Meet Our Thrive Team
Thrive currently employs 30 Montana residents, and benefits from the expertise of 12 dedicated Board Members.
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Want to find out more about Thrive? Contact us today!
Leadership Team
Virginia Hanson
Executive Director
×Virginia Hanson
Executive Director
Virginia Hanson works to engage stakeholders in strengthening resources for young people. To that end, she has spent her career creating student-centered school classrooms, launching new programs, and building networks of support so that future generations have what they need to be successful. She holds degrees in English from the University of New Hampshire and Portland State University and has taught in various K-12 and college settings, most recently ten years as an associate teaching professor at Iowa State University. Virginia lives in Bozeman with her husband, Graham Hanson, and their two teenage children.406.922.4264
Brittany Eilers
Director of Development
×Brittany Eilers
Director of Development
Brittany has a passion for working to strengthen families and provide opportunities for children. As a result, she has spent eighteen years working in the nonprofit sector and has served as an intern, an AmeriCorps member, a program manager and coordinator, and for the last several years, as a development professional. Originally from California, she has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Cal Poly and moved to Bozeman in 2008. Committed to donating her time, she volunteers as a board member for the Friends of the Bozeman Public Library, as a CAP mentor, and supports several other organizations in the region. In her free time she enjoys birding, reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and exploring Montana with her husband.
(406) 922-4242
Management Team
Cindy Ballew
Program Manager
×Cindy Ballew
Program Manager
Cindy was born and raised on the beautiful coast of Maine. She and her family relocated to the picturesque mountains of Bozeman three decades ago. Armed with a degree in child development and a wealth of experience in the realms of education and social work, Cindy has been a dedicated member of the Thrive team for over a dozen years. Her passion for making a positive impact in the community and her dedication to nurturing the growth of individuals and the relationship between kids and families and schools, keeps her committed to her role at Thrive.
Cindy enjoys her family and friends, her five young grandchildren, flower gardening, reading, being on the ocean, making rock art, and connecting with people.
(406) 922-4235
Maria Malloy
Program Manager
×Maria Malloy
Program Manager
Maria Malloy was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and made her way to Montana in 2007. She has a degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Social Work from Arizona State University. She loves her life in Bozeman with her husband and two wonderful children.
Lacey Bertram
Early Childhood Programs Manager
×Lacey Bertram
Early Childhood Programs Manager
Lacey and her family moved to Bozeman 10 years ago from the Flathead Valley. Lacey and her husband of 25 years have four amazing children, 2 Adult daughters and 2 boys in High School. Lacey enjoys camping, reading and hanging out with friends and family. Lacey has a degree in Human Services. Her previous social work experience includes working with young girls in a group home setting, and school based mental health settings. Lacey has worked as a Early Childhood Home Visitor and Parent Educator at Thrive in the past and is now the Early Childhood Program Manager.
(406) 922-4232
Administrative Team
Merrilee Glover
Financial Accountant
×Merrilee Glover
Financial Accountant
Merrilee is a proud flat-lander, originally from North Dakota. She moved to Bozeman in 1992 and loves everything it offers. She has a Masters of Professional Accountancy from Montana State University and practiced in public accounting for 17 years before moving to the nonprofit world. Her favorite thing to do in her free time is hang out with her family, husband John, daughter Amelia, and their many four legged felines, canines and equines.
Chris Gianuario
Operations Administrator
×Chris Gianuario
Operations Administrator
Chris moved to Bozeman with her husband and three kids in June 2016 after spending her entire life in California. She earned a BA with an emphasis in photography from San Francisco State University and previously worked at a government-funded non-profit as a Network/System/Web Administrator.
After her work with the non-profit, Chris opened and ran her own in-home childcare before moving to Bozeman.
When she’s not working, you can find Chris pursuing her hobbyist interests in photography, paper crafts, and letterpress printing.
