40 Under Forty

BILLINGS BUSINESS

best & brightest

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40 Under Forty is produced by the staff of Billings Business, a specialty publication of Billings Gazette Communications

the editor

Woody Allen said famously, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

Being present is essential to succeeding at school and at work, and absentee parents don’t get much love from politicians and child advocates.

The business world has given us a handy measuring stick for success and failure. When sales and profits soar, the CEO is a hero. When management blunders — last year’s missteps at Netflix come to mind — the markets respond with downgrades and sell-offs.

The bottom line is one way to gauge success in business, but it’s not the only way. Nominees in the 2012 40 Under 40 awards were asked to describe ways in which they measure success, aside from profits and losses. The winners were selected in part because of their answers to that question, and I think you’ll enjoy some of the responses we received.

Kendra Freeck, of the accounting firm Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., is used to poring over balance sheets and income statements. But for her, building trust is essential to success.

“When I know I have earned the trust of both the clients I work with and my colleagues, I know I have done my job well,” Freeck wrote.

Several of this year’s winners work for government or nonprofit organizations. They have their own ways of measuring success.

“When people call in and commend a deputy for doing a great job, or when people stop me and comment on how well they liked a deputy or other employee from the Sheriff’s Office and what he or she did for them, that means we are doing something right,” said Kevin Evans, Yellowstone County undersheriff.

“If I can restore a sense of safety to a victim and his/ her family as well as protect the community in my job, then I am successful,” said Juli Pierce, a senior deputy attorney for Yellowstone County.

Customer service is also a big priority.

“I measure my success by the numerous long-

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standing customers I have. I pride myself in having created business relationships with them that go beyond just a sales pitch. Many of my customers will come in through the week just to share a cup of coffee or tell me about a major event that has happened in their family,” said Peter Sanderson, owner of Cellular Connection.

Leah Johnson, vice president of human resources for Wendy’s of Montana, enjoys seeing people realize their potential. “Success for me is measured in seeing our people grow and become confident leaders,” she said.

“I always strive to be the best at what I do and the hardest worker. The best compliment you can have in sales is that your customers trust you,” said Scott Mackney, national sales manager for Graphic Imprints.

For Tara Barry of Back Country Chiropractic, health outcomes are key.

“I measure success by the number of people I help feel better and the number of people who may have come through my door hardly walking but now come through it with a big smile because they have realized how beneficial chiropractic wellness care is in their lives,” she said.

As usual, hundreds of people — most of them quite successful no matter how you measure it — were nominated for this year’s awards.

Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed that we have named 41 winners this year.

If you’re looking for a reason, you can blame success.

With so many capable people nominated this year, we simply couldn’t whittle it down to 40 people.

As usual, our thanks go out to the nominees, the people who nominated them and of course Gazette photographer David Grubbs, who once again worked his magic behind the camera.

mike gulledge tom howard PHOTOGRAPHER david grubbs COPY EDITOR chris jorgensen GENERAL MANAGER allyn hulteng PUBLISHER

EDITOR

SALES

dave worstell ryan brosseau RETAIL SALES MANAGER bonnie ramage ADVERTISING SALES anne schaefer ADVERTISING COORDINATOR linsay duty

SALES & MARKETING DIRECTOR CLASSIFIED MANAGER/ONLINE MANAGER

PRODUCTION

DESIGNER

rob mcdonald bob tambo

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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BILLINGS BUSINESS LEADER ADVISORY BOARD Adam Kimmet, president, Cellular Plus; Bill Lucas, US Bank; Greg McCall, McCall Development; Justin Mills, general manager, the NILE and MATE; Nancy Boyer, Boyer and Dimich Associates; Kate Hamlin, Century 21 and Life Launch; Lane Basso, business consultant; Marilyn Floberg, Prudential Floberg Realtors; and Greg McDonald, Wendy’s of Montana.

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AND THE WINNERS ARE...

Mona Abelseth............................... 5 Erin Amato..................................... 6 Kally Amundsen............................ 7 Tara M. Barry................................. 7 Ashley Burleson............................. 8 Patrick Chapel............................... 9 Kevin D. Evans............................ 10 Shane Flowers............................. 11 Kendra Freeck............................. 11 Dustin Frost................................. 12 Jason “Big Jay” Harris................ 12 Rebecca Hedegaard.................... 13 BeauJames Hedin....................... 14 Nina Hernandez........................... 14 Jacqui Hughes............................. 15 Clinton Hull.................................. 16 Leah Johnson.............................. 16 Kori Keller................................... 17 Travis Kemp................................. 18 Shelby Jo Long-Hammond.......... 18 Scott Mackney............................. 19

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Matthew McCleary...................... 20 Dr. Ian C. McDonald..................... 20 Cheryl Miller................................ 21 Jim Nymeyer................................ 21 Heather Ohs................................ 22 Andrew Parent............................. 22 Marshall Phil................................ 23 Juli Pierce................................... 24 Chad Raisland............................. 24 Jason Ritchie............................... 25 Danielle Rossow.......................... 26 Peter Sanderson.......................... 26 Shaun Seedhouse........................ 27 Laura Simonsen........................... 28 Jillian Stieg.................................. 28 DeDe Stoner................................ 29 Jonas Vachal............................... 30 Charles “C.B.” Wagner................ 30 Wayne Wilcox............................... 31 Camille Wilson............................. 32

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WHAT HAVE PREVIOUS 40 UNDER FORTY WINNERS BEEN UP TO?

Tyler Johnson

Carl Swanson III

fighting is appropriate in the ring.

But they also warned against the dangers of bullying and fighting Tyler Johnson, owner of Octane Addictions Motorsports, has at school.

Bohn said she is now providing been busy staging high-energy foster care for children in addientertainment events since he tion to running the daycare. was honored in 2011. Last October, Johnson teamed up with Lindsay Johnson, Tyler’s sister Fusion Fight League promoter Terrill Bracken for a joint event at and also a 2011 winner, said her MetraPark. Known as “Backflips business, Transformation Spas, and Beat Downs,” the event com- has expanded. “We have added more stations, and we also do Pibined mixed martial arts bouts and motor sports demonstrations lates, yoga, Zumba and hot yoga,” at Rimrock Auto Arena at Metra- she said. Johnson is also planning wellness retreats that combine Park.

As part of the entertainment, travel and spa programs, regionally and in foreign countries. stunt drivers jumped over the cage where MMA fighters were Two months after the 2011 engaged in a bout. The event re40 Under Forty awards hit the ceived lots of play on YouTube. streets, Jessica Baldwin and her husband welcomed their first Crystal Bohn, owner of Cryschild, a daughter named Finley. It tal’s House Daycare and a 2011 was also a big year at MetraPark, honoree, helped sponsor the where Baldwin works as a marMetraPark event. keting and sales coordinator. Her She said fighters involved in the program talked to kids in her business, Billings365.com, is also after-school program about how growing. She has added a partner

Here’s a sample:

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Crystal Bohn

Joe McClure

Lindsay Johnson Jessica Baldwin

Kari Kaiser

to the Web-based business.

Carl Swanson III, a 2004 winner, is now a commercial lines insurance producer/agent for Stockman Insurance. Swanson has more than 24 years experience in the insurance field. He has worked for companies such as Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and GEICO, along with spending the last 17 years in the independent insurance agent ranks. As the managing partner of Swanson Leavitt Insurance, he built a statewide business serving all lines of insurance with a specialty in workers compensation insurance coverage.

Joe McClure was executive director of Big Sky Economic Development when he was named to the 2003 class of 40 Under Forty. He left Yellowstone County’s economic development agency for a job at Advanced Care Hospital of Montana. Last year, McClure moved to Helena after

Ellie Whitney

Corey Stapleton

being named regional director for the U.S. Small Business Administration. McClure has a background in banking and welcomed the return to the lending arena.

Kari Kaiser, owner of Strange Sister Creative, a graphic design firm and a 2009 winner, is expecting her first child in March.

Ellie Whitney, owner of Lovable Pets Bakery and Boutique Inc., married her long-time boyfriend and business partner, Jeremy Hansen, in 2010, a few months after she was honored in 40 Under 40. Lovable Pets has seen steady growth since.

Corey Stapleton, a 2003 winner, is one of eight Republicans running for Montana governor this year. Stapleton, a former state legislator from Billings, has been advocating development of Montana’s coal and oil as a key to prosperity.

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r m W w h w p i C

v t t a b

L S s c C

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Mona Abelseth and her husband, Shannon, bought Cooke City Motorsports Inc. in 2010. In the summer, they run MBA Investment Properties in Billings.

Mona Abelseth

Owner, president, Cooke City Motorsports Inc., MBA Investment Properties

In Cooke City, the locals often refer to the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day as “Hell Week” because of the invasion of winter tourists. Mona Abelseth and her husband, Shannon, are used to working from before dawn until well past sundown, renting and repairing snowmobiles for their business, Cooke City Motorsports Inc. “It’s been a great adventure, very exciting,” Abelseth said. “It’s totally different from what I’m used to doing. It’s a nice change of pace, and the people we have met have been unbelievable.”

Mona had worked for Montana Legal Services Inc., in Billings and Shannon had worked in sales. After searching for a career that they could do together, they bought the Cooke City business in 2010.

It was the classic case of buying into a business that they love. They both enjoyed snowmobiling, and they’re used to working hard.

Customers come from as far 40UNDERFORTY

away as Canada, Austria and the United Kingdom.

Last year one group of customers rented snowmobiles for a trip into the remote backcountry surrounding Cooke City.

“They’re extreme snowboarders who choose a spot and build their jumps, and then they do some filming,” Abelseth said.

When the snowmobile business closes for the summer, the Abelseths return to Billings where they run MBA Investment Properties, which manages rental real estate.

She also volunteers for Montana Legal Services.

How did you get where you are in your business?

My parents instilled a hard work ethic and required me to live up to it. There are two mottos in my life that my husband has instilled: work hard, play hard, and failure is never an option.

Age: 36.

Family: Married.

First job: Cleaning, painting rental properties for my dad.

What I’m reading: Mysteries, psychological thrillers.

Liked this movie: Any Adam Sandler show.

Uses this website a lot: www. cookecitymotorsports.com.

Here’s how I relax: Organizing fundraisers, working out, gourmet cooking.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I worked for the past 10 years repeat customer becomes a loyal helping low-income Montanans friend. with legal issues in an effort to reduce poverty and homelessness Which living person do you in Montana and provide access most admire? to justice for those who could not My husband. normally afford it. Providing more quality jobs for Montanans to remain What do you consider your and survive in the Treasure state. greatest achievement?

Purchasing my first investment Aside from profit and loss, property six months after I graduhow do you measure success in ated from high school. I now own your business? five properties and two successful Success is achieving what you businesses. set out to do. Setting a goal and achieving it is the ultimate reward.

I’m happiest when...

Happiness equals success. All of I’m cooking gourmet meals, our customers at Cooke City Moentertaining and spending time with torsports are on vacation and want friends and family. to have a good time. It’s my job to ensure that people visiting us have a vacation that they will always remember. A smile on a customer’s face is success. Success is when a February 2012

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Dr. Erin Amato Psychiatrist, managing partner, medical director for YBGR, Montana Psychiatry, PLLC

Erin Bennion Amato was drawn to child psychiatry early on in her medical education. She recently gave birth to her fifth child, Raphaela.

Erin Bennion Amato gave birth to her first children, twin boys, just a week before she interviewed and was accepted into medical school at the University of Nevada.

Some might flinch at the prospect of simultaneously balancing the demands of a young family and medical school, but Amato said she had a good support system.

The twins are now teenagers, and Amato gave birth to her fifth child, Raphaela, on Dec. 10. Life continues to be a balancing act, but the family is doing well.

“David (her husband) and I make a good team,” she said. “We have figured out a pattern of each of us stepping in more at certain times, and we have a system that works well. We started out with twins, and that was demanding meeting their basic needs. But now our oldest are 13 years old, so we

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have to schedule activities, homework and visits with friends. The demands have changed through the years.”

Growing up in Billings, Amato was familiar with the medical industry, having worked in her father’s oral surgery practice.

“I started out as an American studies major,” at college, she said.

“I loved the humanities and English, and as I got toward the end of college and was thinking about what I wanted to do, I gave medicine a second look and decided to pursue that.

“I spent a little time taking the prerequisites for medical school,” she said. “You don’t have to be a science major, but you do have to complete the prerequisites.”

Early on, she was drawn to psychiatry, especially the field of child psychiatry.

“I really liked my classes and clinical rotations that were pediatric in nature. I was very interested in the human mind and human behavior, so psychiatry was a good fit for me,” she said.

After medical school, the family moved to New York, where she completed her residency in general psychiatry and a two-year fellowship in adolescent training.

Since returning to Billings two years ago, she started a private practice with Drs. Deborah Malters and Belinda Hartley. She also works at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, where she is medical director.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

From a business perspective, it has been a challenge for me to learn the business side of medicine, as this is not something you are

exposed to in medical training. On a more personal front, it’s often a challenge to balance my family and professional lives.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

In my field, there is a major shortage of psychiatric providers both in Billings as well as the entire area of Montana and Wyoming. It would be a positive change to be able to recruit some more psychiatrists to practice in this area. In the meantime, I’m trying to find ways to meet the mental health needs of people in Billings and surrounding areas given our limited resources.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

The health and well being of my

patients is very important, and I try to be very mindful of how we balance running a successful medical practice with meeting our patients’ clinical needs. It is also very important to me that our staff feel valued and invested in the practice and that we all function well as a team.

Which living person do you most admire?

My father, John Bennion, and my mother, Margaret Bennion.

Age: 37.

Family: Married, five children.

What I’m reading: “City of Thieves” by David Benioff; pregnancy and parenting books.

Liked this movie: “The Sound of Music.”

Uses this website frequently: Several news sites.

Here’s how I relax: Go out to dinner with my husband. be mutually exclusive.

I’m happiest when...

