As a fifth-generation Montanan and outdoor enthusiast, Mary has long been connected to the lands and waters of Big Sky Country. She holds University of Montana degrees in business finance and economics. She began her career in the U.S. Senate and later for a housing organization in Washington, D.C. Upon her return to Montana, Mary ran a fishing lodge in the Blackfoot Valley. Inspired to further conservation efforts, Mary then went to work for The Nature Conservancy during their acquisitions of Plum Creek Timber land in western Montana. For nearly 10 years she managed land deals and served as the Government Affairs Director for TNC in Montana. Mary joined the PPLT staff in 2015 as executive director. Connecting people with conservation values and the outdoors in our urban communities is a key goal for Prickly Pear Land Trust and a personal interest for Mary.

An avid hiker, runner and outdoor enthusiast, Rachel fell in love with Helena after visiting in 2014. Drawn to the kind people, family-friendly community and beautiful nature, she and her family made the big move to Helena in the spring of 2020 to work for PPLT. She is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising and political fields. The first few years of her career she navigated the nonprofit and political worlds before she became a political fundraiser, working with clients from all over the world. After four years of intense travel, she decided to follow her passion for the outdoors and joined The Trail Foundation in Austin, Texas, as their Development Director. For six years she helped to grow and build the organization to meet the needs of the most visited urban green space in Central Texas. Rachel enjoys devoting her career to the outdoors, protecting natural spaces and encouraging people to go outside. A skilled communicator, Rachel thrives at being able to listen to input, facilitate, and creatively overcome challenges to achieve goals. As the Associate Director for PPLT, Rachel will oversee the daily operations and future needs of the organization.

A Pennsylvania native, Rebecca’s love for Helena and its wide-open spaces began when she was a little girl. She spent her summers visiting family in Montana and always felt a close connection to Helena, the people, and the beautiful landscape surrounding the town. Her dream of leaving the East Coast and calling Helena “home” became reality in 2015 when she was offered the Children’s Miracle Network Manager position at Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena, Montana. During her time at Shodair, Rebecca gained nearly seven years’ worth of experience in the nonprofit sector and helped grow the hospital’s fundraising through education, advocacy, and stewardship.

Because of her love and connection to the landscape, trails, and recreational opportunities around Helena, Rebecca jumped at the opportunity to join PPLT as the Associate Development Director. In this role, she will oversee the organization’s fundraising efforts and will continue to grow connections between PPLT and its community and statewide supporters.

Nate came on board as a PPLT trail intern in April of 2015 and currently serves as the Program and Trails Director overseeing PPLT’s Community Conservation program. He hails from a small town in western New York and studied geography and environmental studies at the State University of New York at Geneseo. The wild places called him west after graduation, and he spent some time working in Yosemite National Park where his passion for all things outdoors was fully realized. After implementing trail and conservation projects across California, from Big Sur to the Sierra Nevadas, and in the green mountains of Vermont to the coastal jungles of North Carolina, he found his way to Montana. You’ll find him with his family (and dog Mooka) out on the trails, in the woods camping, or out on the disc golf course.

Having spent an adventurous childhood backpacking, swimming and exploring in the Flathead and Swan Valleys, Travis is thrilled to be home, working in Big Sky Country. His long circle back to the state began with the study of languages and economics at the University of Montana. From there he traveled to Russia, California, Italy, and Namibia to work and study, camping along the way. With a wildlife and open-space career in mind, Travis earned a policy and economics master’s degree with a concentration in environmental affairs in Washington, D.C. He finally escaped the city and made his way home to the mountains in and has spent the last few years working on PPLT lands projects. In his free time, he is camping, running the trails or out with his wirehair hunting birds.

Kevin has a long career in land protection. Before joining PPLT, Kevin spent 20 years in conservation, working for the National Park Service, two Land Trusts in Colorado, and the State of Montana. A thoughtful, curious and motivated protector of wild places, Kevin grew up exploring the mountains of southern Appalachia. It wasn’t until after high school, when he spent working away in Glacier National Park, that he decided to dive head first into conservation. And of course, Kevin doubles as an accomplished nature photographer and likes to share his images at his gallery in downtown Helena. In his free time he enjoys exploring Montana and the western United States with his wife and daughter.