(406) 922-4250
Chris Cisneros
Miscellaneous Coordinator
×Chris Cisneros
Miscellaneous Coordinator
Chris joined Thrive in 2018. She has a background in nonprofit management, advocacy and development. She has an MS in Human Services from Bellevue University and a BS in Sociology from Iowa State University. Chris resides in Nebraska with her husband and three dogs.
406.922.4236
Marketing and Development
Gwen Sullivan
Development Coordinator
×Gwen Sullivan
Development Coordinator
Gwen’s passion lies in the world of customer service, particularly in serving children and families. She is originally from Minnesota and moved out west after completing her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and International Studies from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
In her free time you can find her exploring the mountains, working on home renovation projects, practicing her pickle ball skills, and roller blading around town.
(406) 922-4239
School-Based Staff
CAP Program Team
Coordinating and supporting Thrive's CAP Mentoring program in Bozeman and Big Sky Public Schools
Ashley Myers
CAP Coordinator - SMS & BHS
×Ashley Myers
CAP Coordinator - SMS & BHS
Ashley spent her early years growing up in the Midwest (Iowa and Missouri) but spent the majority of her life in Tennessee. She made the move to Bozeman in 2021 after 4 years of visits.
Ashley started teaching in Metro Nashville Public Schools 12 years ago and taught third and fourth grades. She has her teaching certificate in PreK-8, Special Education, and English Learners K-12. One of her favorite programs was time spent directing Disney in Schools program for two shows, Aladdin and 101 Dalmations!
Ashley has traveled the world on numerous occasions and loves to be a part of new cultures and see new places. When she is not working you’ll find her outdoors hiking or trying something new, reading, spending time with friends and family, involved with her church, or hanging with her incredibly adorable cat, Xavier.
(406) 922-4247
Darby May
CAP Coordinator - GHS & CJMS
×Darby May
CAP Coordinator - GHS & CJMS
Darby grew up in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and attended MSU where she graduated with a BS in Social Studies Secondary Education. During her college career, she got to know the Bozeman educational community through volunteering and working in the nonprofit sector. After a student teaching opportunity that took her to New Zealand, Darby returned home to Colorado for a short season to live out a long awaited dream of working as a ski instructor. Before long, Darby couldn’t deny the tug she felt to return to Bozeman for serendipitous encounters with friends around town and the ability to ride a bike most anywhere. Outside of work, Darby fills her cup by planning and partaking in backpacking trips and international travel, skiing, redesigning her living space, and biking.
(406) 922-4244
Ramy Mehta
CAP Coordinator - Big Sky
×Ramy Mehta
CAP Coordinator - Big Sky
Ramy moved to Big Sky from Minnesota in 2019 when her last child (number 4) left for college. Her training is in Mathematics, but she has always had a keen interest in education, being the daughter of a teacher. She has worked in the healthcare industry as a data scientist, as an education support professional in the public school system and has most recently volunteered as a CAP mentor.
In her spare time, Ramy likes to hike, camp, ski (both downhill and nordic) and read. She also serves on the board of the Big Sky Community Library as treasurer.
(406) 922-4238
Sophia Fortunato
Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
×Sophia Fortunato
Volunteer Engagement Coordinator
Sophia moved to Bozeman in summer of 2022 as an AmeriCorps VISTA. She fell in love with the area and the community she found here and chose to stay. She is excited that working at Thrive is now a part of her life here and looks forward to continuing to contribute to the community as the Volunteer Engagement Coordinator.
Sophia graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 with majors in Women’s & Gender Studies and Psychology. She is originally from outside Boston, Massachusetts and is forever a New Englander no matter where she is living.
Outside of work she can be found climbing at Spire, cooking for friends, or hosting a weekly poetry open-mic in town.