I’m seeing my kids happy and thoroughly enjoying themselves.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Getting through medical school and residency training while having a family. I’ve had people tell me along the way that I would have to choose between the two, and although it’s been a lot of hard work, I am proud of what I’ve done and do not feel that the two paths have to 40UNDERFORTY

Kally Amundsen, a senior media buyer with A.D. Creative Group, said all of her clients now require social media as part of their advertising efforts.

Kally Amundsen Senior media buyer, A.D. Creative Group It’s no secret. Clients expect results when they entrust their marketing budgets to Kally Amundsen and A.D. Creative Group.

“One thing every client is requiring is they want to see some type of return on investment.

They want it to be tracked, and they want a solid number to the money they spent,” said Amundsen, who is a senior media planner and buyer for the Billings advertising and marketing agency.

Some types of advertising are relatively easy to track. One advantage of online advertising is that it precisely counts how many readers have clicked on an ad, Amundsen said.

And when you consider that Facebook has 800 million users, it’s not surprising that businesses are stampeding to take advantage of social media.

“All of our clients require social media. A part of the advertising budget goes toward it,” Amunden said. “It creates that sense of community for clients and customers.”

Growing up, Amundsen always loved numbers, and that ability has helped her as she assists clients in deciding the most effective way to spend their advertising.

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The mother of four is the boss around home, and like many moms, she spends a lot of time ferrying kids to sporting events.

“You’re always trying to find creative ways to negotiate with children,” she said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

After graduating from MSU Billings, I was recruited by Advertising Edge. The fun atmosphere of a marketing firm is very appealing to my personality so my desire to stay within this industry has lasted throughout the years.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

The biggest challenge is keeping up with changing consumer behavior.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

More youth-friendly, cultural activities within the community that are not dependent on your income level but provide a safe place for kids to have fun and create memories.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

Age: 39.

Family: Single, four children.

First job: A&W carhop in Laurel. Polyester was the bomb.

What I’m reading: “The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog.” Liked this movie: “127 Hours.”

Uses this website a lot: Facebook.com.

Here’s how I relax: Cuddle up next to my Keurig.

Help from a chiropractor with a high school sports injury inspired Tara M. Barry, owner of Back Country Family Chiropractic, to pursue chiropractic as a career.

Tara M. Barry

Owner, Back Country Family Chiropractic Success is when a client enjoys the process of working with us as well as the result of a great campaign.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mom. She is my life cheerleader. She is one of the most selfless, giving people I’ve ever known. S What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My four beautiful children are by far my greatest achievement. I never anticipated being a working mom of four children, but when I adopted two of my children through the State of Montana Foster/Adoption Program, it made this achievement that much greater and more special.

I’m happiest when...

I’m cuddled up with a bazillion blankets with my four kids, watching a fun movie and eating popcorn.

When Tara Barry sustained an injury while playing softball during high school, traditional medicine didn’t provide the relief she sought.

“I was batting. I swung real hard and I hurt my back,” she said.

“I went to the medical doctors and they gave me muscle relaxers, which didn’t work so well for me.

So I went to a chiropractor, and he was awesome. He said he could heal me in a natural way, so that’s what started my career path,” said Barry, owner of Back Country Family Chiropractic at 3210 Henesta Drive, Despite the demands of running a business, Barry likes to stay active. She rides regularly with a group of other female mountain bikers. “There are six of us, and it’s pretty awesome.

“How did you get where you are in your business?

I worked for almost a year with Dr. Karlene Berish and then

decided I wanted to try to open my own business. I wrote a business plan and in conjunction with Yellowstone Bank and The Billings Economic Development Center. I was granted loans that gave me the opportunity to open my business.

Age: 31 Family: Married.

First job: Checker in grocery store What I’m reading: “Killing Sacred Cows” Liked this movie: “Bridesmaids” Uses this website a lot: Facebook Here’s how I relax: Mountain bike, ski, camping

how do you measure success in your business?

What’s the toughest chalI measure success by the numlenge you face in your job? ber of people I help feel better .

I sometimes have to defend my Which living person do you profession. A lot of people have most admire? had bad experience years ago with Dr. Tom Owen and his passion a chiropractor and have decided for the chiropractic profession. that once they’ve tried it, they will never try it again.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

If you could make one posiOpening Back Country Famtive change for Billings, what ily Chiropractic and sharing my would it be? knowledge and what I love to do I would teach as many people with people on a daily basis. as possible about the benefits of chiropractic care and through I’m happiest when... adjustments help Billings be a I’m seeing patients get better healthier, more active, and more and get back to living their lives. knowledgeable community.

And skiing powder.

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Ashley Burleson Attorney, partner, Crowley Fleck PLLP Attorney Ashley Burleson helps her clients make some of life’s most important decisions, namely how their assets will be distributed among their heirs and their favorite charities.

Burleson, a partner at the Crowley Fleck law firm, devotes most of her legal practice to estate and trust planning and administration.

Her clients come from all walks of life, although most are at an age where they have accumulated some assets and have put some thought into how their wealth should be distributed.

“We sit down and talk about what the assets are, the dynamics and structure of their family, their goals, and whether that involves charities.”

She also helps clients plan for reducing future tax liabilities.

Some estates are relatively straightforward, when most assets are held in accounts that can be easily distributed among the heirs. But, things get more complicated when

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real estate or other property that can’t be easily divided is involved.

“The way you handle the estate depends on their circumstances, the complexity of their family, the complexity of their assets and what their goals are,” Burleson said.

Many people are procrastinators.

But estate planning can be just as important for younger people. For them, one of the most important decisions is deciding who cares for the children in the event of the parents’ death, Burleson said.

Burleson graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in accounting. But since she didn’t plan to pursue accounting as a career, law school, and her current specialty, proved to be a good fit.

Working for a large firm has advantages, such as soliciting feedback or advice from a trusted colleague. If a client needs a different kind of legal advice, it’s easy to make a referral within the same firm, she said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

Quality education, hard work, good decisions, and a bit of luck.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Most of my legal practice is devoted to estate and trust planning and administrations. This type of work generally involves working with people and families to carry out their wishes or to resolve issues and problems. Thankfully, I tend to avoid much of the fighting that most lawyers face. For me, the toughest challenges that I face in my work are when matters cross that line and the fighting begins.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I was very excited to see the public and private support of our new library. I would like to see more community support for these types of projects.

Aside from profit and loss,

As a partner at the Crowley Fleck law firm, Ashley Burleson works primarily on estate and trust planning, helping clients plan for how their wealth should be distributed.

how do you measure success in your job?

The greatest compliment is when my existing clients refer others to me. Oh, and I love thank you notes from clients.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mother. As an elementary school teacher, her favorite students were often those in the most need.

As a child, I probably did not appre-

ciate her level of caring. Reflecting back, I remember many times her giving my hand-me-down clothes to a student who needed them, or taking a needy student out for a special night of dinner and shopping around Christmas.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Balancing the demands of work and family.

Age: 39 Family: Married, two children First job: Part-time retail sales, KG Men’s Store, Temple, Texas Uses this website a lot: MSNBC, billingsgazette.com Liked this movie: “The Help” Here’s how I relax: Most of my non-work time is spent with my two small children. Not always relaxing, but always my first choice.

I’m happiest when...

I’m at home with my family.

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Patrick Chapel President and majority owner, Grizzly Peak Environmental Contracting

Patrick Chapel started Grizzly Peak Environmental Contracting in the wake of last spring’s flooding.

Floods that inundated hundreds of Montana homes and businesses last year cost millions of dollars in damage and untold misery for property owners. But the disaster also created a business opportunity for Patrick Chapel.

Chapel had worked for several successful environmental contracting businesses that his parents had run from the time he was a youngster. After graduating from Washington State University, Chapel again went to work for the family business, but decided to leave the business in 2005 as he and his wife began raising their own family.

“I decided I could no longer meet the grueling schedule of the business,” Chapel said. “I was working in places like Great Falls and Colstrip and living in Billings, and I had to do the books at night after work.”

Chapel went to work for Volunteers of America and in 2010 he started Bunkbed Outfitters, which manufactures custom bunk beds. He still runs the bunk bed business as a sideline.

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Meanwhile, in 2009 Chapel’s mother became ill and wasn’t able to work at the family business. Last spring, as floods raged across Montana, Chapel decided to get back into the environmental contracting business. That’s how Grizzly Peak Environmental Contracting got its start.

Staci Gottlob, Chapel’s cousin, is his partner in the business.

“We had built a reputation as a reputable vendor to provide remediation and we had an opportunity in front of us,” Chapel said.

“We all thought on it a couple days and we decided to do it.”

One of Grizzly Peak’s first big projects was a contract with Billings Housing Authority. “We hit the ground running and it hasn’t slowed down since,” Chapel said.

The company has been busy with mold remediation and decontamination of heating and cooling systems damaged by floods.

“We take an educational approach with our clients,” Chapel said. “We give them a lot of material to read and we try to figure

out why and where the moisture is coming from. We work with them at each step.”

Chapel still runs the bunk bed business from his home.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Finding consistent work in our area is extremely challenging. When you are not working consistently it becomes difficult to keep good, well-trained employees on staff. We have to come up with creative benefit packages to retain our employees. Another challenge we face is providing homeowners and facility directors current and valid information regarding indoor air quality issues.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would like to see an initiative in support of our local businesses that work hard to provide quality services and products to our city.

Age: 34.

Family: Married, three children.

First paid job: Working at Fuddruckers.

What I’m reading: “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki.

Liked this movie: “The Social Network.”

Uses this website a lot: I use many sites for research.

Here’s how I relax: Playing with my kids. in your business?

First we make sure we have a well trained work force, otherwise all other goals will fall short.

We measure how successful our communication is with our clients, getting our projects done on time, staying within our budget, training for our staff, educating our clients and enjoying what we are doing on a daily basis.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mother.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being the first in my family to graduate from college. And being a father to my children.

I’m happiest when...

I’m fly fishing on the river.

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Kevin D. Evans Undersheriff, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office

Yellowstone County Undersheriff Kevin D. Evans followed his father into law enforcement.

Former Yellowstone County deputy sheriff Dave Evans once had to wrestle a chimpanzee that had escaped from its cage and was tearing up the house in its owner’s absence. After a bit of a struggle, the deputy managed to get the beast out of the living room and back into the garage without getting bitten or otherwise injured by a powerful and unpredictable animal.

No surprisingly, Evans received a lot of ribbing about the chimp incident, up until the time he retired last year after 38 years with the department.

And such unusual lawenforcement calls didn’t dissuade Dave’s son, Kevin Evans, from following in his father’s footsteps to the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office.

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The younger Evans has been with the department for 181/2 years, and was promoted from sergeant to undersheriff when Mike Linder was elected sheriff in 2010.

“I’ve pretty much grown up around law enforcement,” Evans said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I like to think I got where I am today from hard work and dedication to doing my job to the best of my ability; traits instilled in me by my parents. A lot of this career is “on-the-job training” and learning from the more experienced officers. My father was a mentor to me. He was a deputy for 38 years, and helped me from day one. He was a great example of

what a deputy should be. You also have to treat people with respect and dignity; not only in the community, but co-workers as well.

If you don’t treat people well, they will have little or no respect for you. My position is appointed by the Sheriff and I don’t think Sheriff Linder would have considered me if he didn’t feel I had the knowledge or the respect of the people with who I work.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Transitioning from supervising 6-7 people to around 150 people. There are a lot more and a lot different responsibilities that come in to play after going from a supervisor to an administrator. We do, however, have a great group of people at the sheriff’s

within the sheriff’s office. When people call in and commend a deputy for doing a great job, or when people stop me and comIf you could make one ment on how well they liked a positive change for Billings, deputy or other employee from what would it be?

Billings is already a great com- the sheriff’s office and what he or she did for them, that means we munity. I would like to see more are doing something right. Things people get involved in the community. Whether it is helping out like that show that the people at with charitable events like Special the sheriff’s office are respected by the community and come to Olympics or donating their time work enjoying what they do. If the to other events that help those machine is running smoothly, I in need. There are already many can feel a sense of success. people who get involved, but the more who do, the better off the Which living person do you community is as a whole. most admire?

My wife. She is a strong and Aside from profit and loss, intelligent woman and is the glue how do you measure success that keeps our family together. in your job?

I don’t necessarily measure What do you consider your it by what I do, but the people office and that has helped make that transition easier.

Age: 38.

Family: Married, three children.

First job: Busing tables at Perkins.

What I’m reading: I enjoy reading classic novels, Shakespeare, and true crime/mafia history.

Liked this movie: “Star Wars.”

Uses this website frequently: billingsgazette.com Here’s how I relax: Spend time with my family.

t p h o C s s

v r e w g m h

greatest achievement? w My family. I am proud of my e career achievements, but my t family has always been there to T support me in everything I have b done, leading up to those achieve-P ments. i H I’m happiest when...

I am with my family, whether i we are out camping or sitting in j front of the television. c t s g y 40UNDERFORTY

Shane Flowers, president of Project Meats, is an auto racing enthusiast.

Shane Flowers President, Project Meats

For fun, Shane Flowers likes to squeeze every ounce of horsepower out of his 1971 Chevrolet half-ton pickup. The drag racer, outfitted with a 468-cubic-inch Chevy big-block engine, can sprint a quarter mile from a dead stop in just under 12 seconds.

Smoking tires on a powerful vehicle provides an adrenaline rush. But Flowers gets the most enjoyment under the hood. “It’s what I can do to make a vehicle go. I love the racing, but I like making it happen. I like the horsepower end of it,” he said.

These days Flowers and his wife, Tanya, who is also a racing enthusiast, haven’t had a lot of time to devote to their hobby.

That’s because they have been so busy running the family business, Project Meats, a meat processing plant and retail store at 6608 Highway 312.

After purchasing the business in 2007, Project Meats has enjoyed steady growth. Processing cattle, sheep and hogs raised in the area still constitutes the lion’s share of the business. But, wild game processing took off this year and the business has en40UNDERFORTY

joyed good growth in retail sales.

Project Meats sells steaks, burger and other products in a storefront that was added to the processing plant.