Renae is a Montana native and a dedicated wife and mother of five. With a deep love for the outdoors, she finds joy in hiking, running, yoga, and treasured family moments in Montana’s beautiful landscapes. Her academic journey led her to Carroll College on a basketball scholarship, where she majored in accounting and minored in business administration. The first chapter of her career was spent at Mountain West Bank, where she dedicated 12 years to the world of finance and business. However, her heart called her home to raise her family. Together with her husband, they owned and operated The Bagel Company in Helena for nearly 22 years, serving their community with delicious, handcrafted bagels and fresh roasted coffee. As her children grew, she re-entered the workforce with a new mission. She is deeply involved in the nonprofit sector, where she continues to make a positive impact on the community. Her journey from finance to entrepreneurship and ultimately to nonprofit work has been a fulfilling one, and she looks forward to the exciting opportunities the future holds.

Audra Shropshire came to Helena with her husband Bill Shropshire in the early 90’s to visit family. They spent their time hiking Mt. Helena, floating the Missouri, and enjoying local attractions. As Bill’s career progressed they spent more time in Montana and eventually moved here in 2012 with their children Ella, Maya, and Will. Audra grew up near the Great Lakes and spent most summers in the woods of The Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Her love for dirt roads, open spaces, and clear lakes was born there. She received her Elementary Education degree from the University of Wisconsin, minoring in Geography and Environmental Education. Her Master’s degree in Educational Administration came from Loyola University Chicago. Across 22 years, Audra has taught grades 8th,5th,3rd, and Pre-K With each age group she worked to get her classes outdoors. She taught third grade in a progressive school where each classroom had a courtyard for learning that backed up to a woodland park. Here she realized the benefits of nature’s classroom. She looks forward to sharing these discoveries and connecting land and people in the greater Helena area.

Tim has been doing trail work for nearly ten years. He studied liberal arts and history at Beloit College in Wisconsin, graduating in 2012. Since then he spent several of his trail seasons in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex with the Montana Conservation Corps and the Forest Service. He’s happy to be doing trail work in this great state, for this unique trail system. When he isn’t on the trails he is in the kitchen or on the porch with a book.

Sherry moved to Helena in 2017 bringing with her over 20 years experience in the conservation field including working as a Land Steward for the Deschutes Land Trust in Bend, Oregon and as a Natural Resource Specialist for the Winooski Valley Park District in Vermont. While she spent most of her childhood on the Great Lakes in Michigan, a brief stint in Colorado after college had her falling in love with the mountains. She and her family are happy to call Montana home now. Sherry will be splitting her time working as the Stewardship Manager for PPLT and for the Montana Natural Heritage Program as the Zoology/Botany Data Specialist. As the Land Steward in Oregon, she gained valuable experience working with private landowners, monitoring both Land Trust properties and conservation easements. In her free time, Sherry enjoys exploring Montana with her husband, daughter, and two dogs!

Emmett was born and raised in Helena. He attended Montana State University, where he was on the alpine ski race team and eventually became an assistant ski coach. He continued ski coaching with the Great Divide Ski Team, leading to a career spanning various roles in the ski, bike and trail worlds. He has been moving dirt and exploring and building trails since his high school years, when mountain biking was in its infancy. He and his friends explored old routes that had not seen much travel over the years and cleaned them up. Emmett says: “I feel very fortunate to live in a great trails community and to be able to cobble together a life that includes bikes, skis, trails and yoga.”

John moved to Montana from Colorado in 1977 when his father accepted a job at Montana State University. After graduating from Bozeman High School and MSU, John moved to Seattle, Washington to pursue a career in environmental remediation & consulting. In 2001, John decided he needed a new adventure, and enrolled at Seattle University School of Law. After graduating in 2004, John and his wife Leah and son Bridger moved to Helena so John could join the law firm of Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, PC, where his practice focuses water rights, land use, and environmental law. John became involved in protecting Montana’s open lands when he joined the Heritage Lands Working Group, an ad hoc committee established by the City of Helena, Lewis and Clark County, and PPLT to make recommendations to the L&C County Commission regarding options to preserve the county’s heritage working lands. John subsequently served on the county’s Citizens Advisory Committee on Open Lands, which provides guidance to the County Commission on the funding of conservation projects under the county’s Open Lands Program. When he is not riding his bike, John can be found skiing, backpacking, canoeing, or hiking somewhere in Montana’s public open lands.

Pam was born and raised in Townsend, Montana. It took only a short stint of city living to convince her that fresh air and wide-open spaces were a necessary ingredient for her happiness and success. She has been incredibly fortunate to live and work only 30 miles from where she grew up, surrounded by her large family. She is an attorney by trade and has had a wide variety of legal positions in both the private sector and state government. She currently serves as the Chief Discipline Counsel for the State of Montana. When not at work, you will find her with her family, Mark, Errol, Emma and Quinn and their two dogs, Piper and Daisy, hiking, boating, and exploring Montana.