406) 922-4256
Parent Liaison Team
Supporting parents in Bozeman public elementary and middle schools
Betsy Pufahl
Parent Liaison - Chief Joseph Middle School
×Betsy Pufahl
Parent Liaison - Chief Joseph Middle School
Betsy Pufahl graduated with her MSW from University of Kansas in 2005 and has worked with children and families in many settings since that time. Originally from Montana, Betsy and her family returned to the area in 2016 after 13 years in Nashville, TN. Betsy is thrilled to be back in Big Sky country and enjoys reading, sewing, running, hiking and camping with her family in and around the Bozeman area.
(406) 922-4237
Mayra Domínguez Lindberg
Spanish Speaking PL
×Mayra Domínguez Lindberg
Spanish Speaking PL
Mayra graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a BA in Spanish for Secondary Education. She taught Spanish and English as a Second Language for 8 years at the Washoe County School District. Recently she taught small group Spanish classes to children ages 3-13 and to students at Cottonwood Elementary and at Lamotte School.
Mayra is originally from El Salvador. She moved to the United States when she was 15 years old to be reunited with her mother. Mayra had very limited knowledge of the English language and she is deeply thankful to her ESL teachers for helping her navigate a new culture and a new educational system and for supporting and guiding her as she pursued a college education.
Mayra, her two sons, and husband moved to Bozeman in 2015 and are absolutely in love with the community and beautiful nature that surrounds the area. Mayra loves reading, hiking, traveling, and connecting with people.
(406) 219-0002
Ashley Mares Jones
Parent Liaison - Sacajawea Middle School
×Ashley Mares Jones
Parent Liaison - Sacajawea Middle School
Ashley has a social work background from the University of Missoula – GO GRIZ! She has two sons and a new (old) farm in Churchill. Ashley loves to hike and backpack with her llamas.
(406) 922-4230
Thrive Liaison Team
Coordinating Thrive's CAP Mentoring program and supporting parents in all Bozeman public elementary schools
Elizabeth Stewart
Thrive Liaison - Longfellow Elementary School
×Elizabeth Stewart
Thrive Liaison - Longfellow Elementary School
Originally from Illinois, Elizabeth has lived in Montana for 22 years. She graduated from MSU with a BS in Community Health. Elizabeth worked for seven years supporting children and families in a CSCT (Comprehensive School and Community Treatment) program in the Belgrade School District. In her free time, Elizabeth loves to hike, garden, travel, and spend time with her family.
(406) 451-7264
Kaylee Triemstra-Gonzalez
Thrive Liaison - Irving Elementary School
×Kaylee Triemstra-Gonzalez
Thrive Liaison - Irving Elementary School
Kaylee was born and raised in Bozeman. She has a degree in Spanish Teaching from MSU, and used her Spanish to support the English Learners in the Bozeman School District for the past few years.
In her free time, she loves to hike, find adventures outdoors with her girls, cook, and read.
(406) 451-0674
Andrea Lawrence
Thrive Liaison - Hawthorne Elementary School
×Andrea Lawrence
Thrive Liaison - Hawthorne Elementary School
Andrea grew up in Missoula but made her way to Bozeman to attend MSU where she graduated with a BS in Applied Psychology. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Social Work through the University of Montana to advance her education to better support kids and families in her community. As a student, Andrea was the assistant to the director of MSU’s Women’s Center, volunteered as a CAP mentor, and was most recently as Thrive’s intern.
When she’s not working, you will find Andrea cross-country skiing, reading, working on a quilt, spending time with friends and of course her cats, Louis and Hugh.
(406) 922-4248
Melissa Stanley
Thrive Liaison - Emily Dickinson Elementary School
×Melissa Stanley
Thrive Liaison - Emily Dickinson Elementary School
Melissa grew up splitting time between Maine and Wyoming, where she continues to direct a camp for teenagers in the summertime. She feels lucky to say both places taught her a love for community and the outdoors and she continues to center her life around those two things. She officially moved west in 2007 and to Bozeman in 2008. She lives with her husband, two energetic sons, and a plethora of animals. They seize every opportunity to explore the mountains together, whether it’s on horseback, foot, or skis. She believes the outdoors have a healing capacity and is grateful to live in such a beautiful, community oriented place.
