Staff
Gloria Edwards, MSW
Executive Director 406.582.7388 gedwards@familypromisegv.org
Gloria Edwards brings to Family Promise the gifts of extraordinary experience, dedication to social justice, and commitment to advocacy, in addition to an engaging and personable manner. Having received her Masters of Social Work degree (MSW) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with honors, Gloria began working in Bozeman that same year as a Community Social Worker for the Department of Family Services. After five years of growing experience and responsibilities there — working with children and families on issues from abuse and neglect to special needs adoptions and home studies — Gloria was asked to develop and implement the Victim Assistance Program for Gallatin County that we know today. Since creating the program, she has been its Program Director, managing all aspects of its overwhelming success, including overcoming initial resistance and apathy to becoming an integral and highly sought-after part of our justice system — assisting over 650 victims of violent crime each year.
Gloria has worked with essentially all of the social services agencies and non-governmental organizations in Gallatin County, and so brings to her role in Family Promise well-developed personal relationships at all levels within the social welfare community. Atypically for management, Ms Edwards’ role as Program Director included extensive direct service to victims, and so she brings to the Executive Director position the sensitivity and personal concern that will be needed to truly engage and help our homeless families.
Her personal commitment is remarkable, as she illustrates in her own words,
“Family Promise is a program that I absolutely believe in. As a social worker, I have witnessed many homeless families in our community and am dismayed at the lack of services available. I know that families with children are the largest growing segment of the homeless population: many of these families are single mothers and their children fleeing abuse or working poor trying to live on minimum wage jobs. Bozeman is a generous community in many ways, and yet somehow poor families remain homeless — and for the most part, invisible. I believe that this is wrong. I think that as individuals, and as a community, we can do better. Family Promise has been proven to be a program that works.”
Kacie Grue
Family Case Manager 406.582.7388 kgrue@familypromisegv.org
Kacie Grue became the Family Case Manager in December 2010 after being a volunteer at Family Promise since the winter of 2008. Kacie has a B.A. from The University of Montana in Elementary Education and has experience working in a variety of human service fields including; education, health and human services, and child development. Most recently she was a Family Resource Specialist for Child and Family Services, licensing foster families. She worked for two years at the Poverello Center in Missoula, which is the largest homeless shelter in Montana. She has also been a member of Greater Gallatin Homeless Action Coalition (GGHAC) since summer 2010. Kacie’s dedication to homeless families is best expressed in her own words:
“I am proud to be a part of Family Promise as a former volunteer and now as family case manager. I have been fortunate enough to see the success of the program firsthand. The families are treated with respect and empathy to assist them in finding services that best fit their needs, and Family Promise has a great partnership with existing service providers. Family Promise’s many dedicated volunteers go above and beyond for our families and it is inspiring to see individuals from many different backgrounds and faiths come together for the common good.”
Bridget Pitman
Volunteer Director 406.582.7388 bpitman@familypromisegv.org
Bridget Pitman joined Family Promise of Gallatin Valley in October 2008 after graduating from the University of Idaho in May 2007 with a B.S. in public relations and a B.A. in Spanish. She was born and raised in Moscow, Idaho along with her two older brothers. Bridget spent a semester living in Bilbao, Spain and spends her free time traveling, cooking, and enjoying the beauty of Bozeman. In 2008, Bridget began volunteering with Family Promise and discovered her passion for the organization. In January 2009, Bridget became the Americorps VISTA volunteer as the Volunteer Development Coordinator. In February 2010, after her year of Americorps service at Family Promise Bridget was hired full-time as the Volunteer Director. Bridget is currently completing her master’s degree in Higher Education at Montana State University.
“It is organizations like Family Promise that are the foundation and heart of the Bozeman community. I am thankful and inspired to be surrounded by people with a passion for service and a heart for the people of the Gallatin Valley.”