Flowers says he’s always a stickler for cleanliness. “You can cut their steaks perfectly, but if it’s not clean, they won’t go back,” he said.

Project Meats has emphasized farmer’s markets and trade shows for marketing.

“We’re getting a lot more recognition, and that face-to-face interaction is important. People see that professionalism and they appreciate it,” Flowers said.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Creating a positive vibe when you come to our shop. Also, we have been restructuring and building the business which creates stress while maintaining a “family” life.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’d help employ more local residents.

Age: 37 Family: Married, three children First job: Fast food What I’m reading: Meat processors magazines and periodicals Liked this movie: Fast Five Uses this website a lot: Facebook Here’s how I relax: Play games with friends and family

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job/business?

We base the success of our business largely from the referrals we get and the positive feedback from our customers.

Which living person do you most admire?

Donald Trump and Bill Gates What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Taking a dying profession and making it grow in this economy.

Our sales have increased 70 percent over the last four years and we continue to push for this growth.

I’m happiest when...

I’m with our kids, having fun.

Kendra Freeck, with Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., P.C., also serves as treasurer for the Parmly Billings Library Foundation’s board of directors.

Kendra Freeck

Supervisor, Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co. P.C. Kendra Freeck skis fast and knows how to handle a fly rod.

She’s also a prolific reader and is community oriented. As a supervisor with Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co., P.C., it goes without saying that she’s pretty good with numbers. So when she was asked to serve as treasurer of the Parmly Billings Library Foundation’s board of directors, she welcomed the opportunity.

“I love to read, and one of our shareholders in our office was treasurer and was coming off the board. She approached me and asked if I would like to get involved, so I took on the treasurer’s position about 2-1/2 years ago,” Freeck said.

At the time, Freeck had no idea that the foundation was preparing to launch a campaign that led to a successful bond election. But she rose to the challenge and worked hard.

Last November, Billings voters approved a $16 million bond issue to build a new library. Fifty-seven percent of voters supported the bond issue. Without a doubt, an anonymous $2 million donation to the effort helped build support.

“It’s been an opportunity to provide something for our community, our children and for the future of this town,” Freeck said.

She uses the library a lot and appreciates the constant source of knowledge and growth that it provides.

Regarding her career, Freeck considers working for Anderson ZurMuehlen a dream job. Accountants are more than number crunchers.

“I do a lot of conferences. I’m a QuickBooks Pro adviser. I teach on QuickBooks and make a lot of presentations to nonprofits,” she said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I have done it by pushing myself out of my comfort zone in order to grow, by having a positive attitude and being accountable.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

It’s easy to be overwhelmed with all there is to learn. I have only been in public accounting for five years, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all there is to know.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would continue working on providing more educational and cultural opportunities for the youth of Billings.

Aside from profit and loss,

Age: 28.

Family: Single.

First job: Dress steamer at Step’n Out Formal Wear.

What I’m reading: “Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life’s Adversities” by Elizabeth Edwards.

Liked this movie: “The 5th Quarter.”

Uses this website a lot: www. yahoo.com.

Here’s how I relax: A nice quite day at home watching movies, skiing and an occasional bird hunting trip with family.

how do you measure success in your job?

When I know I have earned the trust of both the clients I work with and my colleagues, I know I have done my job well.

Which living person do you most admire?

Mrs. Lasar. I was a tutor for her in high school in her resource lab.

To this day she is the strongest and wisest woman I have met.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being a part of the new library campaign and watching it pass.

What a great asset for Billings.

I’m happiest when...

I’m out enjoying a day of flyfishing or skiing. Even better, if I can fit both into one day.

February 2012

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Dustin Frost is a partner in 47 North Communications, which specializes in political consulting, public relations and government affairs. Frost, a former staffer for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., started the business with friend Jake Eaton.

Dustin Frost

Partner, 47 North Communications At age 30, Dustin Frost is a veteran of numerous statewide and local political campaigns. Despite his obvious enthusiasm for politics, Frost’s bucket list doesn’t include running for office.

“I enjoy being behind the scenes,” said Frost, a partner in the political consulting firm 47 North Communications, a company that specializes in political consulting, public relations and government affairs.

“A lot of people think it’s glamorous running for office, but it’s really not,” said Frost, who knows a thing or two about what it takes to win a statewide race.

“One of the fun things about running a statewide race in Montana is that we’re such a diverse state,” Frost said. “The issues in Whitefish aren’t the same as they are in Culbertson, and that’s what makes politics fun.”

47 North Communications got started about 18 months ago when Frost and friend Jake Eaton decided to collaborate on a consulting business. The name is a reference to the partners’ hometowns. Eaton is from Miles City, which is about 46 degrees north latitude. Frost is from Sunburst, on the Hi-Line.

So they decided to split the difference.

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Frost was a member of the College Republicans at the University of Montana, where he double majored in wildlife biology and communications studies.

In 2004, he “kind of fell into politics,” and was named communications manager for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg’s successful reelection campaign. He went on to work on Rehberg’s 2006 campaign and served as Rehberg’s field representative in Eastern Montana. In 2007, Frost was named Rehberg’s state director.

Last year Frost consulted for the successful campaigns of Mike Linder, who was elected Yellowstone County sheriff, and Scott Twito, who was elected Yellowstone County attorney.

This year, Frost is working on the campaign of state Sen. Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, who is running for governor.

Many people go into wildlife biology because they love working outdoors. Frost said he most enjoyed projects in which people collaborated on the issues surrounding wildlife and natural resources.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Montana’s unique political

Age: 30.

Family: Married.

What I’m reading: “The Old Man and the Boy” by Robert Ruark.

Liked this movie: “Top Gun.” Uses this website a lot: politico.com.

Here’s how I relax: Hunting, hiking, running.

climate offers new challenges nearly every day.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’m proud of the change that we helped bring about by electing Scott Twito and Mike Linder, helping to restore some faith in our local government.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

In some ways, our business is very unique. For the bulk of our clients, our measurement of success is perhaps more clear than most businesses: Victory on election day.

Which living person do you most admire?

My father.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My six years of service in the Montana Army National Guard.

I’m happiest when I’m...

Pheasant hunting.

An involvement in community theater during high school led Jason Harris to pursue a career in entertainment. Harris owns Projectile Comedy Inc. and hosts the “The Big J Show” on Hot 101.9.

Jason “Big Jay” Harris Owner and director of Projectile Comedy Inc., host of “The Big J Show” on Hot 101.9 From an early age, Jason Harris knew entertainment was in his blood.

“I did community theater here in town during high school, and I knew I wanted to do something like that after I graduated, and then I just fell into the radio thing and I loved it. I never looked back,” said Harris, owner of Projectile Comedy Inc. and host of the “The Big J Show” on Hot 101.9.

Harris said the audience for his morning program has grown because he’s willing to work to make it happen.

“Some people do radio just as a job,” he said. “It’s just so much more fun to do when you’re successful, and you’re not just phoning it in and doing a shift, when you’re getting national attention and politicians are calling in and wanting to be on the show.”

Harris describes his program as “good honest radio,” and he’ll go to great lengths to get a reaction from listeners.

Harris has been involved in comedy even longer than radio.

“It’s something that I’ve done forever. I started a youth troupe with Venture Theatre called the Funky Bunch,” he said. “Then I got pulled up to do the adult improve at Desperados. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.”

How did you get where you are in your business?

Anytime I have found success in my career it has come after questioning and improving on the status quo. A lot of people are afraid of change and are happy just doing things the way they have always been done, but I’m not.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

It’s definitely dealing with the criticism and controversy that comes with what I do. A decent amount of the criticism I get is valid, and I understand that not everybody is going to enjoy me sharing my opinions so openly and honestly. My number-one goal for any of my entertainment endeavors has always been to “evoke emotion.” I want to make people feel something, and those feelings are not always going to be positive.

Age: 28.

Family: Single, one child.

First job: Delivering The Billings Gazette.

What I’m reading: “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson.

Liked this movie: “An Education.”

Uses this website a lot: Amazon.com.

Here’s how I relax: Sit in bed and watch a new documentary from Netflix. on our phone and text lines at the radio station, in the audience at a comedy show, or on the street.

They will let me know when I cracked them up, when I moved them to tears, when I gave them information that was useful to them.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mother.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

It would be the opportunities that I was able to find or create right in the town that I grew up in. Usually, to do radio, perform comedy, be in movies, write for If you could make one posi- a magazine, and host a TV show, tive change for Billings, what you would need to move to a bigger would it be? market. I was able to make all of I would help to bring more at- those personal goals a reality right tention to our amazing city and the here in Billings. exciting things happening here.

I’m happiest when...

Aside from profit and loss, I’m making people laugh. how do you measure success in Nothing better than creating a your job? world where you get paid to do I am lucky because I get conwhat you love every single day. stant feedback from my audience, 40UNDERFORTY

Rebecca Hedegaard

Director, Small Business Development Center, Big Sky Economic Development Rebecca Hedegaard helps people start businesses as director of the Small Business Development Center with Big Sky Economic Development, Yellowstone County’s economic development agency.

When clients ask Rebecca Hedegaard for help starting a business, they usually have something in mind, like a restaurant, a house cleaning service, a day care or a specialty retail store.

But every once in a while, somebody will come in seeking start-up advice without any firm idea about what they want to do.

“Yes, sometimes people want me to guide them and tell them what to do. But for liability purposes, we can’t do that,” said Hedegaard, director of the Small Business Development Center at Big Sky Economic Development, Yellowstone County’s economic development agency.

Whenever that happens, Hedegaard advises people to do some research, think about their skills or hobbies or passions that they might be able to translate into a business.

Anybody who has tried it knows that starting a business is a lot more complicated than opening up a shop and watching the money roll in. To assist in the process, the SBDC provides a variety of services, such as counseling, training and financial advice.

Starting a business can be daunting, but success stories happen. One example is that of Mike and Antonia Craighill, who opened 40UNDERFORTY

Age: 30.

Family: Married.

First job: Food server, Charlie’s Bagels, Helena.

What I’m reading: “The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Coming Demographic Storm.”

Liked this movie: “The Help.”

Website I use a lot: Entrepreneur.com.

Here’s how I relax: Travel, cooking, playing piano, sharing my music with others.

Soup and Such, a Heights restaurant, in 2006 and then expanded to downtown Billings last year.

Another success story is Lovable Pets, a bakery and boutique that Ellie Whitney started with help from the SBDC. The business continues to expand and offer new services. Whitney was a 40 Under Forty winner in 2010.

tial than what the job offered. They explored ways for me to use my skills and experiences in other areas besides office administration. After evaluating which program area I wanted to focus on, I moved into a new position as a Small Business Development Counselor. Over the next few years, I began on-the-job training in the SBDC program.

How did you get where you are in your business?

Through self-motivation, family support, hard work and dedication to learn, I have developed and grown the Billings Small Business Development Center. In 2002, I graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in music performance. My original plan was to teach music full time, but soon realized that I had to look for other opportunities in addition to my music profession. I began my career working for a patent attorney as a paralegal in Seattle. It gave me some great experience in the professional world, and equipped me with skills that I continue to use today. In 2004, I had the opportunity to relocate to Billings to work as an administrative assistant for Big Sky Economic Development. It did not take long for my current employers to realize I had more poten-

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Having limited financial resources available for small businesses. Ninety percent of the clients I work with need some type I’m happiest when... of financing options for their busiI’m serving people to the ness. It is a tough economy right greatest capacity I know how. now, and sometimes traditional financing is not an option. They need other alternatives to help them either get started or expand their business. As a resource provider, it is my job to help them seek out options that will allow them to move forward in their business.

rate of any industry and could really benefit from this type of service.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job/business?

Every year through our contract with SBA and the Department of Commerce, I have certain milestone goals that I have to achieve to help measure the success of our program.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

Build a Food Enterprise Center that educates entrepreneurs on how to operate a successful restaurant or food service business. Food service businesses have the highest failure February 2012

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BeauJames Hedin works in the family business, helping to organize the twice annual Home Improvement Show.

BeauJames Hedin Trade show producer/promoter, Rimrock Promotions and Trade Shows Inc. Whether you’re looking for decking material, new windows or shopping for the latest and greatest electronic gear to outfit your man cave, the Home Improvement Show probably has something to pique your interest.

BeauJames Hedin started helping out with the twice-annual trade show when he was just a youngster.

“I grew up in the business, hanging pipe and drape with my dad, and carrying tables,” said Hedin, who runs the show with his parents, Mark and Rhonda Hedin.

Mark and his father, Merlyn Hedin, started the show 29 years ago, and it has evolved into a regular event at MetraPark.

After graduating from Skyview High, BeauJames went to Montana State University, graduating in 2006 with an education degree.

He looked into teaching jobs but didn’t find anything that quite fit.

Not long afterward, his dad asked if he wanted to return to the family business, and he’s been there ever since.

“I started doing the same things that I’d done before, helping my dad out and learning the ropes,” he said. “Over the past five years, I’ve taken on more responsi-

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bilities and worked with clients.”

The spring show, held during the first weekend in March, usually attracts around 30,000 people.

The fall show, held on the first weekend after Labor Day, attracts around 20,000.

“It’s a nice way to stimulate the local economy and help local business people and the public, too,” Hedin said.

Last year Rimrock Promotions staged a new event that’s shaping up as an annual affair. The Montana Brews and BBQs festival at MetraPark featured 40 flavors of Montana-brewed beer and plenty of food. Some 2,500 people attended.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I have been blessed with a wonderful education and parents who have given me the opportunity to use my knowledge and skill to further a company that they, along with initially my grandfather, built from nothing to one of the largest trade shows in a five-state area.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Managing the ongoing, allconsuming, demands of small

Age: 28 Family: Married, one child.

First job: Mowing lawns What I’m reading: “90 Minutes in Heaven” Liked this movie: “A Beautiful Mind” Uses this website a lot: Cabelas.com/Craiglist.

Here’s how I relax: Spending time with daughter/wife, hunting. business ownership/management on a 24-hour basis is a challenge.

It can mean never clocking out, never really going home from work.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would try and focus more attention on local collegiate scholars/athletes.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

Retention, of both clients and public attendance.

