Board & Staff

Aaron Clausen is rooted in Montana and passionate about the well-being of its natural resources and all that they provide. Originally from South Dakota, Aaron has worked as an ecologist and conservation biologist on private lands in Montana for the past 10 years. He currently works with ranchers and other groups on agricultural financial and ecological sustainability as a Manager for the World Wildlife Fund. He lives in Bozeman with his wife Sonja and their furry cohort.

Robin grew up in northern New England surrounded by agricultural, logging, and fishing communities. At an early age, she learned about the multitude of environmental problems that had been created by human society. Motivated by concerns over water quality, fisheries declines, and food availability, Robin pursued environmental studies and natural resources degrees at the University of Vermont (UVM). While at UVM, Robin came to understand that she had a love for rivers and realized that her heart was in the West, and soon moved to Colorado, where she found more challenging skiing and completed her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology at Western Colorado University. After spending 13 years in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado, Robin headed to northern Utah to earn a Master’s of Science from Utah State University, with an emphasis in aquatic ecology. She went on to spend several years helping the Bureau of Land Management implement their Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) strategy by running and training field crews around the western United States. In 2018, Robin found her way to Montana, where she has been working to conserve, protect, and restore wetlands, streams, and rivers throughout Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming ever since.

Robin lives in Stevensville, MT, with her partner and five step-daughters. They have five Labrador Retrievers, a myriad of farm animals, and enjoy spending time skiing, gardening, and being in the mountains.

Hannah Riedl is the section supervisor of the Nonpoint Source and Wetlands Program at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. She has been with the program since 2017 and the work includes monitoring project effectiveness and partnering with local organizations to implement water quality improvement projects. She has a B.S. in Restoration Ecology from the University of Montana, a M.S. in Ecology from Colorado State University, and lives in Helena, MT. She also serves on the board of the Helena Ultra Runners League, so it goes without saying that she loves time on the trails.

Mr. Smith is a Water Quality Regulatory Specialist for The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. After graduating from the University of Montana he began his career as a Fisheries Biologist.  After 10 years there he tried out being Program Manager for the tribes Wetlands. That was short lived when he moved to his current position after two years.  He has been working with the Tribes Natural Resource Department since 2003. Born in Missoula, MT and Graduated from the University of Montana. He will be attending the University of Gonzaga in the summer of 2022.

Shelby Weigand is the Riparian Connectivity Manager for the National Wildlife Federation’s Western Water Program. Originally from central Montana, Shelby has worked in the conservation space across the West and internationally with a focus on collaborative conservation and innovative restoration practices. Shelby currently lives in Missoula, Montana and works across the state both implementing riparian restoration projects on public/private lands and manages the Montana Beaver Working Group and Beaver Conflict Resolution Program.

Holly is the Executive Director of the Gallatin Watershed Council where she and her team are working to guide collaborative water stewardship in the Gallatin Valley. Holly has been working with conservation-focused nonprofits since 2006 in the areas of land and water conservation, sustainable agriculture, clean energy, climate change, and sustainable communities on both regional and national levels. She holds a B.A. from Carleton College. Holly lives near the Gallatin River in the Gallatin Canyon with her husband and their two daughters.