(406) 922-4231
Sara Friedman
Thrive Liaison - Whittier Elementary School
×Sara Friedman
Thrive Liaison - Whittier Elementary School
Sara is a native of New Jersey, something she owns with pride! However she feels most at home in the vastness of the western landscape, romping around in the mountains, which makes Bozeman a perfect fit. Sara has been in education, teaching in various capacities, for all of her adult life. Sara’s three children have been her greatest teachers and continue to inform and inspire her work with students and families. In Sara’s free time she likes to read, watch TV miniseries, hike, run, ski, and spend time with her family.
(406) 922-1620
Kate Lambert
Thrive Liaison - Saddle Peak Elementary
×Kate Lambert
Thrive Liaison - Saddle Peak Elementary
Kate graduated from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She spent the last four years switching between teaching kindergarten and first grade students in Illinois, Indiana, and Montana. She is excited to make the career change to working for Thrive as a Liaison.
Kate is originally from the city suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She moved around a lot as a child, but ultimately ended up in Illinois, where her family is from, for her early adult years. In 2022, her and her fiancé moved to Belgrade, Montana to live the Montana dream. They enjoy snowmobiling and dirt biking, while also balancing life with indoor activities such as playing games, cooking, and crafting.
(406) 551-9220
Helena Mancey
Thrive Liaison - Meadowlark Elementary School
×Helena Mancey
Thrive Liaison - Meadowlark Elementary School
Originally from Colorado, Helena moved to Bozeman in 2019 to be closer to family. She has a degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University and has a background in social work and early childhood education. In her free time, Helena enjoys mountain biking, skiing, time with her family, travel, and cooking tasty dinners with friends
(406) 922-4257
Julie Kleine
Thrive Liaison - Morning Star Elementary School
×Julie Kleine
Thrive Liaison - Morning Star Elementary School
Julie is a transplant from the East Coast, but has been in Bozeman for over 20 years now. Julie was drawn here by the fabulous outdoor recreation opportunities and small town vibe. Then stayed because it’s a great place to raise a family. She has three children in Bozeman schools and a husband who teaches building science. Julie most recently worked in Children’s at the Bozeman Library. When not working she enjoys mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, skiing (all kinds!), river paddle boarding, and quiet time in nature as well as listening to good music and hanging out around the campfire.(406) 922-4245
Libby Hansen
Thrive Liaison - Hyalite Elementary School
×Libby Hansen
Thrive Liaison - Hyalite Elementary School
Libby is a Bozeman native and received a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University. After spending some time in Illinois and Wyoming, she recently moved back to Bozeman with her husband. When Libby isn’t working, you can find her fly fishing, skiing, hiking, reading, cooking or traveling to see her children and grandbabies scattered across the United States.
(406) 922-4234
Parent Programs
Partnership Project Team
Shaina Chepulis
Family Support Worker
×Shaina Chepulis
Family Support Worker
Shaina is a Montana native – Go Bobcats! She graduated from Montana State University-Billings with a double major in elementary and special education. Shaina has worked with a variety of people most of her working life. She enjoys spending time with her 2 boys, husband and friends. She loves being outside, camping, and reading.
(406) 922-4251
Katie Arnold
Family Support Worker
×Katie Arnold
Family Support Worker
Katie Arnold graduated with a BA from Boston College and has spent over 20 years working with families in a variety of settings. She relocated from Boston in 2009 with her family and enjoys all that Bozeman has to offer.
(406) 922-4261
Board of Directors
Thrive's Board of Directors bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to our organization. Each board member is a volunteer and commits to serve a 3-year term.
Mark Lasswell
Chair
×Mark Lasswell
Chair
I am a Civil Engineer by education and profession. I spent the majority of my career with a large, international consulting engineering, construction and operations/management company. I migrated from early technical and project management roles, to the overall leadership and management of $500+million annual revenue major business segments within this company. My career was unique, compared to many engineers, because I focused a lot of my attention on strategic planning for my business and the entire company, was active in marketing and sales, and company wide leadership development. I served on the company’s Board and was part of the executive leadership team. My last assignment was the CEO of a family owned business in the rental, construction and transportation business.