Which living person do you most admire?

Mark Hedin and Merlyn Hedin.

I’m happiest when I’m...

Watching my daughter grow up to be just like her mother.

Nina Hernandez, regional director for the American Heart Association, is passionate about adoption. She and her husband, Ryan Duffy, adopted their 2-year-old son, Gage.

Nina Hernandez

Regional director, American Heart Association Nina Hernandez is the kind of person who can’t turn down a good cause. While living in Texas, she volunteered for a human rights organization that paired her with a Sudanese woman who was seeking asylum in the United States.

“I was her mentor,” Hernandez said. “I helped her figure out how to go to the grocery store and other things like that.”

Initially, Hernandez volunteered about two hours per week, but that commitment continued to grow, and she was constantly challenged juggling her job and her volunteer work.

“I was also on the board for the Cyctic Fibrosis Foundation, and later it occurred to me that I’m suited for working at nonprofits,” she said.

After returning to Billings, Hernandez started working for the American Heart Association, where she is regional director.

Adoption is another one of Hernandez’s passions, thanks in part to her 2-year-old son, Gage.

Hernandez and her husband, Ryan Duffy, adopted Gage while they were living in Texas. “Adoption was always on our radar,” Hernandez said.

Adopting children from Third World countries is a worthwhile cause, Hernandez said, but people who are considering adoption shouldn’t overlook American children.

Hernandez is glad that she has stayed in contact with Gage’s birth mother. “We text all the time and send pictures.”

The American Heart Association has played a significant role in raising people’s awareness about the battle against heart disease, the nation’s No. 1 killer, Hernandez said. Medical advancements have played a role, and public education has also helped curb heart disease.

“It’s helping that Hollywood has caught on to the obesity epidemic, and by emphasizing the importance of eating right and exercise,” Hernandez said.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

One challenge is trying to separate my work from my home life.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

More humanity and compas-

Age: 30.

Family: Married, one child.

First paid job: Coffee girl.

What I’m reading: “Letters to the Earth” by Mark Twain.

Liked this movie: “Borat.”

Uses this website a lot: BBC News.

Here’s how I relax: Read or spend time alone. sion. Way less homogeny.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

How stressed or un-stressed I am outside of my office. If I’m slacking, I’m stressed. If I’m doing well I can enjoy myself.

Which living person do you most admire?

My son’s birth mom, Jessica.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My greatest achievement is hopefully ahead of me. I’d like to see myself make a sufficient dent in the poverty rate, famine, or the ridiculous number of kids out there who need good homes.

Maybe then I will have earned my keep.

I’m happiest when...

I’m learning something totally new, like kiteboarding a year ago, or going to an amazing music festival with my friends, but also home on my couch with my family and watching my son dance.

40UNDERFORTY

Jacqui Hughes Attorney, Hughes Law PLLC

A stint in the Montana Army National Guard helped change Jacqui Hughes’ career direction from English and literature to law. She opened her own practice last year.

An attorney she met during her college years inspired Jacqui Hughes to seek a career in the law.

“I originally went to college for a degree teaching English writing and literature,” the Billings attorney said. “After my junior year, I took a break from college and went on active duty for the Montana Army National Guard. During that time, I was stationed in Fort Jackson, S.C., where I worked with a civilian attorney doing contract legal services for the Army. He was a great mentor and I enjoyed the work I did there. Upon returning to Montana, I finished my undergraduate work and applied for law school.”

After graduating from the University of Montana Law School, Hughes worked in a couple of law firms for five years. But last year, 40UNDERFORTY

she took a big step and decided to open her own practice.

Many new lawyers put in marathon hours early in their careers as they build their client base. Hughes said it’s not uncommon for a young associate to work 55 to 65 hours per week.

“The last employer I had was great, but I also traveled a lot to places like Seattle, Fort Worth and Memphis,” she said.

One advantage of running a solo practice is that it provides more flexibility. But there are adjustments to be made as well.

“One of the biggest challenges is going from having a paycheck every two weeks to having to plan.

There may be a big income month and there may not be. But for me there has to be an inner belief that it’s going to work,” she said.

Hughes specializes in mineral ownership and personal injury.

“For several years mineral ownership was an area of law that wasn’t necessarily thriving. But now we are looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars in oil payout, so it’s worth it to know what your minerals rights are,” she said.

In November, she was licensed to practice law in North Dakota and will likely spend more time there.

Hughes took another big step last fall. On Nov. 25, she married Eric Anderson.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

It is difficult to balance the demands of clients, the ongoing “to-do list” at work and enjoying the rest of life’s opportunities. I

love my job and I want to be great at what I do. I also want to enjoy everything else life has to offer as well.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would like to see better funding for organizations that provide services for youth in need of care. I whole-heartedly admire the people in our community who provide services to families and children. They work incredibly hard and have very emotionally draining jobs. Unfortunately, there are not enough of them. There are a lot of volunteer organizations stepping up to the plate, but the needs still outweigh the services available.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

Every day that my business survives is a day I’m living my dream. At the end of the day, if I have maintained solid relationships with my friends and family, returned client phone calls, met all my deadlines, and feel like at least some of my work means something, it’s a good day.

Which living person do you most admire?

My aunt Marilyn. She has suffered from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia since I was in elementary school.

Despite the pain this obviously causes her, I have rarely heard her complain. I have never seen pain get in the way of her doing things

Age: 32.

Family: Married.

First job: Food court at Target.

What I’m reading: “The Help.”

Liked this movie: “The Blindside.”

Uses this website a lot: Wikipedia.

Here’s how I relax: Anything with water — swim, sit in a hot tub, visit hot springs. for other people or trying to make their lives better. Her home is always open and wherever she is, there is laughter.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I’m surrounded by amazing friends, family and a fantastic husband. A solid social network filled with genuinely good people doesn’t just happen. I hope I am the kind of friend to them that they are to me.

I’m happiest when...

I’m sitting on a patio in the summer enjoying sunshine, warmth and time with people I care about.

February 2012

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Leah Johnson is vice president of human resources for Wendy’s of Montana. Her 8-year-old daughter Kierra plays the part of Wendy.

Clinton Hull owns Alternative Athletics/CrossFit, where the focus is on natural movements using weights such as kettle balls instead of treadmills and other equipment.

Clinton Hull

Owner, Alternative Athletics/Crossfit At Alternative Athletics/ CrossFit, you won’t find treadmills, weight machines or a lot of fancy fitness equipment.

“You’ll see kettle bells, flipping tires and carrying weights up and down the street. It’s a real ‘50s-style gym,” owner Clinton Hull said.

This back-to-basics approach to fitness emphasizes natural movements, and for most people that translates into better results, said Hull.

“If you think about natural movement, say if you pick up a pumpkin, you’re going to use your back and your biceps,” he said.

“With us, it’s the same idea. “ People who join Alternative Athletics can expect personal attention, with small groups of people being supervised by experienced trainers.

“We never have more than 10 people at a time in a group,” Hull said.

Hull grew up in Joliet and graduated from the University of Montana in 1999. He worked in financial services but decided to join the U.S. Navy in the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

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Age: 35 Family: Married, one child First job: Hardees in Laurel What I’m reading: “Unleashing the Super Idea Virus”

by Seth Godin; “Thank You Economy” by Gary Vaynerchuk; “Paleo Solution” by Rob Wolf.

Liked this movie: “Fight Club” Uses this website a lot: Journal.CrossFit.com Here’s how I relax: Olympic Weightlifting (there is a strong Zen component)

Hull learned the CrossFit training in the Navy and had trained many athletes who have gone into the special forces in the military.

And who goes to Alternative Athletics?

“It’s hard to put a demographic and all other diseases related to hyperinsulinism. on our members,” Hull said.

“We have everybody from high Aside from profit and loss, school students, all the way up to how do you measure success in 63-year-old grandmothers. your business?

Changes in the quality of life How did you get where you for our clients. are in your business?

I started training sailors to Which living person do you help prepare them for Naval Special Warfare training pipelines most admire?

Richard Saul Wurman, the and took CrossFit training to the creator of TED (Technology, private sector .

Entertainment, Design).

What’s the toughest chalWhat do you consider your lenge you face in your job? greatest achievement?

It can be a challenge meeting Every time one of our memthe varied needs of an athletically bers gives me a heart-felt story diverse population and keeping about how we have changed their a large clientèle motivated about lives for the better. their own health and fitness.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

To end obesity, Type I diabetes

I’m happiest when I’m... at work.

Leah Johnson Vice president of human resources, Wendy’s of Montana Inc. Leah Johnson isn’t afraid to take on a challenge. In 1999, when Wendy’s of Montana was looking for a human resources director, Johnson volunteered to take on this crucial management position.

“Wendy’s had tried a few different HR directors from the outside, and none of them worked out,” said Johnson, a Wendy’s employee since her college days who was working as a district manager at the time. “I asked them to let me try this, with the understanding that if I’m not cutting it, I would go right back to what I was doing.”

Johnson’s training included taking every human resourcesrelated course she could find. “I spent a lot of time with Associated Employers,” a Billings human resources organization.

Twelve years later, Johnson is still thankful for the opportunity to prove herself and is thriving in a company that employs nearly 800 people. Johnson enjoys working with people and seeing them achieve their potential.

“When I was first promoted to shift manager, I felt that I was good at what I did and that I can connect with people,” Johnson said. “I worked my way up to being a multi-unit district manager, and one of the things I was best

at was developing people, working through problems and getting people to follow me.”

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Changing the way our employees view a job at Wendy’s.

Working in “fast food” comes with a stigma that is difficult to rise above. My goal is to show them the opportunity that is offered by a position with Wendy’s. We always try to promote from within before recruiting externally, and offer amazing benefits. Wendy’s of Montana is a stable and growing family-owned company that cares about and develops their employees.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

Seeing our people grow and become confident leaders. Some of my favorite success stories begin with employees who I originally thought would never amount to much, but who are now general managers and multi-unit district managers.

Age: 39 (when nominated).

Family: Married, one child.

First job: Dining room hostess at Wendy’s.

What I’m reading: “Unbroken”

by Laura Hillenbrand.

Liked this movie: “I am Sam.” Uses this website a lot: Society for Human Resource Management.

Here’s how I relax: Working with my horses, reading, scrapbooking.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Kierra, my 8-year-old daughter (who plays the part of Wendy in the accompanying photo.) I know this is probably what everyone says, but she is truly amazing. My achievement will be measured in how well I can guide her to live up to her potential.

I’m happiest when...

I’m doing anything that combines my family and the outdoors.

We enjoy skiing, horseback riding, hunting, camping, fishing etc.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mother.

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Kori Keller

Owner, Kidz Cutz, Short Cuts, coordinator of Ryan’s Run For Kori Keller, 2011 was a year of tremendous success and great sadness.

Keller, the owner of a kidfriendly hair salon known as Kidz Kutz, has a knack for organizing her business, her family and fundraisers.

Keller put those skills to work last spring when she organized Ryan’s Run, a successful road race that raised more than $16,000 for the American SIDS Institute.

Keller’s nephew, Ryan Walter, was just 65 days old when he died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

With around 650 participants, Ryan’s Run was a big success, and Keller is working to develop a charity that will continue to raise money for SIDS research.

“It was no small feat. But I’m a total administrator,” Keller said.

What was anticipated as another joyful occasion turned tragic in November. Keller’s fourth child, daughter Ramsey Jo Keller, died just two days after she was born.

Ramsey’s complications came as a surprise to the family. She was a full-term baby and there were no hints that anything was wrong, Keller said.

As sad as it was losing her daughter, Keller hasn’t lost hope.

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“Although we are mourning, we have three boys ages 11, 9 and 6, which keeps us motivated,” Keller said. “We are thinking of changing the race format from SIDS and making it a nonprofit organization that will go toward families who are in the community that have lost their children.

“With the loss of our daughter, we feel that we should broaden our scope beyond SIDS and be more inclusive to other tragedies. The Chase Hawks Memorial Association has expressed great interest in helping us take this to a much larger platform.”

felt it on my heart to do something to remember Ryan in a respectful and fun manner. I am extremely organized and efficient, and it came to me to do a run. Once I started the process, it gained so much momentum that it quickly carried me to the day of the run. It was incredible and it brought out so many parents who had a story to tell. Many, many tears were shed by hundreds of people.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Regarding Kidz Cutz, it’s difficult to manage employees, keep the business running efficiently and knowing how and when to market.

Regarding Ryan’s Run, there isn’t a project manual that tells you how to create, organize and run a race. I spent countless hours dealing with so many entities and getting them to talk to each other. Now we have a template on how to get this done and a project manual. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the participants to do this again, and we feel we should.

How did you get where you are in your business?

With Kidz Cutz, I knew I always had a passion and heart for kids, so I wanted to create an environment that was kid-friendly and would make getting a haircut an enjoyable experience. With Short Cuts, it is so much fun to have an adult clientèle.

These clients are more than my clients, they have become my friends and family. I would not consider If you could make one posithis job as a job as I enjoy it so much. tive change for Billings, what Regarding Ryan’s Run, my heart would it be? was heavy for my brother-in-law I feel strongly about our comand sister-in-law in their grieving munity and our youth and although as well as our entire family. I just

Kori Keller last year organized Ryan’s Run, a fundraiser for the American SIDS Institute in honor of her nephew Ryan, who died of SIDS.

it would cost us, I would like to see Billings take care of our kids through bettering our education system. More schools would be a good starting point, taking care of the Billings superintendent and school board would be another thing that needs resolution. We need to stop being so selfish and start putting the kids first.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

For Kidz Cutz, it is measured by our clientèle and return customers. When we see kids running to our store from the parking lot, we

know we are doing something right.

For Ryan’s Run, it was measured through the tears, the hugs and all the comments on our Facebook page that were so complimentary on the race. It was also measured in the faces of my in-laws and parents that have lost children to this tragedy or any other tragedy but wanted to be there to share their experience with others who can relate.

Which living person do you most admire?

The American soldier.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Age: 35.

Family: Married, 3 boys, 1 daughter in heaven.

