Montana Natural Heritage Staff Bios and Photos
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PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
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Neil Snow, Director
Joined MTNHP in July 2011 |
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406-444-3009 nsnow2@mt.gov |
Neil Snow originally hails from Seattle. His academic training is from Colorado State
University (BS), University of Wyoming (MS), and Washington University in St. Louis (PhD) and
focused primarily on plant systematics and evolutionary biology. Prior to Montana he worked as
a botanist in Queensland, Australia, as an Associate Professor at the University of Northern Colorado,
in environmental consulting, and at the Bishop Museum in Hawaii. His taxonomic specialties are the
myrtle (Myrtaceae) and grass (Poaceae) families and more generally the Rocky Mountain flora. In
addition to family life he pursues various interests in music, the great outdoors, and reading.
View Resume |
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Darlene Patzer, Finance/Grants Administrator
Joined MTNHP in July 2004 |
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406-444-3329 dpatzer@mt.gov |
Darlene Patzer has been with the Natural Heritage Program since July 2004. She supports the Heritage
Project Managers with grants and finance administration. Darlene earned her Associates Degree in Business
Administration from Carroll College while working full-time and raising two daughters.
Prior to joining the Heritage Program, Darlene spent a great 16 years with the Helena Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. She learned everything from running check sorters to being the lead accounting analyst and finally the check transportation coordinator in Montana. A native Montanan, Darlene enjoys working with the Heritage staff to support responsible stewardship of Montana's natural resources. Her own time is spent pursuing her interest in horses with her daughter and learning new things. |
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Leslie Berg, Finance/Office Assistant
Joined MTNHP in October 2007 |
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406-444-3488 lberg@mt.gov |
Leslie Berg has been assisting with financial and office duties on a part-time basis since November 2007.
As a support staff person, she aids in the day-to-day financial and office operations and assists in keeping the waters
running on an even keel. Leslie earned her B.S. degree in Business Administration, with emphasis in Accounting, from the
University of Montana. She lived and worked in Missoula, Montana for 42 years. During that time, she was the Controller
of Missoula Aging Services—a not-for-profit organization which helps senior citizens. In that capacity, she handled the
facets of accounting for an organization with over thirteen individual programs and nine fiscal years all encompassed under
one umbrella.
Leslie values the contributions made by those involved with the Natural Heritage Program. Born and raised in Montana, she grew up on a dude ranch in the Benchmark area near Augusta. She still has fond memories of fishing along Ford Creek, leading guests on horseback rides into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and participating in high school rodeos. Leslie enjoys spending her semi-retirement days traveling the world. She has hiked the Inca Trail, bicycled in Tuscany, toured the ruins of Rome, walked the canals of Amsterdam, and golfed in Canada. She is planning to visit children’s clinics in Africa with her son in 2010. |
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SYSTEMS AND SERVICES
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Allan Cox, Systems & Services Manager
Joined MTNHP in May 2001 |
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406-444-3989 acox@mt.gov |
Allan Cox is the Systems and Services
Manager for the Montana Natural Heritage Program where he manages the Program's information services—
databases, web services and geographic information systems. Allan has more than 20 years of GIS, natural resource
program, and project management experience. Prior to coming to the Natural Heritage Program in 2001, Allan was
the Program Manager for the Montana Census and Economic Information Center (CEIC) at the Montana Department of
Commerce. From 1998 to 2000, Allan provided private GIS consulting and contracting services. From 1992 to 1998
Allan was Director of the Natural Resource Information System (NRIS), at the Montana State Library. In 1987,
Allan joined the Natural Resource Information System and was responsible for the establishment of its GIS Program
and served as its GIS Coordinator until 1992. Prior to moving to Montana, Allan worked for the Virginia GIS Project (VIRGIS). Allan has
a BA in Communications and an MS in Geography from Virginia Tech.
View Resume |
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Karen Coleman, Biological Data System Coordinator
Joined MTNHP in September 2004 |
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406-444-3321 kvwcoleman@mt.gov |
Karen Coleman has been the Biological Data Systems Coordinator for the Montana Natural Heritage Program since September, 2004. She coordinates species and habitat data from submission by field biologists to data exchanges with NatureServe. Karen has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College, and an M.S. in Forestry (emphasizing GIS) from the University of Minnesota. Karen was at the University of Minnesota from 1994 to 2003 working as a data manager and forest ecology technician prior to receiving her M.S. From 2003 to 2004 she was a GIS technician for the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. |
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Scott Blum, Biologist/Information Specialist
Joined MTNHP in November 2004 |
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406-444-0241 sblum@mt.gov |
Scott Blum's current focus is reviewing Heritage database records for animal observations: if you've
submitted an animal observation to NHP, there's a better than good chance that Scott has given it the once over.