As I reflect on my career my fondest memories are associated with the many people I had the opportunity to mentor and coach to help them maximize their personal and professional satisfaction and success. I continue coaching many of these people into my retirement.
Lauren Brendel
Vice Chair
×Lauren Brendel
Vice Chair
Lauren Brendel is a strategic health care communications and marketing leader, currently working with Connections Health Solutions. She previously oversaw marketing and communications for Bozeman Health. Prior to her move to Montana, Lauren held marketing and communication roles in large healthcare systems in Colorado, California, and Florida.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, emphasis in marketing, from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, and a Master of Science in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University.
Lauren is an avid reader, hiker, and traveler, and lives in Bozeman with her husband, bonus kiddo, and a 15-year-old Chihuahua mix, Chloe.
Shann Scott
Treasurer
×Shann Scott
Treasurer
Shann Scott was born and raised in Billings, MT. He moved to Bozeman in 2006 and earned his Finance and Economics degrees from Montana State University in 2009. Shann has been working at First Interstate Bank since 2007 in various capacities. He recently moved back from a 3 year stint in Red Lodge, MT and is currently serving as a commercial lender in the Bozeman market. Shann and his wife, Jessica, have two children, Charlotte and Camden.
Bailey Evans
Board Member
×Bailey Evans
Board Member
Bailey’s life and livelihood are built on a foundation of family, education, and athletics. While at the University of Montana, Bailey sought out as many different courses as she could to get a taste of everything—she was insatiable. When Bailey landed on Neuropsychological research as well as Anatomy & Physiology, she was hooked. She zeroed in on her passion: how the body and the brain function and how we can take that knowledge to improve our lives. From that, Bailey found a renewed sense of purpose within athletics and yoga. Slowly, all of those passions created the amalgamation that became her clear direction in life. At the base of all of that is a continued desire to learn, to help share her knowledge, and to encourage others to stay curious.
Robin Patterson
Board Member
×Robin Patterson
Board Member
Robin grew up in Grand Junction, CO and attended Stanford University, where she gained a BA in Human Biology and an MA in Education before going on to become a classroom teacher for seven years. She is a full-time mother of two who also dedicates some time towards being a classroom volunteer. In the current chapter of her life, she is dialing up her involvement with organizations like Thrive that align with her background and education; she is passionate about enabling kids and helping them to construct a solid platform from which they can launch a meaningful, purposeful, happy life.
Outside of work, Robin loves the outdoors, yoga, reading, adventurous travel and spending time with her family and friends. She is the Founder of LRN Happiness and the creator of the Pursuit of Happiness curriculum.
Troy Couture
Board Member
×Troy Couture
Board Member
Troy graduated with a BS in Psychology from North Dakota State University and then attended Medical School and Pediatric Residency at the University of Minnesota. He practiced Pediatrics in a rural resort town in northern Minnesota for 13 years. In 2016 his wife and 2 children made the move to Bozeman to find new adventure and enjoy the outdoors. Troy continues his work as a Pediatrician at Hatch Pediatrics. Troy enjoys sports, travel and many outdoor activities.
Alex Dabney
Board Member
×Alex Dabney
Board Member
Alex was born and raised in Bozeman. After graduating from Saint Mary’s College of CA with a BA in Communications, Alex began his career in the solar industry in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2014, Alex and his wife Mallory decided to move back to Bozeman where he would start his career in personal wealth management as a Financial Advisor with D.A. Davidson & Co.
At D.A. Davidson, Alex joined the advisory practices of Jim Webster, Brian Brown and his father, Page Dabney. When Page retired from the firm in 2020 Jim, Brian and Alex created the Bozeman Wealth Management Group Advisors with D.A. Davidson & Co. The team specializes in working with multi-generational families, individuals and non-profits on managing investments and personal finances.