First job: TCBY Yogurt.

What I’m Reading: “I will Carry You” by Angie Smity.

Liked this movie: “The Help.”

Here’s how I relax: Being a Team Mom to my sons’ events and watching them play their respective sports.

As of today, surviving the death of my baby girl. Prior to that, it was Ryan’s Run. I’m happiest when...

I feel I made a difference in someone’s life.

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Travis Kemp’s furniture refinishing business, Wooden Nickel Refinishing and Woodcraft Inc., got its start in Kemp’s garage.

Travis Kemp

Owner, Wooden Nickel Refinishing and Woodcraft Inc. A dresser once slathered with pink paint looks like it just left the showroom.

An antique steamer trunk makes the transformation from abused to beautiful.

These are just a few of the furniture rescues that Travis Kemp has accomplished at Wooden Nickel, a Billings furniture restoration business.

He learned about furniture restoration during a five-year stint at Randy’s Relics, a Billings furniture and antiques store owned by Randy Vogel.

“Randy started me in the strip tank and I worked there for a year and a half,” Kemp said. Stripping involves applying stron“A good restoration starts with a good strip job,” Kemp said. “If the first step isn’t done right, you run into a lot of problems down the road.”

When more extensive repairs are required, Kemp will disassemble a piece of furniture into pieces and glue it back together.

Kemp learned about sanding, repairs and finishing techniques from his co-workers.

Vogel decided to sell the business, and at about that time Kemp decided to start his own business.

“I learned a lot about the business from Randy, and working

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in the garage was a good place to start,” Kemp said.

In addition to stripping and refinishing furniture, Kemp also offers less labor intensive forms of furniture repair. After learning painting techniques from an artist friend, Kemp can repair a cigarette burn or a scratch by using a fine brush and different shades of paint.

Kemp enjoys woodworking, and he would like to design and build his own furniture from scratch if he could. “But it’s too hard to make a living,” he said.

Kemp rarely encounters true antiques that are hundreds of years old. “Most of what we see would just be considered old furniture in some parts of the country,” he said.

Kemp has served on the School District 2 Board of Trustees since 2010. It’s been a learning, educational experience, he said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

Paying attention, listening and a lot of trial and error.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Time management.

If you could make one posi-

Age: 37 Family: Married, one child First job: Checker in grocery store What I’m reading: “The Reinvention of Work” Liked this movie: “The Bourne Trilogy” Uses this website a lot: iTunes Here’s how I relax: Grab the mountain bike and look for the nearest dirt trail. tive change for Billings, what would it be?

A bike trail that you can get all the way across town on.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

Asking new clients how they found me, word-of-mouth or advertising. If its word-of-mouth, I’m doing something right.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Trusting myself and (wife) Alma that we could start a new business that would provide for our family.

Which living person do you most admire?

My dad gave me my good work ethic gene.

I’m happiest when...

I’m in the middle of a good rebuilding project and my favorite music is playing loudly in the shop.

Shelby Jo Long Hammond, director of forensics and assistant professor of communication studies at Rocky Mountain College, first became interested in speech and debate while she was in high school.

Shelby Jo Long-Hammond Director of forensics, assistant professor, Communication Studies, Rocky Mountain College Sometimes prospective students who contact Shelby Jo Long Hammond are surprised to learn that her specialty at Rocky Mountain College is speech and debate, not DNA samples and fingerprints.

Many young people have become curious about forensic science, which is related to crime scene investigation, thanks to popular TV shows. Hammond sometimes has to explain that forensics also means the study and practice of formal debate. Hammond became interested in speech and debate during high school.

“It brought me to Carroll College. They had a fantastic program, and we were national champions during my senior year,” she said.

One of her students, Dan Johnson, is now coaching debate at West High. He’s one example of a student who used his skills in debate to overcome shyness.

“When you’re on a debate team, you have 15 immediate friends,” she said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I have followed my passion.

Debate has been central to my education, my career and my

social network. I began debate competition in high school and continued competing as an undergraduate student at Carroll College. As a “Talking Saint” I had the opportunity to travel and create a network around the U.S., competing and even winning a team national championship.

Soon after earning my master’s degree in communication studies at the University of Montana, debate brought me to Rocky Mountain College.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

As an educator, I feel my toughest challenge is connecting with every student. There are many different learning styles to adapt to in higher education. I strive to create a classroom environment that is conducive for all types of students to learn and apply the concepts in Communication Studies.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’d develop more dog parks.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in

Age: 34 Family: Married First paid job: Trail crew, fire crew for U.S. Forest Service, Clearwater Ranger District, Grangeville, Idaho.

What I’m reading: “Round Ireland with a Fridge” by Tony Hawks Liked this movie: “Inception” Uses this website a lot: CNN, BBC, New York Times Here’s what I do to relax: Exercise, cook play with my dog.

your job?

Success in higher education is indicated by our students’ achievements. If students are accepted to graduate school or develop successful businesses, we are successful teachers.

Which living person do you most admire?

My parents.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I consider each day an achievement. When I was 17, I was in a coma for 2 ½ weeks after a car accident. The brain injury I suffered required extensive recovery and rehab, but I worked hard to get back what I had as quickly as possible.

I’m happiest when...

I’m following my passions.

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Scott Mackney

National sales manager, Graphic Imprints One of the easiest ways for a company to build its brand and increase awareness is by placing its logo on shirts, baseball caps or promotional items.

Whether it’s handed out to customers or worn by sales associates, promotional apparel is big business. Just ask Scott Mackney, national sales manager for Graphic Imprints, a Billings company specializing in embroidered and screen-printed apparel and promotional products.

Mackney worked at Sutton’s Sportswear for 10 years before the company closed in 2009. In the three years since he joined Graphic Imprints, the company has tripled in size, growing from five employees to 15.

“After I left Sutton’s I still wanted to stay in the industry, and that led to Graphic Imprints,” Mackney said.

The promotional apparel industry is quite competitive. But Mackney says Montana still appeals to out-of-state customers who have either visited the state or

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have at least heard about its beauty.

“It’s good that they trust our company, and just the fact that they’re dealing with a Montana company. There’s still a mystique about Montana,” Mackney said.

Mackney works hard to build relationships with customers. “I dealt with them while I was working at Sutton’s, and I’m just lucky enough that they have stuck with me,” he said.

Mackney says high-pressure sales tactics aren’t his style. He prefers to emphasize reliability, and he always follows up on his promises.

“Obviously there’s a lot of competition in this industry,” he said. “You have to be reliable and price conscious. If you’re close to your competitor’s price, it’s about being reliable with your customer.

When I say I’ll have something for them tomorrow, I have it for them.”

Scott Mackney, national sales manager for Graphic Imprints, relaxes by fishing and hunting.

started in the “purchasing” department and worked my way into sales 11 years ago. I get to work by 6 a.m. every morning and work seven days a week most weeks. Sales is such a competitive industry, and you have to be prepared each and every day to keep up.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

I would say trying to repeat How did you get where you your success year after year as well are in your business? as continuing to grow our curI know it sounds cliché but really just hard work and dedication. I rent business. When I started at

Graphic Imprints we had about five or six people, now we have over 15.

Tripling in size in such a short time period always has its difficulties.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

I always strive to be the best at what I do and the hardest worker.

The best compliment you can have in sales is that your customers trust you.

Which living person do you

most admire?

My dad, he is an incredible man.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Graduating college. After my first year in college I was placed on academic probation and ultimately dropped out. I returned to college a year later and eventually graduated on the dean’s list.

I’m happiest when I’m...

Fishing on the Bighorn River

Age: 39.

Family: Single.

First paid job: Maintenance worker with the Billings Parks and Recreation.

What I’m reading: “Well Being”

by Tom Rath and Jim Harter.

Liked this movie: “The Fighter.”

A website I use frequently: espn.com.

Here’s how I relax: Fish and hunt. with my dad and nephews.

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Matthew McCleary is area operations manager for fracturing services for Sanjel Corp., a Canadian service company operating in the Bakken oil play.

Matthew McCleary

Area operations manager for fracturing services, Sanjel Corp.

Matthew McCleary says Montanans will soon be hearing more about Sanjel Corp., a Canadian company that has been operating in the booming Bakken oil play for more than a decade. Sanjel already employs hundreds of Montanans and will soon be adding more jobs, he said.

McCleary is Sanjel’s area operations manager for fracturing services. Modern technology has transformed the Williston Basin into one of the nation’s most prolific oil-producing regions.

“We’ve been in the Williston Basin for more than 10 years and we employ close to 500 people in the basin,” McCleary said.

Horizontal drilling technology allows drillers to turn the drilling bit from vertical to horizontal to maximize contact with oilbearing formations. After the well is drilled, it is “fracked,” which is shorthand for hydraulic fracturing.

In the process, sand and chemicals are pumped down into the hole at high pressure to open up pores that stimulate production.

“We’re able to go down there and create super highways for this oil to flow from the reservoir into the well,” McCleary said. As companies rush to develop the prolific Bakken formation, service compa-

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I February 2012

nies like Sanjel play an integral role in keeping the oil flowing.

The Bakken oil play has been a big story for several years, but exploration is starting to pick up in Montana.

“There’s some exploration going on in central Montana, but it’s in the exploration phase,” McCleary said. “With any luck, maybe activity will start to pick up in places like Winnett and Melstone.”

McCleary grew up in the Roundup area. His ancestors were ranchers and miners, and one coal seam is even named after the McCleary family. He went to work for Sanjel after graduating from Montana Tech with a degree in petroleum engineering.

“I wanted to stay close to the Billings area, and Sanjel was a very new company here,” he said.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

In Sanjel safety is always top priority. So promoting safety and keeping a positive safety culture is always a challenge when hiring new employees. Many of our new employees come from other industries that don’t always have the same safety culture. We work diligently through training to

Age: 30.

Family: Married.

First job: Ranch hand.

What I’m reading: “Decision Points” by George W. Bush.

Liked this movie: “A River Runs Through It.” Uses this website a lot: foxnews.com Here’s how I relax: Fishing.

Ian McDonald, a dentist at Pickens Family Dental, is also president of the ZooMontana board of directors. He believes things are looking up at the financially troubled zoo. He relaxes by cooking.

Dr. Ian C. McDonald General dentist, Pickens Family Dental

ensure that our employees have a safe work environment.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I want to keep working on expanding our business in Billings area so we can provide more jobs.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

Growth of our company is one way I measure success. In the last three years we have hired more than 700 employees in our U.S. business unit. We have hired approximately 100 additional employees in Montana alone.

Which living person do you most admire?

My grandmother Sue Olson.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Graduating college.

I’m happiest when...

I’m outside doing something with my wife that we enjoy such as fishing, hunting, working cattle.

ZooMontana suffered through a difficult time in 2011 due to financial problems, the loss of accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and a change in management. But Ian McDonald, a Billings dentist who is president of the zoo’s board of directors, believes better times lie ahead.

“It was a very stressful time for the zoo. But the board clung together and we got good advice about what to do, and we made some necessary changes to get things going,” McDonald said.

A new marketing plan is designed to reconnect ZooMontana with the community and build the brand. McDonald also has confidence in the new director, Jeff Ewelt, who genuinely likes Billings and is excited about the opportunity to run ZooMontana.

“The goal is to convince the public that the zoo is a necessity to the community,” McDonald said. “And once you can prove it to the community, it becomes a lot easier to approach the public for support.”

Dentistry runs in McDonald’s

family. His grandmother was one of the state’s first registered dental hygienists. His mother is a dental hygienist, and his father ran a dental office in Billings for about 40 years.

How did you get where you are in your business?

It was always in the back of my mind to follow in my father’s footsteps. I also knew I wanted to come back to Billings to raise a family and contribute to the community that gave me such a great experience as a child. My profession allows me to choose where I want to live, so Billings was an easy choice.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

The one positive change I would like to see is a stable financial future for ZooMontana, ensuring a top-notch educational and entertainment attraction in Billings.

Aside from profit and loss,

Age: 31.

First job: Bag boy at Hilands Golf Club.

What I’m reading: “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis.

Liked this movie: “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Uses this website a lot: gozags.com.

Here’s how I relax: Watch movies, cook, hunt, a little fishing, watch football, Gonzaga basketball. how do you measure success in your business?

The patients are the best barometer for success. If they are happy, then you know you have done a good job.

Which living person do you most admire?

My fiancée, Halley Montalban.

She is a rock.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

When I was a freshman in high school, my dad had a heart attack when we were out hunting. I’d only driven one time before that. I was able to keep it together to drive him to safety, where he was lifeflighted to Billings for surgery. He is still alive today because of me ... doesn’t get much better than that.

I’m happiest when...a case comes together perfectly.

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As a staff development coordinator at St.Vincent Healthcare, Cheryl Miller teaches nurses, residents and other medical professionals about scenarios they’re likely to encounter in the delivery room.

Cheryl Miller

Board certified staff development coordinator, Women’s and Children’s Services at St.Vincent Healthcare Cheryl Miller has been involved in the delivery of thousands of babies, many of them from high-risk pregnancies, during her career in nursing.

That kind of hands-on experience proved valuable when she decided to go into nursing education. With help from sophisticated medical simulators, Miller familiarizes nurses, residents and other medical professionals about scenarios and complications that they’re likely to encounter in the delivery room.

Miller has seen just about every possible scenario that occurs in the delivery room. Early in her career she worked in a hospital in south Texas.

“We did 600 deliveries a month there, compared to 100 to 120 a month here, so that was pretty high volume,” Miller said. “the world.”

As part of her job in Billings, Miller puts on educational seminars both locally and at area hospitals.

“The EMTs are the front line.

Most of them have only learned childbirth through a book.

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“Hal,” an infant simulator, and the mother, “Noel,” can be programmed to exhibit a variety of scenarios that occur in the delivery room.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I was an RN in bedside care in high-risk obstetrics in Vermont, Texas and Montana.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Making the complicated simple for nurses, providers and other health care workers to recognize OB/newborn emergencies.