Scott was born and aged in Oswego, New York on the shore of Lake Ontario (Official Town Motto: "Oswego, where
the water never ends." Unofficial Town Motto: "At least we're not Fulton."). In fits and starts, he completed a
B.S. in Zoology (SUNY Oswego) and an A.S. in Zoo Animal Technology (SFCC Gainesville, Florida); subsequently
launching and crashing a brief career as a zookeeper at the Racine Zoo in Wisconsin and the Brookfield Zoo in
Illinois. After a nine year sabbatical at Pet Pals pet store (Liverpool, NY), he returned to school to chase
mountain lions for his M.S. in Ecology from Idaho State University, Pocatello. During and after graduate school
he spent time as a technician on various research projects including tracking lynx and coyote around Seeley Lake
and collecting bear hair in the Swan Valley. Scott spends his time in and around Helena hiking with his dog,
Bug, and honing his bread baking skills.
View Resume |
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Martin Miller, Data Assistant
Joined MTNHP in November 1996 |
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406-444-3290 martinm@mt.gov |
Martin Miller's formative years were spent in the San Joaquin Valley in central California. He has a B.S,
in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Davis. After moving to Helena to work for ASARCO as an
air pollution meteorologist, he worked for two years in Logan, Utah assisting with the weather modification
project at Utah State University. Then, it was back to Helena for a stint with Hydrometrics, Inc. as a computer programmer.
Martin has been wrangling data for the Montana Natural Heritage Program for more than ten years. The early days included working with the Point Observation Database (POD) from very near its inception, and plotting Element Occurrences on paper quad maps using adhesive dots, map margin notes and a mylar overlay to calculate the latitude and longitude. Needless to say, the advancement of GIS capabilities have made those activities seem like relics of the Stone Age. Somewhere along the line, he acquired the responsibility of responding to requests. This is another process that has been evolving, from paper reports provided via snail mail to large zip files accessed on the ftp site. When it's time to get out of town, the preferred mode is ultramarathon running. Over a 20 year period, Martin has participated in over 70 ultramarathon events, ranging from 50 km to 100 miles, and include a 24 hour track run and a 48 hour event. Some of the hundred milers he has completed include Western States, Leadville and Hardrock (twice). View Resume |
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Dave Ratz, Web Projects Manager
Joined MTNHP in July 2007 |
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406-444-5691 dratz@mt.gov |
Dave Ratz ("Ratz") was an Air Force Brat, born in Okinawa, raised everywhere, finally settling down in the Rocky Mountains. He has worked in computers for 20+ years, but has tried his hand at everything. At age 25, Ratz suffered a quarter-life crisis: sold everything, bought a backpack, and lived in the woods for eight months. Alas, for every time there is a season, and now he can't get by without his 80's music, internet scrabble, cell phone, and golf clubs. |
BOTANY
ECOLOGY
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Linda Vance, Senior Ecologist and Director, Spatial Analysis Lab
Joined MTNHP in May 2005 |
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406-444-3380 livance@mt.gov |
Linda Vance has a Ph.D in Conservation Ecology from the University of California, Davis. Prior to joining
the MTNHP, she worked as an ecologist for the Pacific Southwest Research Station in Albany, California, studying
frog, fish, and reptile interactions in the Sierras. Her work with MTNHP involves classification, description,
mapping and modeling of land cover; development of GIS-based tools for landscape-level assessment; and refinement
of field-based protocols for wetland, riparian, and terrestrial integrity evaluation and monitoring. Her current
projects include a GIS-based decision support tool for Region 1 of the Forest Service; a statewide analysis of
riparian condition along large rivers; and identification of potential Research Natural Areas for the BLM.
Area of Expertise: Landscape ecology; geospatial analysis; watershed and wetland assessment, monitoring and analysis; environmental law and policy View Resume |
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Karen Newlon, Ecologist/Project Manager
Joined MTNHP in May 2008 |
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406-444-0915 knewlon@mt.gov |
Karen Newlon has an M.S. in Biology from Montana State University and a B.A. in Biology from Hiram College.
