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.

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.

Lauren Brendel, M.S., is committed to the health and well-being of the community in which she serves and lives. Lauren currently has the honor of being the system director of marketing and communications for Bozeman Health, an integrated healthcare delivery system that is proud to be Southwest Montana’s healthcare provider of choice. 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’s of science degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University.

Lauren is an avid reader, hiker, and traveler, and lives with two rescue dogs: Chloe, a nine-year-old Chihuahua mix, and Griswold, a 12-year-old Husky Collie mix.

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.

Gordon has spent his career working in schools with young adolescents and the adults who serve them. After teaching in Washington state and overseas for 19 years, he has been a middle school administrator since 2002. Returning to Montana where he was born and raised, Gordon has had the privilege to serve as principal at Sacajawea Middle School since 2008. He welcomed the opportunity to return home, raise his two sons, and enjoy life in Montana with his wife who is also an educator in the Bozeman schools. When possible, he takes advantage of the opportunity to bike, hike, ski, and fish in the Gallatin Valley.

Bruce Jacobs moved to Bozeman in 2010 with his wife Kristi and their daughter and son, Taylor and Ryan. They moved to Bozeman to focus on their family after Bruce had spent over a decade practicing at large law firms in Los Angeles. They thoroughly enjoy the more grounded lifestyle of Bozeman, with Kristi teaching at Hawthorne Elementary. He is interested in Thrive because of its focus on the two most important things in his life – children and parenting.

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.

Alex was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and attended college at Indiana University Bloomington where she earned her B.A. in East Asian Languages and Cultures, specializing in Japanese Language. She also earned a Minor in Sociology. After Graduation, Alex drove to the mountains of Wyoming before making her way to Bozeman, Montana in 2013. Alex has loved Thrive for almost a decade and was thrilled to join the board in January of 2022. Outside of work, Alex enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, laughing outdoors with friends, and going fast in the mountains, whether on foot or on horseback.

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 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 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.