Jill Lloyd is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The road to becoming a CPA is something she fought by exclaiming “I don’t want to wear a black suit and have people think I’m boring!” So in addition to her business classes, she enrolled in MTB101 and informed her parents she needed a mountain bike for school.

Professionally, Jill has spent her recent years working at professional associations. She has grown her expertise in nonprofit accounting, Federal grant management, human capital management, and lobbying regulations.

Jill became involved with Prickly Pear Land Trust (PPLT) when she attended a family hike hosted by PPLT. Her family of four still enjoys hikes, though 50% of the family would prefer to always be on a bike, 25% could go either way, and the remaining 25% is hiking only.

Jill is excited to join the PPLT board and share her professional knowledge, joy of community, and commitment to land conservation and accessibility for all.

Eliza first fell in love with Montana as a teenager, enchanted by the brilliant stones sparkling in the rivers (not at all like Pittsburgh’s), the unimaginable space and the smell of sagebrush. She came often to ski, fish and bird hunt, and finally moved to Helena in 1992. The move “home” to Montana was delayed by a BA at Wesleyan, an MBA at the University of Chicago, and a dozen years of desk jobs, mostly in finance. In Helena, she has been on the boards of several nonprofits including the Holter Museum and the Montana chapter of the Nature Conservancy. Eliza and her husband Barry Hood are thankful to have raised their son, Jack, in Helena. They continue to enjoy Montana’s outdoors most every day.

Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Nicole is proud to have had the opportunity to call Central Washington home. Nicole’s journey to Montana was driven by her thirst for any type of adventure and desire to be a part of a community that values relationships and hard work. After a few years in Bozeman as a young professional, Nicole and her husband Chance settled in Helena. Of all the places she has lived, Helena is her favorite town she has ever had the pleasure of calling home. Nicole is an Architect with SMA Architecture + Design focusing on commercial design of all scales in a variety of market sectors including multifamily, civic, healthcare, and higher education. Outside the office, Nicole spends her time experimenting in the kitchen, hiking Montana’s picturesque trails with their chocolate lab Chevy, and traveling all over our beautiful country. Most recently she has taken up skiing, which has proven to be one of her biggest adventures yet.

Farming, ranching, and gardening brought both John Beaver and his wife, Debra, from Medford, Oklahoma, a little town on the edge of the prairie, to Iowa, Aspen, and finally to Montana. After completing his range science degree at MSU, John moved to Helena and is now a partner at WESTECH Environmental Services, a biological consulting firm. John is the quintessential Helenan, spending his free time skiing, running, biking, hiking, hunting, and even painting. He and Deb’s daughters, Emma and Kate, both grew up exploring the outdoors around Helena and the South Hills. Of course, he has also spent years working with PPLT and serving on the board, and now he’s excited to lend his expertise and leadership in all things outdoors as our board president. It is John and PPLT’s goal to make a connection with the natural world available to everyone in our service area.

Marly grew up in central Ohio, roaming the Hocking Hills and the shores of Lake Erie with her two younger sisters. Her career took her to Chicago and then New York City, where she spent the last two decades helping to build brands and digital businesses and traveling in relentless pursuit of nature and open spaces. Marly’s family brought her to Helena. She and her husband (a Helena native) are raising their three young boys here, and are wildly grateful to call the Prickly Pear Valley home. Marly is excited to bring her over 20 years of experience in marketing, strategy, and creative storytelling to PPLT. On weekends she is outside exploring with her kids or reading books.

Jeannie is a fourth generation Montanan from a well-known and respected ranching family in Northeastern Montana.  She grew up in Helena and later went on to attend the University of Notre Dame, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2006.  Following graduation, Jeannie moved to Washington, DC where she held multiple political, event-planning and fundraising positions including at The White House, United States Senate and The Prince of Wales Foundation.  In December 2015, Jeannie moved back to her dear hometown of Helena. She always knew she wanted to return to her beloved Montana and is happy to be back to her roots and a part of the wonderful and thriving community.  Jeannie recently formed her own event planning business, Etchart Events LLC, to assist the area with planning, coordinating and executing a variety of functions. She is also very involved in the community and serves on the Boards of the Helena Area Community Foundation, Carroll College Saints Athletic Association, Green Meadow Country Club, St. Peter’s Health Foundation and most recently PPLT. Jeannie enjoys many things Helena and the surrounding areas have to offer such as skiing, golfing, rafting and hiking Mount Helena and is excited to join the PPLT Board and help further their mission to help preserve the beautiful public lands we are so lucky to get to call home!

