelists will exchange insights on balanced community development, affordable housing solutions, and the effects of zoning regulations on communities. They’ll explore challenges and innovative approaches to create more sustainable and inclusive communities.

Presenter: Dominque Jackson

Presenter: Jackie Girard

Jackie Girard is the State Director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Montana Field Office. Ms. Girard is responsible for overseeing the field office coordination of outreach activities and program delivery to HUD customers, partners, and communities throughout the State of Montana. Through local community collaborations, Jackie leads HUD’s efforts to support underserved communities, those who are homeless and houseless, access to affordable rentals, homeownership opportunities, housing quality, fair housing, and disaster recovery. She joined HUD on March 16th, 2020.

Prior to her work with HUD, Ms. Girard served as the Montana State Director of the federal agency AmeriCorps for over 14 years.  She collaborated statewide with local communities on building capacity, developing leadership and strategic planning to resolve issues with affordable housing, independent living, healthcare, education, economic development, and disaster preparedness. She developed Senior Corps, AmeriCorps and VISTA national service projects and provided programmatic and fiscal oversight of large federal grant portfolios for Montana, Washington and Alaska.

Jackie is a certified federal Grants Manager, earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Montana State University, and served as an AmeriCorps VISTA member early in her career. Jackie is married to husband Mike with two fabulous kids and looking forward to getting kids through college.  

Presenter: Kelly Lynch:

Kelly has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney and local government advocate. She focuses on collaboration between public agencies, the private sector, and elected officials with diverse backgrounds to provide creative, efficient, and effective leadership for Montana’s communities.

She has served as Deputy Director and General Counsel of the League since 2016. Prior to joining the League, Kelly served as Community Development Division Administrator and Special Projects Legal Counsel for the Montana Department of Commerce.

Originally from East Helena, Kelly earned her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and law degree from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Presenter: Galen Steffans:

Galen Steffens is the Community MT Division Administrator. Galen returned to the Department of Commerce after serving as the Water Quality Planning Bureau Chief at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Prior to her time at DEQ, Galen was the Community Planning Program Manager at the Department of Commerce and also previously worked as a City Planner for the City of Great Falls.

Galen grew up on a farm in Colorado and has lived in Montana for the past 20 years. She is a graduate of the University of Montana and is an avid backpacker and general all-around lover of the outdoors. Galen is passionate about making a difference in the state in which she lives, works and recreates. Galen lives in Helena with her two children, husband and dog.

Presenter: Monica Plecker

Monica Plecker is the Planning Division Manager for the City of Billings and Yellowstone County. Specifically, the Division is part of the Planning and Community Services Department and she is responsible for overseeing daily operations related to current, long-range and transportation planning in Billings, Broadview and Yellowstone County. Monica graduated with a degree from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has experience as both a public and private sector planner. Her interest include tax increment financing, public policy and long-range planning. Monica is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and is serving her second term as member of the Board of Director’s for the Montana Association of Planners (MAP). She also represents the Roberts district for the Carbon County Conservation District.

Presenter: Allison Mouch, AICP

Allison joined Orion Planning + Design in September 2016 and is currently based in Missoula, Montana. Bringing 16 years of professional planning experience to the team, her areas of specialization include comprehensive plans, code development, public engagement, project management, mapping, and analysis, with a focus on collaboration as a means of achieving positive outcomes. Mouch has wide-ranging experience working with private developers and public clients on forward-thinking land use and design solutions, fostering meaningful partnerships that result in sound policy and planning decisions. She is AICP and an active member of the American Planning Association (APA) as the Region V Board Director, past-president of APA’s Western Central Chapter, and currently sits on the Montana Association of Planners (MAP) Board of Directors. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Miami University (Ohio), and a master’s degree in urban and environmental planning from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

1 CM

Northwest Energy Building

The session will break out into groups by topic and do a health impact assessment exercise which will include discussing topics such as transportation, housing, water, natural resources, and land use. After the breakout, the group will reconvene and talk through some guided questions and suggest next steps of what our communities can do to incorporate health in all policies. It is recommended to attend the Plan for Health Session 1 to gain context on the social determinants of health. 

Presenter: Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES

Matthew Madsen, MPH, CHES: Research Associate, WTI. Matt has over 10 years of experience in the field of public health and is a staff lead on the intersection of transportation and public health at the Western Transportation Institute. He has extensive experience leading community-based projects and community engagement processes.

