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Singing Waters Montana – Board of Directors

Chairperson  

Mark Cadwallader
Helena, MT

Mark recently retired after 32 years of employment by the State of Montana.  He is a graduate of the University of Montana’s School of Business and its School of Law.  In addition, he is the owner of a (very) small business in Helena.  Mark has been involved in group camping since his years as a Boy Scout and spent years as a fully self-supported bicycle tourist throughout the western United States and Canada, including Alaska and the Yukon.  Among his many activities, he is a member of a bagpipe band as the band’s bass drummer and has served on the Board of Directors for a number of Montana not-for-profit organizations.

Vice Chairperson 

Ken Crouch
Billings, MT

Ken, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, graduated from Anderson (IN) College, University of Detroit, MI and Iliff School of Theology in Denver CO. Out of college he was assistant director of Roaring Brook Camp in Massachusetts for nine years and has been active in camps in several states. Married to Carolyn they have one daughter, Bethany.

Secretary 

Katie Bennett
Billings, MT

Katie is a 3rd generation camper following in the footsteps of her late grandmother and father.  She has a deep connection to Miminagish and the beauty it holds for campers of all generations.  She attended camp in the early 90’s and remembers fondly nights by the fire, singing, skits, hiking, swimming, fishing and more. Katie graduated in 2008 from Montana State University with a degree in Biological Sciences and now owns and operates a wedding & event floral company in Billings, MT.  She is a dual citizen (Australia), has a deep passion for travel and is always looking forward to the next adventure.  Katie lives in Billings, MT with her husband Chris and their dog Oshie.

 Treasurer 

Hal Fossum
Helena, MT

Hal Fossum (BA Psychology, MBA, Ph.D. Economic Geography) is a second generation Mimanagish alumnus and is a knee-jerk, die hard supporter of this sacred space.  He has counseled kids around 12 seasons at Mimanagish, been a camper 5 more, hiked Mount Hawley, performed extractive oral surgery on countless trout, and scoured each pot and pan in the camp.  Hal brings a background in financial planning and economics.  He has served his home church (Plymouth, Helena) as Moderator, Stewardship Chair, and Properties Chair.  His other board experience includes the Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits as programs chair, and the Downtown Helena Business Improvement District and the Helena Parking Commission as executive director.  He sings at his church and with the Helena Symphony Chorale and tries to keep up his shack and sailboat on the shores of Flathead Lake.  


At Large Board Members  

Bill Sward
Big Timber, MT

Bill Sward is new to Mimanagish but is a 5th generation resident of Sweet Grass County being a part of the Brannin family who originally settled in the Sweet Grass Canyon in the late 1890’s. Currently residing in Big Timber, Bill works remotely as an engineer from his home while also caregiving for his mother. Bill is a native Montanan and has lived in a wide variety of places including Colorado Springs, Los Angeles, and rural Iowa. Bill is passionate about family, close friends, music, and the outdoors particularly the upper Boulder River Valley and the Crazy Mountains. As a youngster, he spent many summers with his grandparents and uncle at a cattle ranch at the eastern base of the Crazy Mountains where he enjoyed long summer days fishing, hiking, camping, and gopher hunting. This solidified his lifelong love of the outdoors and rural Montana. Bill now volunteers regularly with local churches and community organizations. He is also a dedicated supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association and suicide prevention organizations. Bill is the proud father of four adult children who regularly visit Montana to reconnect with nature and wind down from their busy lives.

  
Judy Koons
Cocoa Beach, Florida
 
Judy lives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and recently made a pilgrimage to Camp Mimanagish. She is an attorney and retired law professor with a lifelong commitment to social and ecological justice. After practicing law for a number of years, Judy attended Harvard Divinity School where she embraced the sacredness of the natural world and drew deeply from studying ethics, philosophy, and feminist theology. Judy brought this background into teaching at Barry University School of Law, sponsored by the Adrian Dominican Congregation. While teaching, she became a leading contributor to the field of Earth Jurisprudence, served as the chair of the governing committee for the Center for Earth Jurisprudence, and wrote 12 law review articles, including Locational Justice and The Moral Value of Nature. Judy has served on the board of several other non-profit organizations, including International Bridges to Justice and Friends of the Thousand Islands. To Judy, Camp Mimanagish is a place where heaven and earth touch. She hopes that her diverse experiences with non-profits, organizational development, and social and ecological justice will contribute to the Board’s stewardship of Camp Mimanagish. 

 

  

Shanna (Sullivan) Nason
Billings, MT

Shanna Sullivan Nason is part of a two generation Camp Mimanagish family. As a young camper her time on the Boulder River brought her much joy, self-reflection, and lifelong friends. As a young mother, she did not hesitate to send her children to camp where they too had transformative experiences as part of the Camp Mimanagish magic.  Shanna currently resides in Billings, Mt, where she has been a middle school teacher for the past 16 years. Prior to her career in teaching she was a successful business owner, operating Red Willow Clothing and Gifts for more than 20 years. Always involved in the local community she has served as the chair of the Youth Conference Committee, a long-standing community diversion program for first time juvenile offenders. She has also served as a member of the Alberta Bair Board, Theater, Billings Symphony, RMC Alumni Board, and as a member of the Billings Symphony Chorale to name just a few. She is happy to share her life’s chapters and volunteer experiences in and around the community of Billings. She has been married to her high school sweetheart for 37 years, and has two daughters and one granddaughter whom she will say all reside too far away in Portland, Oregon. 


Advisory Circle  

Rev. Dick Weaver
Helena, MT

Dick Weaver grew up in Kansas , where he attended Boy Scout Camps and Church Camp.  With a cum laude degree from Doane Collage (now Doane University) he worked a variety of jobs (including a summer managing Pilgrim Point Camp in Minnesota) before returning to seminary.  With a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, Dick served the United Church of Christ churches in Kansas and Minnesota, and was the camp Pilgrim Point Camp again.  He’s been on the outdoor ministry committees in 3 states , and in addition to the ministry in Kansas, Minnesota, Washington, and Montana, has worked in other fields including retail management, small business ownership and bus driving.  He was the Camp Manager at Miminagish from 2009-2011 and is touched by the sacredness of the relationships between the forest land and the people who visit it. 

Advisory circle Members  

Bob Miller –  Sheridan, Wyoming

Bob Thaden – Miles City, Montana

Trudi Downer – Molt, Montana

Matthew Marsolek – Arlee, Montana

Leslie Roche – Billings, Montana

Helen Bovington – Helena, Montana

Tech Advisor


Dan Petersen
Denver, CO

Dan Petersen grew up from a teen being involved in Mimanagish.  He was first introduced by the Ferguson family at Memorial Day Work Camp one year in 6th grade and has been involved since.  Dan has an extensive background in technology and web hosting and design.  He owns his own small biz called Cole Creek Ventures, LLC.  Dan has served on camp staff and board numerous times over the years.  From being Health Care Provider, Maintenance, and Camp Manager his experience in Mim is vast.  Dan enjoys the outdoors in any capacity with his dogs and is currently working with Mimanagish on web design and camp technology.