She joined the Montana Natural Heritage Program in May 2008 as an Ecologist/Project Manager. Since then, she has
developed a fondness for the wetlands and grasslands of eastern Montana after conducting hundreds of wetland
assessments and vegetation surveys throughout that portion of the state. Her current projects include conducting
wetland assessments and vegetation surveys, refining and validating assessment methodologies, refining ecological
system descriptions for Montana, and integrating data into spatial and tabular databases. Prior to coming to the
Heritage Program, she worked in the more topographically varied parts of Montana. During her most recent position
as an ecologist at Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, she developed a refuge vegetation map, established a
landbird monitoring program, assisted in writing conservation plans, and developed, maintained, and organized
refuge geospatial data.
She spent many years as a "bio-gypsy" throughout the West working on various projects focused mainly on avian breeding biology and habitat studies. Her areas of expertise include wetland and upland assessments and monitoring, identification of vegetation communities, avian identification and ecology, geospatial analysis, and aerial photointerpretation. View Resume |
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Dave Stagliano, Aquatic Ecologist
Joined MTNHP in November 2003 |
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406-444-7329 dstagliano@mt.gov |
David Stagliano is the first Aquatic Ecologist for the Montana Natural Heritage Program and has been in this
position since 2003. In that time his boots have been in 100’s of Montana’s streams and rivers from the Yaak to the
Powder, the Big Hole to the Big Muddy. He came over from Moscow, Idaho after working at an environmental consulting firm.
He received a M.S. degree in aquatic ecology from Kansas State University on prairie streams (2000), and his B.S. from
Cornell University in Ecology (1992), minoring in fisheries. In between those degrees, he worked professionally for the
USGS in Denver, CO, the TVA in Tennessee, the University of Alabama, and after the master’s, 2 field seasons with the
Michigan Natural Heritage Program. But now he doesn’t plan to leave Montana, which has the perfect mix of outdoor
opportunities (fishing, hiking, skiing, hunting, biking, etc.) to stay busy outside the field season.
David has 15 years of professional experience in stream & river ecological studies. Principal areas of expertise include the field collection, ecology and taxonomy of aquatic invertebrates, mussels and fish communities for use in environmental assessments of stream and river integrity. Additional expertise includes landscape-level ecological studies and conservation of aquatic ecosystems, including work with threatened & endangered species. View Resume |
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Tara Luna, Vegetation Ecologist
Joined MTNHP in September 2008 |
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406-471-2428 tluna@3rivers.net |
Tara Luna has worked as a botanist, ecologist, and restoration biologist in Montana for the past 19 years. In
recent years, she has worked with American Indian tribes, the Forest Service and the National Park Service in identifying
species and habitats for monitoring and conservation efforts, and developing and improving native plant nurseries to
support habitat restoration. In collaboration with the US Forest Service, she has developed native plant nursery and
propagation handbooks, publications and short courses for American Indian and Pacific island conservation and restoration
nurseries.
Tara has a particular interest in the ecology, biogeography and conservation of Montana plant species and their associated habitats. She is especially interested in identifying populations near the limit of their geographic distributions as well as populations occurring in edge environments within their range; in order to effectively conserve the adaptive genetic potential of species in response to regional climate change. |
Wetlands Mapping Project |
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Gary Carnefix, Ecologist/Photointerpreter
Joined MTNHP in November 2010 |
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406-444-0231 gcarnefix@mt.gov |
During a prior 15-year career stint teaching science and French in New
Jersey, then Oklahoma City middle and high schools, vacations in the Rockies felt to Gary Carnefix like
“coming home to a place he’d never been before” (John Denver). He made the move to Missoula in ’92,
working several years in bicycle retail before starting grad school in ’98 at the University of
Montana. There, his Master’s Thesis research used radio telemetry and extensive temperature
monitoring to study migratory behavior of Threatened bull trout populations in Montana’s “Blue
Ribbon” Rock Creek drainage.