Working with staff and providers to prevent system errors, teamwork and communication failures from occurring.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’d put Billings on the map for being a source of high-quality, high-fidelity medical simulation aimed at improving patient safety and teamwork.

Age: 37.

Family: Married.

First job: Certified nursing assistant.

Here’s what I’m reading: “The Checklist Manifesto” by Atul Gawande.

Liked this movie: “Up.” Uses this website a lot: www. awhonn.org.

Here’s how I relax: Hunting, fly-fishing, ice fishing, running, quilting, hiking, working out.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

It’s that ah-ha moment ... when a health care team member finally gets the specific skill or objective you are trying to show them.

Which living person do you most admire?

My husband.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I am hard of hearing. In high school my guidance counselor told me “Get real, you’ll never become a nurse, you can’t hear.” I am not only a nurse, but now I educate them.

I’m happiest when...

I’m with a passionate group of nurses, providers, EMTs or medical students.

Jim Nymeyer’s spiritual journey toward Buddhism also led him to Barjon’s Books, Music and Gifts, which he now owns.

Jim Nymeyer

Owner, Barjon’s Books, Music and Gifts Jim Nymeyer’s spiritual journey led him to Buddhism seven years ago. And as part of that journey he became an employee, a manager and eventually an owner of Barjon’s Books, Music and Gifts.

The longtime downtown business celebrates the diversity of culture by selling books, music and gifts that are designed to nurture the mind, spirit and body.

“One of the things that ended up bringing me to the store was the desire to do something for a living that I really felt made a difference in the world,” Nymeyer said. Barjon’s has been a part of downtown Billings since 1977, and Nymeyer knew former owner Barbara Shenkel.

“One night I had a dream that I needed to go see how she was doing,” he said. “I was in a place where I was at a crossroads with what to do next in life. She said that they were looking for somebody.”

Nymeyer quit what he was doing and began to work at the store, first as an employee and then as a manager.

“A couple of years ago in May, I ended up purchasing the store,”

Nymeyer said.

He was no stranger to business.

“I started working in retail when I was really young,” he said.

“My dad was in retail, and I started out sweeping stores and organizing fixtures, and I’ve had some managerial experience.”

Barjon’s also deals with alternative medicine, providing materials for people who are coping with illnesses or other issues.

How did you get where you are in your business?

Over the years certain people, believing in my potential, have taken risks in order to give me the opportunity to hone my skills, learn from my mistakes, and grow professionally.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Because I love what I do, it can be challenging sometimes to simply take a step back and give it some space.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

My goal is to provide resources that encourage inclusiveness,

Age: 32.

Family: Married, two children.

First job: Delivering newspapers.

Here’s what I’m reading: “Becoming enlightened” by the Dalai Lama.

Liked this movie: “The Matrix.”

A website I use frequently: barjonsbooks.com.

Here’s how I relax: Meditation. acceptance and a sense of community that celebrates spiritual and cultural differences.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

When people walk into the store, take a deep breath and express how much they appreciate having a peaceful and accepting place to come and just be themselves.

Which living person do you most admire?

My guru Chenrab Dorje.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Learning to trust intuition even when all logic and rational thought oppose it.

I’m happiest when...

I’m having deep conversations with open-minded people.

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As state manager for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana, Heather Ohs gets to help make children’s dreams come true.

Heather Ohs

State manager, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana When Heather Ohs waves her magic wand, dreams come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Last August, Jake, a 10-yearold Billings boy, traveled to Washington, D.C., to see how our government works.

In March, 5-year-old Michael traveled to Walt Disney World in Florida and met some of his favorite characters.

Ohs, state manager of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana, said generous donations from businesses and individuals, as well as the efforts of 60 volunteers, enable children’s dreams.

“We’re fortunate because people in Billings and Montana are very giving,” Ohs said.

“With each wish there’s a direct impact,” she said. “Lots of times, especially in small communities, there’s a ripple effect where people get to share in the joy and power of that wish. “ Eighty percent of the children served by Make-A-Wish Foundation live to adulthood. But the trips are memorable even for families that lose a child, she said.

Ohs became involved in nonprofits while attending the University of Montana.

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“I was an advocate for the university, and it exposed me to a lot of different sectors of our population,” Ohs said. “I really enjoyed volunteer work and found that to be the most rewarding and gratifying, where I felt the most sense of accomplishment. ” She worked for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for eight years, organizing a number of events that raised more than $500,000.

One year ago, Ohs opened Make-A-Wish Foundation’s first Montana office in Billings.

The organization serves children throughout the state.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

To identify each and every child that would medically qualify for a wish. Educating the community that we grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.”

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

For those who live in Billings to see the value in improving our schools, our infrastructure, like our parks and historical buildings.

Age: 35.

Family: Married, two children.

First job: Lifeguard.

What I’m reading: “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry.

Liked this movie: “Horrible Bosses.”

Here’s how I relax: Running outside, or eating ice cream.

The two activities tend to balance out one another.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

The wow factor. If the wishgranting experience leaves a child without words or with a wideeyed look of awe that spreads from one side of their face to the other, then we have done our jobs.

Which living person do you most admire?

My husband, David.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being selected from more than 60 applicants as the person to open and manage the first state office for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Montana.

I’m happiest when I’m...

Watching a college football game live and in person but also love to cheer from the couch. Go Griz!

Andrew Parent is an artist with Iron Ox Inc., which creates oneof-a kind metal work. “The whole basis of what we do is American craftsmanship,” Parent said.

Andrew Parent Artist, Iron Ox Inc.

If you scroll through the portfolio section on Andrew Parent’s website, www.ironoxusa. com, you’ll see dozens of photos of finely crafted metal fixtures and some amazing hardware. Sooner or later, you just might end up scratching your head and wondering, “How does he do that?”

“That’s really outdated,” Parent said when the subject of his website was brought up. He really would like to update the website.

But in reality, floating the Yellowstone River in his spare time has more appeal than tinkering with his website.

“It’s seven minutes from my shop to be motoring on the river,” he said.

Iron Ox manufactures oneof-a-kind metal work including light fixtures, range hoods, wall sconces, tables and sculpture.

“The whole basis of what we do is American craftsmanship,” Parent said.

When somebody comes to Parent with an idea, he does his best to make sure the client goes away happy. There are no corners cut, no scrimping on details.

“They have to get a lot more than what they’re paying for,” Parent said. “That’s made us

recession-proof.”

Parent has worked for a number of metal fabrication shops over the years, but about 10 years ago he realized that running his own business would be the best use of his talents.

“It’s unbelievable that I can wake up and go to shop class every day,” he said.

The building boom of the early 2000s has slowed in recent years, but Parent has been quite busy for more than two years.

How did you get where you are in your business?

On one side of our efforts are the many fine people who already dedicated their time and resources to build the infrastructure necessary to create a small business in our community. On the other side are the amazing patrons who see that American craft is still an indispensable asset to our culture and our future.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Staying right-sized. Success brings many temptations with it.

Humility is such an elusive principle. We are such a small part of a bigger picture.

Age: 38 Family: Single, one child First job: Mowing lawns What I’m reading: “The Somme” Liked this movie: “Band of Brothers” Uses this website a lot: McMaster-Carr Here’s how I relax: Being outside

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’d like to create a privately funded Performing Arts and Crafts Center.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

I wonder if each stone in the foundation of our business is laid on principles, or are they straw bales of short-sighted gains?

Demolition and remodeling is as ancient as bricks and mortar.

Which living person do you most admire?

My family.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The discovery that I am not the center of the universe.

I’m happiest when...

I’m sharing.

40UNDERFORTY

Marshall Phil Managing member, senior engineer, Blueline Engineering

Marshall Phil, managing member and senior engineer for Blueline Engineering, said the Bakken oil boom in North Dakota has helped his company bounce back after the 2008 recession.

Thanks to the North Dakota oil boom, engineer Marshall Phil has been a frequent passenger on the Silver Airways (formerly Gulfstream Airways) flight connecting Billings and Sidney.

To professionals working in the Williston area, that flight is invaluable, especially when you consider that a one-way ticket costs $75, Phil said.

Phil, managing member and senior engineer for Billings-based Blueline Engineering, said the Bakken boom has helped his company bounce back from a slow period that followed the recession of 2008.

“We’re working in the Williston area, and that’s helping out quite a bit,” Phil said. “We’re involved in a couple of commercial developments. We’re also involved in a well site used for disposing of salt water that’s produced by oil wells.

“You’re down 5,000 feet, a couple thousand feet below any aquifers that people are using, and you have to build it so that it doesn’t migrate into any other formations,” Phil said.

The level of activity in Williston 40UNDERFORTY

is no fluke, he said.

“There are more big-dollar things going on than you can shake a stick at,” Phil said. “Some people in Williston are selling houses and shop buildings to businesses that are willing to pay outrageous prices.

Land values have gone crazy.”

With so many people flocking to the boom, the biggest challenge can be finding a place to sleep when you’re working in the Williston Basin, Phil said.

“Our surveyor has been over there working. We got him a place in the small town we’re working in. The guy we’re working for has a doublewide that he lets us use.

The biggest challenge is finding out housing, whether you tow it behind you or find a place there,” he said.

As a kid, Phil always liked math, and the thought of working as an engineer appealed to him.

“I had a buddy whose older brother was an engineer,” he said.

“I was a number guy, and decided that going to college in Bozeman and studying engineering was what I wanted to do.”

As an engineer, Phil has to pay

attention to the numbers. But he frequently makes presentations to government boards when his projects are awaiting approval.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I’ve always had a desire to be my own boss and in charge of my opportunities.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

It is difficult to manage my days between running a business and being a productive employee at the same time.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would encourage developers and the city to construct building and road projects that focus on architecture and landscaping. The result is a visually pleasing community that we can be proud of.

Age: 37.

Family: Married, two children.

First job: Bus boy.

Here’s what I’m reading: “Unbroken.”

Liked this movie: “The Hangover.”

Uses this website a lot: I use the county and state sites for business. Personally I am using App Market for my phone more all the time.

Here’s how I relax: Going to the gym.

I have always felt that my job is rewarding. I get to design a project and watch it through to completion. Families move into new neighborhoods and businesses establish.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My wife and children.

Which living person do you most admire?

Any small business owner who has been able to prosper in their venture.

I’m happiest when...

I’m outdoors.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

February 2012

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Juli Pierce, senior deputy Yellowstone County attorney, credits her former professor, Dr. Georgie Ann Weatherby, with encouraging her to pursue law as a career choice.

Juli Pierce

Senior deputy Yellowstone County attorney Juli Pierce says her parents, both teachers, had a big influence on her when she was growing up in Billings.

While completing her degree in sociology and criminal justice at Gonzaga University, Pierce met someone else who influenced her career path: Georgie Ann Weatherby, a criminal justice and sociology professor at the university. ““She encouraged me to go to law school before I had even considered that as a career choice..”

After graduation, Pierce went to work at the Child and Family Services Division of the Montana Department of Health and Human Services because she still wanted to be involved in social work.

Working for the state gave Pierce valuable experience for the next stage of her career.

“I thought I could help children who were victims of crimes by going to law school to become a prosecutor,” Pierce said.

“I began my time at the office by working on the civil cases involving child abuse and neglect.

I moved to prosecuting criminal cases,” she said. “Thanks to my past and present supervisors, I am fortunate enough to be able to prosecute the cases that continue

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to be near and dear to my heart. I enjoy working with children and other victims who need assistance.”

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

It is a constant challenge to balance justice for victims in the criminal justice system with the constitutional rights afforded to offenders.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

Families need more access to housing and services in our community. Many children and their parents, especially low-income families and those suffering from chemical dependency problems or domestic violence situations, have little understanding how to find agencies and people that can assist them.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

Of course, I feel I am doing my job as a prosecutor when an abuser is held accountable for his or her actions. But I also strive to make victims’ experiences in the criminal justice system as positive as possible given the circumstances.

Age: 35.

Family: Single.

First job: Deli at Albertsons.

What I’m reading: “The Scarlet Letter” and “Water for Elephants.”

Liked this movie: “Bridesmaids.”

Uses this website a lot: Pandora.

Here’s how I relax: Teach Jazzercise, go to movies, laugh with my family and friends, watch college basketball, especially Gonzaga and Kansas, play with my bulldog Crash, and take road trips with my iPod on shuffle.

If I can restore a sense of safety to a victim and his or her family as well as protect the community in my job, then I am successful.

Which living person do you most admire?

That has to be a tie among my parents and Dr. Georgie Ann Weatherby.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Winning the Charles Z. Smith Public Service Student of the Year in law school (at the University of Washington), which was voted on by my peers.

I’m happiest when...

I’m at a Washington Huskies or MSU Bobcats football game.

A Minnesota Twins fan since age 9, Chad Raisland uses math skills picked up computing baseball statistics in his job as an engineer with Pioneer Technical Services Inc.

Chad Raisland

Billings branch manager-project engineer, Pioneer Technical Services Inc. Chad Raisland was just 9 years old when he became a Minnesota Twins fan. It happened in 1991, the year in which the Twins earned their second World Series title in five years. Kirby Puckett’s stunning game Countless schoolboys have honed their math skills by calculating batting averages and pitching statistics of their favorite players. Raisland liked numbers, and math proved to be a strong suit throughout his school years.

“In high school, one morning I woke up and decided that I would like to become an engineer,” he said.

While attending college at Montana Tech in Butte, Raisland received an internship at Pioneer Technical Services, a full-service engineering, environmental services, and construction management firm.

Engineers of all kinds were in high demand when Raisland graduated in 1998. “I believe our placement rate was something like 98 percent,” he said.

Raisland went to work for Pioneer’s Billings field office, and has made a good life in Billings.

How did you get where you are in your business?

A little luck, dedication, and having great people help along the way. My family, teachers, coworkers, and even clients helped mold me into the person I am today. From them I learned that hard work, self-motivation, communication, learning from mistakes, building relationships, and serving and supporting the community were great attributes for building a successful and happy life.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Staying up to date and understanding the complex, everchanging environmental issues we face in today’s world.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

With all the great organizations and groups within our community that work toward making a positive change every day, it is difficult to choose just one change.

