Singing Waters Montana – Board of Directors

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.

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.
His avocation has been the theatre, most recently in Billings Studio Theatre. Monthly he donates platelets, plasma or red blood cells. After he retired from Mayflower UCC he served four years on the Billings City Council. He is a Hospice volunteer and belongs to Not In Our Town.

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.  

Bill Sward is new to Mimanagish but is a 5^th 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.

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. 

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.