Megan Bailey
MSU Summer Saturday Intern
Megan Bailey grew up in Longmont, CO and has lived in Bozeman for the last six years. She is a student at Montana State University majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences and Community Health. Megan likes to read, watch movies and hike with her dog, Jackson. She work at U.S. Bank and likes to volunteer on the weekends.
Kelsey Jackson
MSU Saturday Intern
Kelsey is a Montana State University student pursuing a degree in Community Health and a minor in Business Administration as well as a Leadership Fellow. In her free time she enjoys running, hiking, playing with her wiener dog , cooking and drinking coffee. Kelsey is also involved in MSU’s BreaksAway program. During her spring breaks she and fellow students travel to another location and volunteer. She has traveled to New Orleans to help with the on going hurricane relief and San Francisco to serve meals at a homeless shelter. Kelsey serves as the Family Promise MSU liaison. The Montana Campus Corps initiative helps her facilitate education and awareness on campus. As part of this program, she is also in the unique position to engage students, staff, and faculty to become volunteers or otherwise involved with Family Promise.
Debbie & Larry King
Sunday Coordinators
Larry and Debbie King are active members of the Mount Ellis Seventh Day Adventist Church. Larry is a native of Bozeman and Debbie is from Massachusetts. They have been married 28 years and have three children, all in college. Larry is a certified nurse’s aid and bus driver. Debbie is a registered nurse, but much prefers her home-based career in medical transcription. Since they have been volunteering through their church for all of their lives, Family Promise was a natural place for them to become involved.
“The qualifications needed to help people are simply having a daily awareness of your own blessings and then being willing to serve where God leads you. We feel that He just took us by the hand and led us to Family Promise. What a great feeling to work along side the other churches in the Gallatin Valley! We’ve stepped outside of our box and count this as just another of our blessings.”
Board
Debbie Royer, President
Debbi Royer was born in Indiana and raised in Arkansas. She became a banker in 1974 and a mortgage banker in 1984. Debbi has owned her own mortgage banking consulting company and worked for lenders in Oklahoma, Minnesota, and Montana. She opened her own mortgage company with two partners in 1999 and they sold it in 2008. She is currently a lender with MetLife Home Loans. Debbi has served on the Board of the Girl Scouts and was a troop leader; she was the fundraising chair of Children’s Hospital Association in St. Paul, MN; and a member of Junior League. She was the Executive Director for Montana Ballet Company. She is married to Leon Royer and they have a daughter, Emily. • Current terms ends January 2013.
John H. “Buzz” Tarlow, Vice President
John H. “Buzz” Tarlow is a member of the Bozeman, Montana law firm of Tarlow Stonecipher & Steele , PLLC. Buzz received his B.A. with distinction in Economics, cum laude, from the University of Connecticut and his J.D. from the Boston University School of Law. He in active in our community as: board member/former president of Greater Gallatin United Way; founding member of the Gallatin County Chapter of MADD; former president of the Help Center, and cub scout leader/assistant scoutmaster for the Montana Council of the Boy Scouts. He actively participates in several pro bono legal service projects including the Gallatin County Guardian Ad Litem program. Most importantly, he is husband to his wife of 23 years, Holly, and father to two children.• Current term ends January 2011.
Betsy Crabs, Secretary
Betsy Crabs moved to Bozeman in 1984 from Denver, CO. She began her teaching career in Oklahoma City, OK, and later earned an educational specialist degree in library media from the University of Colorado. She and her husband purchased Charlie’s restaurant on Main Street in Bozeman in 1985. They later co-managed a private fly fishing club in Island Park, Idaho. Active in her church, First Presbyterian, she is the elder in charge of Mission and Outreach. She has also served as the Family Promise Volunteer Coordinator for her church and joins the Board as Secretary.