Presenter: Sarah Rosenberg , AICP

Sarah Rosenberg , AICP, is a Planner and the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Bozeman. She joined the City in 2017 as a development review planner but has since taken over managing the Historic Preservation Program. Prior to working in Bozeman, she worked for municipalities in Colorado. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation and a Master in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Colorado Denver. 

Presenter: Garrett McAllister, AICP

Garrett is a Senior Planner for Gallatin County, responsible for identifying and managing long-range planning projects. His experience as a planner in three different states is wide ranging, from development review and code enforcement in small-town Oregon to countywide land use planning in South Florida. He holds an MS in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana, with a focus on environmental policy and planning. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Garrett lives in Belgrade, Montana with his wife and son. 

2.5 CM

Session Location: Meet in the Finlen Hotel Lobby

Session Description: The trolley tour lasts about 2 hours and is lead by local experts on the area and our colorful history. You’ll learn about Butte’s rich mining and cultural history, which dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Visitors will enjoy a tour through the National Historic Landmark District including the Copper King Mansion, Dumas Brothel, World Museum of Mining, Berkeley Pit Viewing Stand, Mai Wah Musuem, Clark Chateau, Montana Tech and much more.

Presenter: Chris Fisk
Chris Fisk will be your tour guide in Historic Butte Montana. He only gave us the facts, someone else took the liberty and necessity of adding a glimpse into this wonderful man.

Although Butte is not his hometown, his passion for it’s history will have you thinking otherwise; Chris hails from the great community of Dillon, Montana, merely 60 miles down I-15. Prior to “The Great Retirement” in June 2022, Chris was a history teacher at Butte High School, and counselor for the Butte High School History Club, an organization of students dedicated to preserving Butte’s stories and while being active participants at community events. For over 20 years Chris has been a trolley/tour guide for the Butte Chamber of Commerce, his “retirement” has given visitors to Butte more opportunities to experience his humor, animation, and insights into Butte’s history.

In 2010 the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recognized Chris with their National American History Teacher of the Year at Constitution Hall in Washington DC. In 2013 he received the Heritage Keeper award for the State of Montana from the Montana Historical Society, and was inducted into the Educators Hall of Fame at the University of Montana. While history is his passion, paranormal hauntings is how he fills his what little free time he has. Chris has been consulted, interviewed, and even starred in numerous national television shows: “Haunted Collector”, “The Dead Files”, “Codes and Conspiracies” and most recently the Travel Channel’s 8 episodes of “Ghosts of the Devils Perch”.

Chris married Butte native and educator Becky Fisher 30 years ago, together they raised 2 beautiful daughters Hunter and Rosie. Over the years Chris and Becky have fostered 15 children, offering their love and support at various intervals of these children’s lives.

2 CM

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

Federal funding for infrastructure and sustainability is at levels not seen in more than a generation. These projects can be transformative for communities, but to be successful and realize the full benefits of the investment strong partnerships are necessary. This session will describe efforts from three Montana communities to forge partnerships, navigate conflict and competing interests, get the support of local politics, and how to put coalitions to work promoting grant applications. Planners can and should be at the forefront of developing successful federal grants. Come learn how!

Presenter: Aaron Wilson, AICP

Aaron Wilson has served as the Infrastructure & Mobility Planning Manager for the City of Missoula since 2018, and currently oversees the Missoula Metropolitan Planning Organization, Missoula In Motion, and the City of Missoula’s infrastructure planning activities. His focus in this position is currently figuring out how to make ambitious plans and goals a reality through funding, implementation, and creative project design. Prior to managing planning for Missoula’s transportation issues, Aaron gained experience understanding how our natural and built environment systems interact through work on land use planning, open lands preservation, and wildfire research.
Aaron earned a BA in Ecology from Cornell University, and a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. He is an AICP certified planner, and the current President of the Montana Association of Planners – now the Montana Chapter of the American Planning Association!

Presenter: Amanda Cooley, CFM

Amanda Cooley, CFM, is the Planning Director for Powell County. She has been in the position for two years and this is her first job in the planning profession. In addition to planning, her work encompasses oversight on state and federal superfund sites, park and trail management and development, floodplain administration, and historic preservation. Prior to planning, she built and ran small businesses, primarily related to horticulture. She lives and works in Deer Lodge. She loves time outdoors, especially if she’s climbing up, snowboarding down, or backpacking across mountain ranges.