Following 2002 completion of his Master’s degree, Gary alternated among consulting work, “Forest Inventory and Assessment” (FIA) surveys under contract with the Forest Service, and five years on staff as Research Associate, then Staff Scientist, with the conservation non-profit Pacific Rivers Council before joining the Montana Natural Heritage Program as an Ecologist/Photointerpreter in November 2010. He’s delighted to have come “full circle” to find himself identifying and mapping wetlands in . . . Rock Creek! For R&R, Gary thrives on flyfishing, hiking, mountain-biking, reading, and music. |
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John Davenport, Ecologist/Photointerpreter
Joined MTNHP in February 2012 |
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406-444-3019 jdavenport@mt.gov |
John Davenport gained his initial professional experience with wetlands conservation as a graduate student working on the National Wetland Inventory’s assessment of southern California wetlands. He went on to earn a PhD in Geography while pursuing research interests in both the environmental and cultural aspects of forest ecosystem restoration projects. His doctoral research examined ongoing efforts to restore shortleaf pine-bluestem woodlands, including the frequent fire regime this particular ecosystem is dependent upon, in designated areas of the Ouachita National Forest. Prior to joining the MNHP in 2012 he completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Environmental Studies supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. During this time he completed a book manuscript, collaborated on a second book project focused on climate change and culture shift, and exercised an interest in East Asia by traveling to Kyoto, Japan. His appreciation for the outdoors stems, in part, from childhood camping and canoe trips across the Texas Hill Country. He now satisfies the need for fresh air and open spaces by running, cycling, and allowing his overzealous “sled dog” Pretzel to take him on walks much to the amusement of his wife Chelsey and son Shelby. |
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Robin Lium, Photointerpreter
Joined MTNHP in January 2009 |
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406-444-0294 rlium@mt.gov |
Robin Lium began working for the Montana Natural Heritage Program in January of 2009 as a Wetland Digitizing Technician. After receiving a B.A. in Biology at Boston University she returned home to Maryland. While there Robin volunteered at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and worked at various jobs including belaying people up the rock wall at the local YMCA and working with special needs students at the Maryland School for the Blind. Soon the urge to continue on with her education led Robin to receive an M.Sc. in Wildlife Conservation and Habitat Management from Newcastle University in Newcastle upon Tyne, England in 2008. Her dissertation looked at the habitat requirement for Northumberland bat species in the Newcastle area. |
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Sara Owen, Ecologist/Photointerpreter
Joined MTNHP in January 2012 |
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406-444-4728 sowen@mt.gov |
It must have been Sara’s calling in life to work in wetlands, because as
a young girl when people would ask what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always answered “a frog.”
Fortunately, Sara’s dad was a wetland scientist, and soon she was assisting her father with wetland
delineations. Thus, Sara learned to identify wetland plants and hydric soils at an early age.
In college, Sara worked on a research project on the Buffalo National River, and learned to identify aquatic macroinvertebrates. After completing a B.S. in biology at the University of Central Arkansas, Sara packed her bags and headed west. She joined the Stream Ecology Center at Idaho State University and spent her summers in Idaho backpacking and sampling streams in the Salmon River basin of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness. When she wasn’t in the field, Sara was behind a microscope identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates or at a computer examining post-fire vegetation recovery of streams in the Frank Church using hyperspectral imagery. After completing her M.N.S., Sara taught biology at ISU for two years before moving back to Arkansas to once again work in wetlands. Most of her time in Arkansas was spent working on a Wetland Management Plan for White Oak Bayou in Maumelle, Arkansas, where she founded a monthly newsletter, The Cypress Knee, to keep the public informed. In her spare time, Sara loves to hike with her husband, Scott, and their dog, MaeBelle. She also loves to backpack, cook, bake bread, garden, raise chickens, and knit, but not in any particular order. |
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Kyla Zaret, Ecologist/Photointerpreter
Joined MTNHP in May 2011 |
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406-444-4755 kzaret@mt.gov |
Kyla Zaret grew up in Maryland, but has spent the bulk of the past 13 years studying,
working or traveling west of the Continental Divide or south of the Darien Gap. She has an M.S.