If I could make one change, it would be the complete elimination of child abuse.

Age: 30.

Family: Married.

First paid job: Raising livestock for 4-H. What I’m reading: “Playing with the Enemy” by Gary W. Moore.

Liked this movie: “Happy Gilmore.”

Uses this website a lot: www. minnesotatwins.com.

Here’s what I do to relax: Anything that involves spending time in Montana’s great outdoors.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

We measure success by the percentage of return business, steady but controlled growth, and allowing employees to maintain productivity.

Which living person do you most admire?

My wife, Breyon.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Passing the Professional Engineer Exam.

I’m happiest when...

I’m out of cellphone range and spending time with friends and family.

40UNDERFORTY

Jason Ritchie Attorney, Holland and Hart LLP Right after high school, Idaho native Jason Ritchie toured a couple of Montana colleges that were interested in having him play football.

He decided against playi ng at the University of Montana Western.

“My high school coach had played at Western and he mentioned that they were interested in me,” Ritchie said. “Then my coach said there was a really good school up in Helena that plays at the same level.

“I went to Helena and spent about an hour with the coach,” former Saints coach Bob Petrino Sr. “At first I thought I would never play there.”

But then the phone rang and before he knew it, Ritchie had a full-ride offer to Carroll.

“My parents had never been to Helena, but I went to Helena instead of Moscow, and the rest is history,” he said.

Looking back, going to Carroll was the right call, he said.

“Carroll does a heck of a job academically,” he said.

40UNDERFORTY

After graduating with a degree in business administration, Ritchie went to law school at the University of Montana, and that led the way for his career at the Billings office of Holland and Hart LLP, where he has been for the past seven years.

Practicing law in a big firm can be demanding . But Ritchie learned a lot about hard work from his father, who runs a 3,000-acre farm at Eden, Idaho, just east of Twin Falls.

“He built a successful farmIdaho native Jason Ritchie, an attorney at Holland and Hart LLP, ended up in Montana thanks to a football ing operation from the ground up scholarship at Carroll College. so that his three children could go to college and become a teacher, a lawyer and a doctor.

My dad, Jim Ritchie. judicial system for Billings resiof service to my clients.

“In recent years, Dad has dents. shown an amazing amount of hard What do you consider your What’s the toughest chalwork and courage as he has battled greatest accomplishment?

Aside from profit and loss, lenge you face in your job? cancer on two different occasions My two children.

The constant adversarial nature how do you measure success in while continuing to operate the of my business and the stress that is your job? family farm.”

I’m happiest when...

When I develop relationships associated with conflict.

I’m at the lake with family and with clients that go beyond merely How did you get where you If you could make one posi- being their lawyer and into being a friends. are in your business? trusted adviser. tive change for Billings, what By staying ahead of the curve Which living person do you would it be? on developments and trends in lamost admire?

I’d provide better access to the bor and employment law and being

Age: 32.

Family: Married, two children.

First job: Shooting rockchucks on the farm for 25 cents a chuck.

What I’m reading: “The Confession” by John Grisham.

Liked this movie: “Rudy.”

A website I use frequently: www.slideshare.com.

Here’s how I relax: Wakesurfing.

February 2012

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Danielle Rossow, director of sales at Hampton Inn and Suites, diverted from a career path that appeared headed for banking.

Danielle Rossow Director of sales, Hampton Inn and Suites For somebody who grew up with banking in her blood, Danielle Rossow is enjoying herself in a slightly different line of work.

She’s director of sales at Hampton Inns and Suites in Billings.

Rossow seemed to be following in her family’s footsteps when she went to work at a Billings bank even before graduating from Montana State University Billings with a double major in marketing and business management.

“I worked as a teller and then moved up to personal banker, and then I went into auto loans,” Rossow said. “I thought I loved banking, because my dad is still president of banks in North Dakota. But I decided that I wanted to get into something different. I saw this job come up and I thought I should give it a try.”

Three years later, she’s still having a great time as the person in charge of booking meeting rooms and putting heads in beds.

“From the get-go, I was out meeting everybody, trying to get their business,” Rossow said.

“From then on we got repeat clients. We have 2,400 square feet of meeting space that we use for meetings, conventions, weddings and other gatherings.”

Rossow says sales suits her.

“I’m totally in my element.

Everything is about getting to talk

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to people every day, and providing excellent customer service.

She works to make customers happy, even when people aren’t always nice.

“I seem to thrive on that kind of stuff. I love helping people and make them happy.

How did you get where you are in your business?

My experience has been that the fundamental characteristic all salespeople share is an absolute belief and passion in the product or service they are selling. That passion infects customers and makes a major difference in the trust they place in the salesperson.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Why should people switch to a new company if what they have now meets all their needs?

That is the question that I hear quite often. That is when I have to step up and sell myself because I know I am selling the same service as everyone else, only adding a personal touch.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

A growing customer base is a sure sign that of effectively reaching your target market and reach-

Age: 30.

Family: Married.

First job: Dairy Queen in Beach, N.D. What I’m reading: “The Help.”

Liked this movie: “The Shawshank Redemption.”

Uses this website a lot: Facebook.

Here’s how I relax: Walking with my husband and dog, Reese. ing your target market is what it is all about. Over 70 percent of our guests are repeat guests.

Which living person do you most admire?

My brother, Joel. After 9/11, he decided to join the military because of his frustrations toward what had happened. Joel served three tours of duty between Iraq and Afghanistan over five years and moved his way up to a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne. On his third tour, he was badly injured and is now technically “disabled,” according the military.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

In the past three years the hotel has been open, we have won a Billings Reader’s Choice award each of the years: 2009 Best Hotel, 2010 Best Meeting/Reception Facilities, 2011 Best Meeting/Reception Facilities.

I’m happiest when...

I’m spending time with friends, family and our dog.

Peter Sanderson and his business partner, Devon Clayton purchased Cellular Connection last October.

Peter Sanderson Owner, operator, Cellular Connection Peter Sanderson and his business partner, Devon Clayton, have a combined 25 years experience in the cellular phone industry. When they got an opportunity to buy Cellular Connection last October, they didn’t hesitate about making the switch from employees to owners.

In the hypercompetitive cellular industry, it’s a challenge for many consumers to keep up with a dizzying assortment of products and services.

How does Cellular Connection compete in a highly competitive market?

“Customer service, hands down,” Sanderson said. Sanderson has sold cellphones and other electronic gear for most of his career.

“I was working selling electronics at Sears, and when Qwest Wireless opened in Montana 14 years ago, I sold them some home phone stuff for the business, and the manager hired me from there,” Sanderson said. Except for a oneyear break when he was involved in the mortgage industry, Sanderson has been in wireless ever since.

In national advertising, cellular companies like to tout their lightning-quick speed. But much of Montana is still catching up in terms of improving infrastructure.

“For technology, the biggest thing

for Montana is getting the speeds up. In Montana, the 4G network is still a year or a year and a half away,” he said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I have always been a selfdirected and ambitious person.

Sales was a perfect fit for me at a young age, because I like working with people so much. Through my dedication of serving the Billings community with quality customer service and a lot of patience, I was eventually given the opportunity to buy my business.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

My son is my number-one priority. I have to make sure that I make enough time to be a role model to him. The demands of being a business owner can be timeconsuming, so I am constantly striving for balance between work and family time.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

As I have said, being a father is my most important role. Thus, I value any activities in the community that can be child-oriented.

Aside from profit and loss,

Age: 32 Family: Single, one child First job: Washing dishes at the Golden Phoenix Heights What I’m reading: “Little Nut Brown Hair” with my son, and “Entre International” by Dave Ramsey.

Liked this movie: “A River Runs Through It” How I relax: Anything outdoors: boating, fishing, camping. how do you measure success in your business?

In two words: customer service. I measure my success by the numerous long-standing customers I have. I pride myself in having created business relationships with them that go beyond a sales pitch.

Which living person do you most admire?

My mom. She raised three sons on her own after my dad passed away in 1993. My younger brother, Jake, has severe cerebral palsy. She is a very strong person and we have always had her support and encouragement.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

I had concerns about being a single parent and a business owner. I have found that my positive attitude gets me through a lot and the love of my son was enough to keep me striving for my dreams.

I’m happiest when I’m...

Enjoying the outdoors 40UNDERFORTY

Shaun Seedhouse Financial Consultant, Thrivent Financial During college, Shaun Seedhouse’s friends often worried about what they would do with their lives after graduation. But Seedhouse had no doubts about where his career was headed.

Soon after graduating from Montana Tech, Seedhouse became a financial consultant for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

“It was interesting watching my college roommates stress about careers, but that was never a worry for me,” said Seedhouse, who went to work with his mother, Vicki Seedhouse. “I had seen her level of success and contentment, and it has worked out very well.”

Thrivent is a non-profit organization that gives away more than $100 million per year. In Billings, the organization gives away more than $400,000 per year to a variety of causes.

Seedhouse works with many Lutheran congregations and organizations , although you don’t have to be a Lutheran in order to be a client.

40UNDERFORTY

“I work mainly with small businesses and individuals,” he said.

The financial services industry is growing in part because most American companies have largely shifted the responsibility of retirement planning to their employees.

“It’s almost unheard of to see a new defined benefit (traditional pension) plan where the company takes responsibility for managing the money for retirement,” Seedhouse said. “More and more, when people retire, they have a 401(k), and they have to plan on how to best use their money. That’s where people like me come into play so that our clients don’t outlive their money.”

Financial consultants frequently continue their education after college. Seedhouse is a Certified Financial Planner and is working on a master’s degree in financial services.

How did you get where you are in your business?

Working with my clients at their speed and comfort level, while

Shaun Seedhouse is a financial consultant for Thrivent Financial, a non-profit organization that gives away more that $100 million per year.

giving them the nudge they need to better their financial lives.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

The biggest challenge in my work is not competing advisers, but instead flat screen TVs and Ipads.

Most people have the resources to succeed financially; my challenge is to keep their eye on their long-term goals and dreams.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would love to see an improvement in the relationship between our community and education.

What living person do you most admire?

My wife Julie, who is larger than life.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

My involvement in the lives of my step-children, Bryce and Nik.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job/business?

I’m happiest when I’m...

A client that trusts me enough to share my name with family or friends. curled up on the couch on a snowy

Age: 33 Family: Married, two children First job: dishwasher at a soup kitchen What I’m reading: “The Hunger Games” Series Liked this movie: “Drive” Here’s how I relax: Relax?

What’s that? day with a blanket and a fire.

February 2012

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Laura Simonsen

Program navigator, Easter Seals Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain Region Whenever a Montana child is diagnosed with autism, his parents’ health insurance company must pay for treatments that aim to help the child lead a healthier life.

That hasn’t always been the case. Prior to 2009, insurance companies routinely refused to pay for medically necessary autism treatments, forcing parents to either dip into their own savings or leave a child untreated.

Laura Simonsen ran into that roadblock a few years ago when her oldest son, Brandon, was diagnosed with autism, a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication.

“These are therapies that are necessary in order to help children,” Simonsen said. “Early intervention is the only way to help.”

Although Simonsen and her husband, Eric, managed to pay for the treatments that their insurance company refused to cover, she asked the Montana Legislature for help in remedying this problem so that other parents wouldn’t have to go through the same turmoil.

“We ended up paying for Brandon’s therapy ourselves, but we knew that wasn’t a choice for some parents,” Simonsen said.

The 2009 Legislature passed what became known as Brandon’s Bill.

Montana was the 10th state in the nation to pass this type of legislation, and Simonsen has been widely recognized for her efforts to help children with special needs.

Simonsen testified in favor of the bill, whose primary sponsor was Sen. Kim Gillan, D-Billings. It was Simonsen’s first foray into the

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Laura Simonsen, program navigator Easter Seals Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain Region, was instrumental in getting autism insurance legislation passed after her son was diagnosed with autism.

legislative process.

And Brandon is doing well.

He attends a regular classroom at McKinley Elementary and has many friends, his mother said.

“I can’t imagine where he would be today without the treatment,” she said.

Simonsen applied her dedication to helping children with disabilities into her current job with Easter Seals Goodwill. The organization recently honored here as Volunteer of the Year.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I learned a strong work ethic from my parents and grandparents. Currently, my motivation and drive lies in helping individuals with disabilities.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Although I am new to my current position, many components of this job I have been working on for several years. I really feel like the toughest challenge of my job is time. There are so many individuals with needs in our communities.

We are creating new programs, services and opportunities for the individuals we serve, but we have much more to do.

Age: 35.

Family: Married, 2 children.

First job: Dairy Queen.

Here’s what I’m reading: “Geography of Bliss” by Eric Weiner.

Liked this movie: “Christmas Vacation.”

A website I use frequently: Facebook.

Here’s what I do to relax: Put my feet up and enjoy a glass of wine.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I’d make sure that every individual with a disability would have the access to the services, programs and therapies they need when they need it.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

When a family comes to me and thanks me because I changed their lives for the better.

Which living person do you most admire?

My husband, Eric, he is such an amazing father, husband and architect. He works very hard.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

In 2009, I led the grass-roots effort to pass autism insurance legislation in Montana, SB234, nicknamed “Brandon’s Bill” after my son.

Jillian Stieg works as a speech and language pathologist for Easter Seals-Goodwill Pediatric Therapy Services. She was motivated to her career by seeing how excited children are when they overcome communication challenges.

Jillian Stieg

Speech/language pathologist, Easter Seals-Goodwill Pediatric Therapy Services, School District 2 Tears are bound to flow whenever a child has a breakthrough and overcomes a speech problem.

“When you hear a kid sing a song for the first time when they’re three or four, their parents are just crying. That’s what makes my job so rewarding,” said Jillian Stieg, a speech and language pathologist.

Stieg began thinking about her future career when she was 15 years old and attending Senior High.

“I always wanted to be a teacher, and I job-shadowed a speech therapist one day. She saw a little girl who was able to say her first “R” and that girl was so excited.”

Stieg returned to Billings after receiving a master’s degree in speech and language pathology from Arizona State University.

