Montana Audubon - who we are
Montana Audubon Staff
Steve Hoffman, Executive Director, has 28 years of professional experience in wildlife conservation and nonprofit administration. Steve earned a Master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology from Utah State University (1979). After 10 years of government service (US Bureau of Land Management & US Fish & Wildlife Service) as a wildlife biologist in the Southwest, Steve founded HawkWatch International (HWI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to raptor conservation. After 12 years as Executive Director of HWI, Steve became the State Director of Bird Conservation for Audubon Pennsylvania. In 2004 Steve moved to Bozeman, Montana, to serve as the Executive Director of Predator Conservation Alliance. Steve was hired by Montana Audubon in December 2006.
Janet Ellis, Program Director, has coordinated Montana Audubon’s legislative and public policy work on behalf of Montana’s wildlife and wildlife habitat since 1983. She became Program Director when the office opened on a full-time, year-round basis in 1989. Previously, Janet was a ranger and naturalist for Yellowstone and Zion National Parks, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park. She has received several awards for her work, including “Conservationist of the Year” from the Montana Environmental Information Center, Montana Wildlife Federation, and Montana Audubon. She holds a degree in biology from the University of Montana. Janet lives in Helena with her husband and son.
Paul Belanger, Director of Education, is based out of the Bitterroot Valley in Western Montana. Paul believes that connecting people and communities to Montana's rich natural and cultural heritage is fundamental to building a culture of conservation. Paul completed a one-year graduate program in the Professional Residency in Environmental Education (PREE) program of the Teton Science School located in Kelly, Wyoming, received his M.S. in Science Education from the University of Montana Environmental Studies program, and graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in Biology. When not working, Paul enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, and spending time with his family.
Amy Cilimburg, Director of Bird Conservation and Global Warming Outreach Coordinator, began with Montana Audubon in August 2007. She works to educate and inspire action around issues related to climate change, birds, wildlife, and energy both here in Montana and nationally, working closely with Janet Ellis on these policy issues. Beginning in July 2008, Amy spearheads our Important Bird Areas (IBA) Program and collaborates with other key biologists and conservationists to protect Montana's birds and their habitat. Prior to coming to Audubon, Amy was the Assistant Director of the University of Montana's Avian Science Center. She received a M.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana in 2001. Prior to this she spent 10 years teaching with the National Outdoor Leadership School both around the west and internationally. She lives and strives to reduce her carbon footprint in Missoula with her husband and daughter.
Loreene Reid, Administrative Officer. In September, Loreene joined Montana Audubon in our Helena office. She has a long history of involvement with conservation organizations, including the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Great Bear Foundation. She brings to us a wealth of experience with financial management, membership development, eco-tourism, fundraising, and more. When she’s not at work, you can find her bear-watching in Yellowstone, volunteering for the Family Promise homeless project, or exploring the back roads of Montana. She has been an amateur birder since the age of 10.
Heather Ristow, Senior Naturalist, Audubon Conservation Education Center, began working with Montana Audubon in Billings in August 2008. She recently completed a yearlong graduate residency in environmental education at the Teton Science Schools in Kelly, Wyoming in which she taught outreach programs and residential education. Prior to the Science School, she spent several seasons studying forest carnivores and other wildlife in Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Mountains, and elsewhere around the west. Heather received a B.A. in Biology with a concentration in environmental studies from Carleton College in 2000. She is currently working towards a Master of Education degree at Montana State University in Billings, while pursuing her lifelong love of the natural world and desire to share it with students of all ages. Heather devotes her free time to backcountry ski adventures, ‘geeking out’ on natural history in Billings’ parks, and cooking good locally grown meals.