About Us
The Blue Water Task Force is a locally-led nonprofit 501(c) (3) watershed group, headquartered along the famous Gallatin River in Big Sky, Montana. The Task Force is governed by a board of community members representing a wide variety of stakeholders, including homeowners, recreational business owners, developers, and local water resource managers.
Board & Staff
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Jon Holtzman, Chair
Jon has served with the Task Force from the beginning of the organization in 2000. He began coming to the Gallatin Canyon in 1965 and has been a full time resident since 1999. He is currently chair of the Wastewater Solution Forum, an organization investigating ways to manage wastewater in the growing Big Sky community. Jon holds bachelors and masters degrees from Indiana University in journalism and mass communication. He is a former chair of the Ophir School Board, the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce growth and development committee, and a former board member of Gallatin County Big Brothers Big Sisters. He retired from a 30- year career in industry public relations and public affairs in 1998, is a former editor of a prize-winning weekly newspaper in Oregon and served in the U.S. Army as a helicopter pilot. Below is a link to an article written by Jon about his interest in the Gallatin River:
Blue Water Task Force, Devoted Volunteers Work to Protect Stream Quality |
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Eric Becker, Board Member
A fifteen-year resident of Big Sky, Eric is owner and operator of Geyser Whitewater Expeditions and is one of two river recreation representatives on the board. Eric attended Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, another recreational mecca. Eric has also served Big Sky on the advisory committee for the Chamber of Commerce and as a Search & Rescue volunteer and a volunteer fire fighter. Eric enjoys outdoor activities with his wife and young daughter, especially Nordic skiing, kayaking and biking. Below is an article written by Eric about his interest in the Gallatin River:
One Rafter's Perspective on Water |
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Ron Edwards, Board Member
Ron has been the General Manager of the Big Sky County Water & Sewer District 363 for the past 10 years. Prior to this position he served as the Manager for the Green Lake Sanitary District, a summer lake resort community located in Green Lake, Wisconsin from 1988 to 1995. He has a Masters degree in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, and a Bachelors degree in Geology from the University of Montana. Prior to 1988 he worked as a petroleum geologist in the Williston Basin. Ron and his family have lived in the Four Corners area since 1997. He and his wife Karla have 3 children; a daughter 24, and 2 sons 22 and 18. Ron enjoys golf and hunting and serves as the President of the Bozeman American Legion baseball program. Below is an article written by Ron about his interest in the Gallatin River
Zero Goal: BWTF, Yellowstone Club Explore Innovative Use of Wastewater: to make artificial snow |
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Nancy Sheil, Board Member
Nancy teaches high school math and environmental science at Lone Peak High School in Big Sky. Drawn by Big Sky's scenic beauty and year-round outdoor recreation opportunities, Nancy moved to Big Sky in 2000. She worked as a professional ski patroller at Big Sky Resort for eight years while she attended Montana State University to complete her B.S. in Land Resources and Environmental Science. In 2012, Nancy completed her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from MSU. Nancy lives in Big Sky with her husband and two young children. Nancy loves to play outside and share her love of the outdoors with her family, especially if it involves skiing, biking, rafting, or camping.
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Jack Crowther, Vice Chair
Jack, who began visiting Big Sky as a part-time resident in 1974, has resided in the community with his wife Debbie since 1997. Jack is a retired insurance executive from the Minneapolis-St. Paul and a graduate from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Since moving to Big Sky, Jack served on several B.S.O.A committees and was served on the Big Sky Water and Sewer board from 1998 through 2001. He was a key negotiator of the agreement with the Yellowstone Club which assured treated wastewater would not be released in to the Gallatin. Jack is an avid fly fisherman and bird hunter. He also enjoys golf, skiing and fishing. Below is an article written by Jack about his interest in the Gallatin River:
Mutual Benefit: Yellowstone Club Water Project a Win-Win Situation |
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Mike Richter
Mike got a ride to Big Sky in 1991 and has been snowboarding in the area ever since. He has a bachelors degree in Environmental Geology from Ohio University and began working for the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in 1995. Mike collects ground water data from participating landowners across Montana for the GWIC database. He lives with his wife Jodi at Karst in the Gallatin canyon and enjoys long pow runs, safe skin tracks, catching fish until his arm hurts, and friendly Big Sky, Montana. Below is an article written by Mike about his interest in the Gallatin River:
State Agency Monitoring Big Sky Water
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San Schwalbe, Treasurer/Secretary
San has been a full-time resident in Big Sky since 1979. She opened Wildwood Landscaping in 1981, which is now known as Wildwood Nursery, Inc. San is a Landscape Design Consultant and Nursery Professional. She has been a member of the Montana Landscape and Nursery Association since 1995. She has two grown children attending Montana State University. Loving the outdoors, San enjoys hiking, downhill and cross-country skiing here in Big Sky and enjoys snorkeling and scuba diving. Below is an article written by San about her interest in the Gallatin River:
Clean Water, a Community Responsibility |
Staff
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Kristin Gardner, Executive Director
Kristin recently moved to Big Sky from Bozeman, where she recently completed a PhD in Environmental Science and Ecology at MSU with a focus on streamwater quality. Kristin has worked in the Big Sky community for many years, conducting her PhD research in the West Fork watershed and serving as a Big Sky Institute fellow at Ophir School. Along with a passion for the area and a love of the outdoors, she brings a background in Water Resource Engineering and Environmental Planning and experience working for nonprofit organizations. For her Master's research she worked closely with the Nantucket Land Council, a non-profit land trust in Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the Nantucket community on groundwater quality issues. In her free time, Kristin enjoys playing outdoors, listening to live music and traveling with her husband Jeremy, son Elijah, and dog Thailer. |
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Alicia DeGroot, Big Sky Watershed Corps Member
Alicia is a member of the Big Sky Watershed Corps Member, which falls under the AmeriCorps umbrella, she finished her first term with the Blue Water Task Force between October 2011 and August 2012. Now starting a second term Alicia will remain with BWTF until mid-August 2013. A recent graduate from the University of Wisonconsin-Stevens Point, Alicia studied Water Resources and Environmental Ethics. She enjoys cross-country skiing, swimming, ballroom dancing, traveling the world and board games.
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