Speech therapists do more than help children overcome lisps, stutters or problems swallowing.

“It’s working with kids who have autism and kids with Down syndrome on a variety of issues,” Stieg said.

Speech therapists are in high demand. One contributing factor

is that more children have been diagnosed with autism, which affects a child’s ability to communicate, Stieg said. Speech therapists also work with adults who are recovering from a stroke.

Last spring the University of Montana graduated its first speech pathology class in more than 20 years. UM decided to revive the program in 2007 because many Montana children weren’t being served.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I am where I am today as a speech therapist because I absolutely love what I do. By loving what I do, I am able to learn more easily from books, co-workers and the children that I work with on a daily basis.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

I face new challenges every day at my job. Some days they are small things, such as dealing with a computer that crashes. Other days they are the more difficult things, such as counseling parents through struggles and helping

Age: 29.

Family: Married, two children.

First job: Selling concessions at Cobb Field.

What I’m reading: ASHA (American Speech and Hearing Association periodical) Leader.

Liked this movie: “Courageous.”

Here’s how I relax: Watching the 49ers with family. them cope with medical concerns and new diagnoses.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would teach the community acceptance and appreciation of individuals with special needs.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

When I help a child and his or her family succeed by talking, signing, playing or even making eye contact and engaging, I consider it a successful day.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

In my career, my greatest achievement was completing my education. Personally, I am proud to raise my two beautiful boys.

Which living person do you most admire?

My parents.

I’m happiest when...

I’m at home enjoying time with my husband and sons.

40UNDERFORTY

DeDe Stoner

Mortgage consultant, Guild Mortgage By most accounts, 2011 was a tough year for the nation’s housing industry. But DeDe Stoner, a mortage consultant for Guild Mortgage, had a good year and was recognized as a top producer.

Some homeowners took advantage of record-low interest rates and refinanced their mortgages during 2011. But the bulk of Stoner’s business was with people who were in the process of buying a home.

“I would say about 95 percent of my business is purchases,” Stoner said. “I don’t do a lot of refinances because I haven’t been in the business that long. Most of my clients have been locked in at really low rates, so it wouldn’t make sense for them to refinance.”

Stoner gives credit to others for her success last year. “I attribute that to great referral partners, and we have a great operations staff. I have to give the credit to everyone else.”

Stoner believes in going the extra mile for her clients.

“I believe in the golden rule.

40UNDERFORTY

You treat people how you want to be treated, and not simply as a business transaction,” she said.

So, is it harder to get a mortgage in the wake of the real estate meltdown of four years ago?

“It could be harder because you have to document your income and your assets,” Stoner said.

But home ownership isn’t necessarily out of reach for people who can’t afford a 20 percent down payment, Stoner said.

“There are still zero percent programs. You can get into an FHA loan for 3.5 percent down, or a VA loan,” she said.

Stoner also has a passion for shoes and scary movies.

“But they have to be good quality shoes,” she said. Regarding movies, she prefers those that mess with your mind and include a good bit of gore.

How did you get where you are in your business?

I started in the banking business when I was 19, got my college

DeDe Stoner is a mortgage consultant for Guild Mortgage. The bulk of her business is with people buying homes.

degree in finance, started in the mortgage business as a processor, worked my way up to an underwriter and took the plunge into being a lender four years ago.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Staying on top of all the changes in the industry.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what

would it be?

I’d bring in clothing stores for small-build people.

Which living person do you most admire?

My father.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

I measure success by how often my phone rings with referral business and how many hours I put into my work each week. .

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Earning the trust and respect of my business partners.

I’m happiest when ...

I’m extremely busy. I’m a workaholic. Plus, sitting by the ocean is pretty nice, too.

Age: 36 Family: Married First paid job: McDonalds at age 15.

What I’m reading: Varies between murder-mysteries and really good smut.

Liked this movie: “Paranormal Activity 3.”

Uses this website a lot: MSN, Google.

Here’s how I relax: Read.

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Jonas Vachal is president and CEO of Vertex Consulting Group, which had a record-setting year with the launch of private cloud and virtual desktop services.

Jonas Vachal

President, CEO, Vertex Consulting Group For Jonas Vachal, one of 2011’s highlights was recognition that his company, Vertex Consulting Group, is an industry leader.

Each year MSP Mentor, a comprehensive guide to managed service providers, compiles a list of the world’s 250 most influential providers. The results were released over a 10-day period, 25 per day.

“I watched the list for the first seven days and we weren’t in there,” Vachal said. “Then I got busy and wasn’t checking and a colleague from Florida called and said we had made the list.”

According to MSP Mentor’s website, Vertex has seen its monthly revenue grow by an average of 23 percent. Vertex had a record-setting year with the launch of private cloud and virtual desktop services.

“It was definitely a feather in our cap. It’s a big honor,” said Vachal, who started the company in 2007.

Vachal has been involved in technology for nearly as long as he can remember. “I do remember a time before we had the Internet at home. I was in junior high when my parents hooked it up. “Technology was always my hobby as a kid,” Vachal said.

After graduating from Rocky Mountain College with a degree in computer science, Vachal went to work for Computers Unlimited for

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seven years.

But Vachal decided that he would like to go into business for himself.

“I liked the job, but I had that entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.

How did you get where you are in your business?

It’s been a challenge over the last four years, but our success is very closely tied to both our people and to our commitment to our business plan. In this industry it’s very easy to get lost and overwhelmed trying to be a jack of all trades and master of none.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Managing customer relationships while triaging emergencies can be a challenge. Not unlike many others in the professional services industry I wear a “firefighter” hat most days.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would like to see more individuals and families engage with our local nonprofit organizations.

Billings has many nonprofit organizations that provide great value and services to our community, and they all deserve our support.

Age: 27.

Family: Engaged, one child.

First job: Bagging groceries, Columbus IGA. What I’m reading: “Fuzzy Logic.”

Liked this movie: “Se7en.”

Uses this website a lot: Microsoft TechNet. Here’s how I relax: Spend a week(end) in our fifth-wheel enjoying what our great state has to offer.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your business?

Professional success is like beauty — it’s in the eye of the beholder. I measure success based on the culture and relationships we have both internally and with our clients. We have an amazing culture at Ve Which living person do you most admire?

My mother. She is the most supportive and giving person I’ve ever known. She knew just which mistakes I needed to make on my own and when to intervene. She is the epitome of a great mother and best friend.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Myy son, Drake I’m happiest when...

I’m enjoying the hard-to-find but precious time at home with my fiancé, Tracy, and my son, Drake.

Former rodeo competitor Charles “C.B.” Wagner now works as a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch.

Charles “C.B.” Wagner Wealth management adviser, Merrill Lynch Rodeo has been one sweet ride for Charles “C.B.” Wagner. This skilled horseman won a state rodeo championship during high school.

He earned a full-ride scholarship to Montana State University, finishing fourth in the nation in calf roping and all-around during his senior year. After college, he even made a living as a professional cowboy.

Top cowboys earn big money, and they’re beloved by rodeo fans.

But after a while, Wagner started thinking about what he would do after his rodeo days were over.

“I woke up one morning in San Antonio. I had finished roping down there. I had thought that 20 years could go by in the blink of an eye if I don’t do something different,” he said. “So I came home. I met my wife and went to work for Merrill Lynch.”

Wagner has no regrets about competing in rodeo. But life has been good since he hung up his spurs.

“It’s an interesting lifestyle, but rodeo isn’t for everybody,” he said. “I didn’t want to be doing it at this age.”

Before going to work at Merrill Lynch, Wagner said he often had misconceptions about what financial advisers do.

“I thought they sat at their

computers and traded stocks all day,” he said. “But I’m an entrepreneur. I can relate to business owners, and I like helping them reach their goals.”

How did you get where you are in your business?

I would have to say that hard work, focusing on the priorities of my clients, and prayer is what propelled me forward as an adviser. I have also been extremely fortunate to be supported by my awesome wife and great business partners.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

Helping clients successfully manage their emotions so that they can make wise decisions regarding their finances and investments — in good times and difficult times.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

I would continue to encourage fathers to be active in the lives of their spouses and children. I believe that most of the issues facing our city and world today don’t need to be solved from the top down, but from the family up.

Age: 35.

Family: Married, three children.

First paid job: Unloading the produce truck and lunch fry cook at Fuddruckers.

What I’m reading: The Bible.

Liked this movie: “Lincoln Lawyer.”

Uses this website a lot: www. prorodeo.com.

Here’s how I relax: Hang out with my wife and kids, hunt, shoot and play golf. how do you measure success in your job?

I measure success by the success of my clients’ progress toward their individual goals. I figure that if I concentrate my attention wholly on helping our clients to be successful in meeting their goals that my success will take care of itself. I try to keep the mindset that life is not about me and what I want, but about serving others.

The result has been many close personal friendships, which is ultimately what I treasure most.

Which living person do you most admire?

Fred Nelson.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Receiving my Certified Financial Planner certification.

I’m happiest when....

I’m getting things done.

Aside from profit and loss, 40UNDERFORTY

Wayne Wilcox

Owner, Big Sky ATM/Lukas Seely Presents/Advanced Wall Advertising/ Drink Check Inc. When Wayne Wilcox decided to go into business for himself, he was looking for a way to improve his lifestyle.

“When I was working for a large corporation, it seemed like the more I worked the less I made,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox began investing in automated teller machines about four years ago. As Big Sky ATM grew, he began looking for a way to promote and advertise the business. That led to an offshoot named Advanced Wall Advertising, which places advertising TV screens near strategic locations such as cash registers in restaurants and motel lobbies.

But Wilcox wasn’t done cooking up businesses. He put his passion for stand-up comedy to work by teaming up with longtime friend Lukas Seely. Their company, Lukas Seely Presents, stages comedy acts, Recently, Wilcox has turned his attention to Williston, N.D., the epicenter of the prolific Bakken oil boom. He found a community

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that’s eager for the types of services that he’s providing.

“This was brought up to us by the Billings Chamber of Commerce,” Wilcox said. “ On his first day in Williston, Wilcox signed agreements to place his advertising screens in 10 locations.

“I’m going to make it a mission to go there on a monthly basis,” Wilcox said.

Wilcox enjoys the lifestyle of an Wayne Wilcox got his start investing in automated teller machines, and now his business has grown to include entrepreneur. strategic advertising and machines that allow bar patrons to test their blood alcohol level.

“I’m constantly changing gears.

One day I’ll have to go fill up ATMs. The next day, I’ll have to either What do you consider your Aside from profit and loss, Wall Advertising, I started putfocus on Advanced Wall Advertishow do you measure success in greatest achievement? ing, or Lukas Seely Presents, or the ting advertising screens above my Creating a business from your businesses?

ATMs and thought I should start Drink Check.” scratch.

For me, it’s making more free putting them in businesses as well. time without sacrificing income.

How did you get where you I’m happiest when...

What’s the toughest chalare in your business?

I’m working on business and Which living person do you lenge you face in your business?

For Big Sky ATM, I started incoming up with new innovative most admire?

For Advanced Wall Advertisstalling ATMs for local businesses. ideas.

Gary Ugrin, owner of Creative For Lukas Seely Presents, I wanted ing, it was starting a business that I Monograms. knew nothing about. to bring something fun for locals to do once a month. For Advanced

Age: 30 Family: Married, one child First Paid Job: Knife sharpener at dad’s business.

What I’m reading: “Rich Kid Smart Kid” by Robert Kiyosaki Liked this movie: “Pursuit of Happyness” Uses this website a lot: Facebook, Google, Yahoo How I relax: Hang with my family and watch our comedy shows.

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Camille Wilson works with patients as well as residents working toward becoming physicians as director of behavioral science at RiverStone Health and Montana Family Medicine Residency.

Camille Wilson

Director of behavioral health, RiverStone Health and Montana Family Medicine Residency An introductory psychology class set the stage for Camille Wilson’s career of helping others.

“It was the first class I ever took at MSU Billings and it was unique,” Wilson said.

After completing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Montana State University Billings, Wilson completed her doctorate at the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. She also completed a two-year fellowship as part of her training.

“Part of the fellowship is health psychology. I have an interest in exercise and emotional well being and how they’re tied together in stress management,” Wilson said. “The other part of the fellowship was medical education. I found out that I loved working with physicians.”

That training served Wilson well in her position as director of behavioral science at RiverStone Health and Montana Family Medicine Residency.

Wilson sees patients as part of her job. But she also gets a chance to work with residents who are on their way to becoming family physicians.

“I work with the residents sideby-side in clinics, and in different

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didactics or seminars that they need,” Wilson said.

In her clinical practice, Wilson feels a sense of accomplishment when patients make progress in improving their lives. “Ours is a unique program at RiverStone Health,” Wilson said. “It’s probably the only integrated health program in Montana, which means that a behavioral health provider is always there with a physician to help side by side, if needed. The idea is that the patient’s emotional health is just as important as his physical health.

What’s the toughest challenge you face in your job?

The lack of resources in the community is a significant problem.

Finding housing, food, means to pay utilities and affordable medical care are ongoing community issues. It is incredibly challenging to encourage diabetes management, exercise and healthy eating behaviors in someone who is unsure if he/she will be able to keep the heat on next month.

If you could make one positive change for Billings, what would it be?

Better bike paths and more

Age: 33.

Family: Single.

First paid job: Bagging groceries at Albertsons.

What I’m reading: “Bossypants” by Tina Fey. Liked this movie: “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy.”

Uses this website a lot: Foodnetwork.com.

Here’s how I relax: Yoga, meditation, reading and exercise. public transportation.

Aside from profit and loss, how do you measure success in your job?

I often ask patients what they are hoping for in life, and I frequently hear, “I want to be happy.”

Although this makes absolute sense from an overall perspective, every person defines happiness differently.

Which living person do you most admire?

Author and social activist Gloria Steinem.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Making change in my life even when change is not always comfortable. I have experienced several significant losses in my life. Most significantly, my mother died when I was 27. Although I miss her every day, her I’m happiest when...

I’m doing something outside.

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