Tyrrell enjoyed an agricultural upbringing in a generational ranch family where work and recreation often coincided. Montana’s rich character, natural bounty, and historic working landscapes inspired Tyrrell to expand on his background and pursue conservation on a scale larger than his family’s ranch. He joined Western Sustainability Exchange where he has worked in market-based conservation through sustainable agriculture. Recently, the Helena native has begun adding value to Montana agriculture commodities by distilling fine spirits, as a proprietor of Gulch Distillers. When not ranching, distilling, or developing markets for farmers and ranchers, Tyrrell chooses to enjoy the outdoors with his wife and two young daughters, usually skiing, hunting, mountain biking, or fishing. He has every intention to preserve these opportunities for his community, his daughters, and the generations after them.

Paula is a native of Kansas who first learned to appreciate Montana’s open space as a kid on family vacations. When her husband headed back to pharmacy school, they chose to live in Montana and have been here ever since (not counting a couple years in Reno and one in Connecticut). Helena has been her home for the past 25 years. She is currently CPA and shareholder with the firm of Anderson ZurMuehlen and Co., P.C. and has served on the PPLT Board for several years. She is married with two children, a golden retriever and a pug – which makes for interesting hikes! She and her husband keep a sailboat on Canyon Ferry Lake and enjoy time relaxing there in the summer.

Sarah came to Helena in 1985 for a residency at the Archie Bray Foundation for the ceramic arts, thinking she would be here for a year. After a two-year residency at the Bray, she decided to make Helena home. The landscape and Helena’s open space and trails played a large role in that decision. She set up a studio and has been a studio potter for the past 30 years. Her work is in public and private collections and, most important, in many kitchens throughout the country. She served on the board of directors of the Myrna Loy Center from 1990 to 1995. From 1992 to 2003, she served on the board of directors of the Archie Bray Foundation and was chair of the development committee. Since 2005, Sarah has been a member of the board of directors of the Prickly Pear Land Trust and served as president from 2010 to 2013.

Dennis was raised on the family homestead and worked on a variety of ranches in his youth. Shortly after graduating from college, he went to work for the U.S. Forest Service. He spent the next 32 years employed as a fire management specialist in several western states. After retiring from the Forest Service in 2004, Dennis has devoted much of his free time working as a volunteer for natural resource related organizations such as the Montana Forest Restoration Committee and the Elkhorn Restoration Committee, both groups work to promote more naturally functioning ecosystems. He also spends a lot time with the Last Chance Backcountry Horsemen helping maintain trails, bridges and cabins for the Helena National Forest. Dennis and his wife, Debbie, Helena area residents for the past 32 years, have put their conservation ethic into practice by working with the Prickly Pear Land Trust to place a conservation easement on their acreage along Sevenmile Creek.

A life-long visitor to Helena, Bill Shropshire and his family finally became full-time residents in early 2013. Bill began his visits in 1976, first to see family, but later to explore. It became a life goal to live here. He has worked for American Chemet Corp. since he left the trading floors of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1998.  As Bill’s responsibilities at American Chemet increased, so did the frequency of his visits to Helena and East Helena. By 2013, Bill and his wife of 20 years, Audra, decided: “Hey, let’s go live there”! Bill and Audra have been PPLT supporters since their arrival, and are delighted they and their three kids, Ella, Maya, and Will, get to call Helena home. A long-time skier and cyclist, Bill’s road bike has been feeling increasingly neglected as he spends more and more time on fatter, knobbier tires. Bill is honored to serve on the board, noting he loves not only the trails and conservation efforts, but that Prickly Pear stays true to its motto of “connecting land and people.”

Willis spent the last twenty-five years in conservation with stints at The Nature Conservancy, Western Rivers Conservancy, and Ecosystem Investment Partners, a mitigation banking firm. He specialized in land transactions and federal lobbying for appropriations in his years in conservation. Prior to that, he spent the first twelve years of his career in commercial real estate banking. He enjoys fly fishing, camping, bird hunting, snowboarding, and mountain biking. And with more time on his hands since his retirement in late 2021, he has gone completely bonkers over saltwater fly fishing.