in Resource Conservation from the University of Montana where she also completed the International
Conservation and Development Option in May 2011. Kyla’s thesis examined the distribution, use and
cultural meanings of a particular species of cypress tree that has been the primary resource for
residents of a remote village in southern Chile. Her fieldwork also revealed a fascination with
peatlands, which Kyla is pleased to pursue while working for MTNHP. Prior to joining MTNHP, Kyla was employed as a biological or GIS technician by a variety of federal, state and nonprofit organizations. She has monitored fuels and songbird reproductive success in the sagebrush steppe of Idaho, sampled aquatic amphibians in headwater streams of western Washington, observed the foraging ecology of colonial seabirds in the Gulf of Maine, and counted zooplankton and krill while shipboard in the Antarctic. |
ZOOLOGY
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Bryce Maxell, Senior Zoologist
Joined MTNHP in January 2005 |
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406-444-3655 bmaxell@mt.gov |
Bryce Maxell serves as the Montana Natural Heritage Program's Senior Zoologist. He grew up
dogsledding in the mountains of Utah, swam competitively in high school and college, and is
passionate about natural history. Bryce completed a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Economics at the
University of Puget Sound in 1994 where he studied the demography of kelp species in the Puget
Sound and was an NAIA All-American in the 200-yard Breaststroke in 1992 and 1993. After undergrad,
he received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for a yearlong independent study of the Natural History
of Australia and New Zealand in 1994 and 1995. Bryce completed his Ph.D. in Fish and Wildlife
Biology in the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana in 2009 where he completed a
state-wide status assessments and constructed predicted habitat models for Montana's amphibian and
reptile species and conducted research on the demography of Columbia Spotted Frogs. Since 1996,
Bryce has conducted field inventories for a variety of animal species in Montana. During his time
in Montana he has authored or coauthored two books, a dozen peer reviewed publications, and
30-plus professional reports on amphibians, reptiles, bats, small terrestrial mammals, birds,
terrestrial mollusks, and fish. Bryce's main interests are natural history, conservation biology,
biogeography, and the effects of exotic species. He is also interested in conducting broad based,
statistically sound, baseline surveys for, and applying advanced techniques in conservation
biology to, a wide variety of non-game taxa. Although interested in working with all taxa, Bryce
is especially interested in working with amphibians, reptiles, bats, mollusks, and birds. He is
also interested in raising awareness about the natural history and status of these species so that
issues associated with their management are properly addressed in management plans and so that
they can be properly appreciated by current and future generations.
View Resume |
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Paul Hendricks, Zoologist
Joined MTNHP in January 1996 |
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406-243-6005 phendricks@mt.gov |
Paul Hendricks has been a zoologist with the Montana Natural Heritage Program since 1996. After spending
most of his formative years in Billings, Paul received his education at the University of Montana in Missoula
(B.A. 1975, M.A. 1987) and Washington State University in Pullman (Ph.D. 1993). Paul has a broad interest in
natural history, and his work for the Natural Heritage Program has allowed him to pursue this interest with a
variety of invertebrates as well as the vertebrates he is most familiar with. He is co-author of the book
"Amphibians and Reptiles of Montana" (Mountain Press 2004). When not working, he is dreaming of or pursuing birds
and alpine experiences.
View Resume |
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Susan Lenard, Zoologist
Joined MTNHP in April 2003 |
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406-444-0202 slenard@mt.gov |
Susan Lenard joined the Zoology program with a particular interest and experience in bird conservation
and research. With degrees in biology and mathematics, she’s lucky enough have worked in the field in
Indonesia, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Pennsylvania, in addition to Montana. Because of the diversity of
projects the Heritage Program allows, Susan’s particular interests have broadened beyond the avian,
especially to those involving bat acoustics and forays in search of pygmy rabbits.
In her off-work time, Susan’s tries to find a balance between a love of being outdoors and a variety of recreational activities, an appreciation of fine food and drink, and her arts addiction -- being involved in an assortment of hand crafts such as spinning (wool), weaving (fiber), throwing (pottery), and dyeing, especially experimenting with natural dyes (sometimes, by chance, rather malodorous ones), much to the dismay of both of her housemates -- husband Phil, and dog Teasel. |
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Coburn Currier, Biologist/Project Specialist
Joined MTNHP in May 2002 |
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406-444-0536 ccurrier@mt.gov |
Coburn Currier moved to Montana in the spring of 2002 to work for the Montana Natural Heritage Program
as a Field Biologist/Project Specialist. Since then he has worked on many projects in incredible and remote
areas of the state. Prior to coming to the Zoology program, Coburn was an Assistant Zoologist with the Michigan
Natural Features Inventory where he worked for almost 2 years beginning his professional career. Also in
Michigan, Coburn went to graduate school at Central Michigan University as well as to Michigan State University
as an undergraduate.
For the Zoology program Coburn works on a wide variety of taxa including grassland birds, forest raptors, bats, and terrestrial mollusks. His personal and professional passion has always been with birds, bird distribution, and bird conservation. However, he has more recently been focusing his attention and personal interest towards other flying creatures, mainly dragonflies and butterflies; the latter with his 6 year old daughter who loves to catch them in her butterfly net – she leaves the identification to dad. |
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