Jon Ayers, Treasurer
With over sixteen years of experience in all aspects of community banking, Jon relocated to Big Sky in 2008 to join First Security Bank, and during the summer 2010, transitioned to Bozeman and is currently the Branch President for the Cottonwood First Security Bank location. Jon spent the last 13 years in Wyoming and is a native to Colorado. He is currently the Chair of the Big Sky Community Corporation, active with the Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club and past Treasurer/President Elect Nominee for the Rotary Club of Big Sky. Prior community involvement includes being an appointed member of the Cheyenne-Laramie County Regional Planning Commission and holding various board/chair positions with United Way, Junior Achievement, Ducks Unlimited, March of Dimes and the Chamber of Commerce. Jon received his Bachelor in Finance with a Minor in Accounting from the University of Wyoming in 1997, a Commercial Lending Degree in 2000 and an Advanced Banking Degree from the Pacific Coast School of Banking in 2005.
Janel Trowbridge, Board Member
Janel was born and raised in Jackson Hole, graduated from the University of Wyoming and attended graduate school at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She worked for LexisNexis for 13 years, the last eight years as the Director of Affinity Marketing for the Western Region. In 2001 Janel and her family moved from Denver to Bozeman. She is a member of Rotary and is an active volunteer with His Soup, Family Promise, Saint James and Interact. Janel and her husband, Mark, own T&T Conferences, a conference planning and management firm. • Current term ends January 2013.
Kate Townley, Board Member
Kate Townley graduated from The College of William and Mary in 2007 and serves now as the Director of Communications & Ethiopia Hope Project at Journey Church in Bozeman with her husband, Chris Townley, who is Pastor of Student Ministries. She is active in our community in particular by supporting and co-founding The Scramble for Ethiopia and volunteering with Huffing for Stuffing. Current term ends January 2014.
Millie Veltkamp, Board Member
Millie was born and raised in Bozeman and attended Montana State University. She has worked for MSU Extension since 1993, where she is currently the Information Technology Coordinator. She and her husband Jim are the proud parents of Isaac, Chris, Grace & Sam and are former foster parents, serving Gallatin County for several years. Millie is on the leadership team for a new faith community here in Bozeman, called Imagine, leading their intergenerational/children’s community. Millie has served 12+ years in children’s ministry , while being actively involved with Girl Scouts, Belgrade athletics, and other activities her kids participate in. Millie is an active volunteer for Family Promise, and is excited to continue her work with such an outstanding organization that is making a huge difference in our community.
Lisa Price, Board Member
Lisa was born and raised in Colorado and graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a BS in Criminal Justice. She has lived all over the country and has enjoyed the many diverse cultures. Lisa has 26 years in law enforcement and retired last year as a lieutenant with the Kent Police Department in Washington State. During her career she had various responsibilities to include command of the SWAT and K9 teams and supervision of the Training and Community Education Units. In addition, she managed all departmental recruiting and hiring and was the media representative. While in Washington, Lisa was an active member of Rotary and served on the board of the African American Culture Center. Now that she is in Bozeman she has joined the Family Promise board, is active with Bozeman Business and Professional Women and holds office with Gallatin Valley Toastmasters. Lisa and her husband moved to Bozeman last year and are enjoying all the activities and opportunities Bozeman and Montana have to offer. This includes biking, hiking, running, snowshoeing and skiing. They have a beautiful daughter who lives in Washington with their two wonderful grandchildren.
Mike Doyle, Board Member
Mike is a product of Wyoming. He grew up in Casper and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor degree in electrical engineering. In between he served six years in the Navy as a Sonar Technician. After college Mike and his wife Peggy traveled to Seattle where Mike worked as an engineer at Boeing. Mike, Peggy and children, Michael, Meghan and Steven spent seven years in Seattle then relocated to Wyoming before settling in Bozeman in 2000. Mike is currently employed by Lattice Materials LLC as Operations Manager. Mike’s community involvement started in Riverton, WY as a board member and mentor at Good Samaritan shelter, church parish council member and continues in Bozeman as a CAP mentor.