Presenter: Rebecca Shaw-QuinÞones (Keen-yo-ness), AICP, CGW

Rebecca Shaw-QuinÞones (Keen-yo-ness), AICP, CGW has worked in planning and “planning adjacent” positions for twenty years. Rebecca started her career as director of rural public transit systems in Illinois and Montana (planning adjacent). She has worked as a planner for both Flathead and Lewis and Clark counties before moving over to the Department of Commerce. Currently, Rebecca is employed by Interstate Engineering as a planner and grant writer. In her spare time, Rebecca and her husband are avid trail runners and enjoy time in their vintage camper trailer, Little Red.

1 CM

Butte Archives Building

The Sanborn Fire Insurance Company mapped 12,000 American cities between 1867 and 1970. They depicted commercial, industrial, and residential sections of cities and towns. Although created for the insurance industry, city planners, government and municipal agencies, banks, and public utilities also utilized the maps. Kohn’s presentation will explain how historians and planners use this information in the context of research and documentation.

Presenter: Kim Murphy Kohn B.A. 

Kim Kohn joined the staff of the Butte Archives in 2011. She earned a B.A. in Historic Preservation from Mary Washington College and is currently a graduate student in the History Department at Montana State University. She has used Sanborn Maps throughout her career, but especially in writing National Register nominations in Virginia, Missouri, and Tennessee. The Sanborns are her favorite historic resource and she uses them daily doing research at the Archives. 

1 CM

Finlen Hotel Ballroom

Overview of the SHARP Plan and how its potential impacts on the Butte-Silver Bow Community. Discussion on Public Engagement Strategies, Stakeholders, Resilient Butte Committee and more.

Presenter: Megan Terry PLA, SITES-AP

Megan has been in charge of multiple planning projects for a range of cities across Montana. Most notably, she in charge of Master Plan for the Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area, which has earned international recognition. Her favorite projects are those that build sustainability, longevity, and resilience into the design and take into account impacts to the surrounding landscape. She is one of only two people in Montana that are certified as a Sustainable SITES Accredited Professional.

Presenter: Elizabeth Johnson

Elizabeth Johnson is the Historic Preservation Officer for the City of Missoula. She started with the City in 2021 after moving to Montana from Tennessee, where she worked as a graduate research assistant at the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation. She holds a Master of Arts in Public History with an historic preservation emphasis from Arkansas State University.

Presenter: Stephen Coe, PE

Stephen is a Senior Planner providing project management and technical expertise primarily focusing on developing planning documents. Stephen also serves as the contract project manager for the Butte-Silver Bow MS4 Stormwater Program. Stephen has experience in PROST planning, permitting, air quality, stormwater, and more. Stephen has planning experience in State Implementation Plans (SIP), Federal Implementation Plans (FIP), Nonattainment Area Redesignations and state climate action planning. 

1 CM Sustinability

Northwest Energy Building

There are a number of discretionary grant programs, both pre- and post-IIJA, that are providing historic levels of funding to communities across the US. Connecting USDOT reviewers to local issues and successfully pitching a project in an application has always been a challenge. 

This presentation seeks to expand on the funding opportunities available through the IIJA with a focus on how rural areas and smaller communities can compete at the national level and have their voices heard. 

Presenter: Spencer Dodge

Spencer Dodge is a Strategic Project Manager in Helena, Montana. Prior to this position, he led the Southwest Chief & Front Range Passenger Rail Commission and its subsequent entity, the Front Range Rail District in Colorado. With extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, public involvement, and policy analysis, Spencer is adept in navigating complex infrastructure projects with multiple stakeholders. Spencer has managed grant applications and administration at a local and state. 

Presenter: Jon Schick, CEP 

Jon Schick is a transportation planner and project manager with broad-ranging experience in transportation and environmental planning projects, including long-range transportation plans, corridor planning studies, NEPA/MEPA environmental compliance documentation, biological resource inventories, Endangered Species Act compliance, geospatial analyses, and environmental permitting. Jon works with clients on environmental compliance of infrastructure projects throughout Montana. 

1 CM

Cavalier Lounge Finlen Hotel

Join us at this social event to network and engage with your fellow planners over beverages at the Cavalier Lounge inside the Finlen Hotel.