As a Bozeman native, Alex continues to enjoy all the outdoor activities he grew up with. He and Mallory have two children.
Aimee Chang
Board Member
×Aimee Chang
Board Member
Aimee Chang works in partner operations at Greenhouse Software. She is a Certified Salesforce Administrator and an amateur baker of bread. Aimee lives in Bozeman, MT with her history-loving husband, energetic son, and skittish pup.
Maria Ippolito
Board Member
×Maria Ippolito
Board Member
Maria moved to Bozeman from the Boston area when her daughter Laura stayed in Bozeman upon graduating from MSU. After visiting Montana for 7 years, the pandemic made her and her husband John question living a great distance from their children. Their son Michael lives in NYC and while they find the city a fun place to visit, it is not where they choose to live. Maria holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MS in Industrial Engineering, both from Purdue University. The majority of her career has been in high-tech sales and sales management for leading technology and life sciences companies. John invests and consults in optics companies, where Bozeman is one of the growing optics tech centers in the US. Maria has been involved in leadership roles in supporting youth and family focused nonprofits for decades. She and John love the outdoor, active lifestyle of Montana and enjoy skiing at Big Sky, hiking, golfing, biking, and have recently been bitten by the fly fishing bug.
Tim Tripp
Board Member
×Tim Tripp
Board Member
Tim Tripp is an accountant by training whose career began at a large public accounting firm in Boston followed by a shift to teaching outdoor education at National Outdoor Leadership School in Wyoming. Upon moving to Bozeman in 2000, he was finally able to combine his love for the outdoors and accounting skills as Director of Finance at Simms Fishing Products. Tim then became a Partner/CFO for over 14 years at Oboz Footwear with a focus on Finance, Operations, Human Resources, and Administration.
Tim is married to fiction writer Christy Stillwell and they have two children, Nora and Crosby, both of whom attended Bozeman public schools. When Tim’s kids attended Whittier School in Bozeman, Tim was Treasurer of the Whittier School Parent Advisory Committee.
Tim loves to read, hike, ski, search for swimming holes, and spend lots of time with family and their two dogs.
Adam Callinan
Board Member
×Adam Callinan
Board Member
Adam Callinan has spent nearly two decades as an entrepreneur, building businesses in eCommerce, consumer products, technology, and medical devices. Most recently Adam was co-founder and CEO at BottleKeeper®, the fast-paced and sarcasm-infused INC1000 consumer brand that aired on Shark Tank in 2018 and was acquired by the private equity group Wind Point Partners/RTIC Outdoors in 2021 as an 8-figure revenue company with just 4 employees. He is now focused on using his time and experience for impact as well as to help fellow founders in startup, early, and growth stage consumer businesses. His latest venture, Startup2Scale (S2S), is a software solution that helps early stage companies bridge the information gap between operational and marketing efficiencies.
Adam was born and raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, then went to earn a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Arizona and lives in Bozeman with his wife, Katie, and their two little ones Vivienne and Landon. Fun fact: Adam and Katie met in college at a local bar called Dirtbags!
Adam lives for his family, but also enjoys hiking, hunting archery, skiing/snowboarding and pretty much anything in the Montana outdoors.
Sarah Hays
Board Member
×Sarah Hays
Board Member
Sarah Hays is a Bozeman native and proud MSU Bobcat. For the last twenty-nine years she has worked for the Bozeman Public School where she spent sixteen years as a high school English teacher and the last thirteen in administration. Currently, she is the principal at Emily Dickinson Elementary.
Sarah and her husband Rich have three children. In addition to spending time with her family, Sarah enjoys reading, and a variety of outdoor activities.
Thrive Volunteers
Thrive would not exist without the support of our outstanding volunteers. Volunteers work within programs coordinating events, helping participants and providing community outreach.
CAP Mentors
Mentors with the Child Advancement Project commit to working one-on-one with school aged children.