State of Montana Directory
Last Update: 11/04/2025

Department of Agriculture

Website: agr.mt.gov

Department of Agriculture Organizational Chart

Office Information

Contact Type Phone Number
Main Number (406) 444-3144
Fax Number (406) 444-5409
TTY (Telephone Device for the Deaf) 711

DIRECTOR'S OFFICE

AGRICULTURE/LIVESTOCK/JUSTICE BUILDING
302 North Roberts
PO Box 200201, Helena, MT 59620-0201

Directors Staff

Name Email Address Phone Number
Director, Jillien Streit jillien.striet@mt.gov (406) 444-5440
Deputy Director, Zach Coccoli z.coccoli@mt.gov (406) 444-0132
Attorney, Anna Kecskes anna.kecskes@mt.gov (406) 444-5402
Communications Officer, Logan Kruse logan.kruse@mt.gov (406) 444-3684
Executive Assistant, Jesse May jesse.may@mt.gov (406) 444-3156
FAX Number   (406) 444-5409

CENTRAL SERVICES DIVISION

Fiscal Services

Name Email Address Phone Number
Chief Financial Officer, Kari Hahn kari.hahn@mt.gov (406) 444-5405
Accountant, MacKenzie Welch mackenzie.welch@mt.gov (406) 444-5403
Accountant, Brittany Brott bbrott@mt.gov (406) 444-5404
Accountant, David Johnson david.johnson@mt.gov (406) 444-4197
Budget Analyst, Sunni Hitchcock sunni.h@mt.gov (406) 444-3640
FAX Number   (406) 444-5409

Human Resources

Name Email Address Phone Number
Operations Manager, Mikal Wilkerson mikal.wilkerson@mt.gov (406) 444-9474
Human Resources Generalist, Traci Merzlak traci.merzlak@mt.gov (406) 444-3145
HR & Office Coordinator, Sonya Amman sonya.amman@mt.gov (406) 444-3144
Human Resource FAX Number   (406) 444-0606

Office of Information Technology

Name Email Address Phone Number
Chief Information Officer,  Rick Corder rick.corder@mt.gov (406) 444-2934
Application Developer & Administrator, Stanley Munson stanley.munson@mt.gov (406) 444-9492
Database Developer & Administrator, Chuck Vopicka chuck.vopicka@mt.gov (406) 444-4974
Web Developer & Administrator, Ben Harris ben.harris@mt.gov (406) 444-9562

AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

Name Email Address Phone Number
Administrator, Zach Coccoli z.coccoli@mt.gov (406) 444-0132

Ag Finance, Trade & Market Development Bureau

Name Email Address Phone Number
Agriculture Finance, Trade, & Development Bureau Chief, Andy Fjeseth afjeseth@mt.gov (406) 444-3571
Grants Manager, Aly Townsend a.townsend@mt.gov (406) 444-5424
Agricultural Grant Specialist/GTA Program Manager, Bailey Kaskie bailey.kaskie@mt.gov (406) 444-0134
Agricultural Grant Specialist/SCBG Program Specialist, Caitlin Hortert c.hortert@mt.gov (406) 461-5520
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program Manager,  Makae Reed makae.reed@mt.gov (406) 621-0786
Federal Grants Specialist, Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 444-5408
Food and Agriculture Development Specialist, Jim Auer jauer@mt.gov (406) 444-0248
Food & Agriculture Development Officer, Hailey Vine hailey.vine@mt.gov (406) 594-3714
FAX Number   (406) 444-9442

Ag Finance

Name Email Address Phone Number
Rural Development/Farm & Ranch Loan Manager, Walt Anseth wanseth@mt.gov (406) 444-5420
Hail Insurance Technician/Hay Hotline, Dani Jones danielle.jones@mt.gov (406) 444-2402
Hail Customer Service   (406) 444-6265
Hail Insurance Hotline   1-844-515-1571

Trade and Market Development

Name Email Address Phone Number
Market Development Officer, Marty Earnheart mearnheart@mt.gov (406) 444-9126
Marketing Officer, Weston Merrill weston.merrill@mt.gov (406) 558-9880
Website www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Montana/  

State Grain Laboratory Bureau

Great Falls State Grain Laboratory

Name Email Address Phone Number
Director, Tristan Bradford tristan.bradford@mt.gov (406) 604-7181
Administrative Assistant, Kyla McNamara kyla.mcnamara@mt.gov (406) 604-7182
Administrative Specialist, Baylee Hall baylee.hall@mt.gov (406) 604-7183
Lab Coordinator, Kari Schiller kschiller@mt.gov (406) 604-7185
Quality Assurance Specialist, Adam Gutzwiler adam.gutzwiler@mt.gov (406) 604-7190
Ag Inspector, Jeff Hofstad jhofstad@mt.gov (406) 604-7186
Ag Inspector, Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 604-7187
Ag Inspector, Amanda Buhmann amanda.buhmann@mt.gov (406) 604-7189
Ag Technician, Tom Troxwell tom.troxell@mt.gov (406) 604-7189
Ag Technician, Jonathon Biddle jonathon.biddle@mt.gov (406) 652-1917

Plentywood State Grain Laboratory

Name Email Address Phone Number
Lab Coordinator, Patti Hedges phedges@mt.gov (406) 765-1005
Ag Inspector,  Jordan Bjorgen jordan.bjorgen@mt.gov (406) 765-1005
Ag Technician, Kandi Torgerson kandi.torgerson@mt.gov (406) 765-1005

Wheat and Barley Bureau, Great Falls

Name Email Address Phone Number
Website   montanawbc.com
Bureau Chief, Kent Kupfner kent.kupfner@mt.gov (406) 604-7593
Administrative Support/Receptionist, Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 604-7589
Administrative Assistance/Accountant, Kolleen Spurgin kspurgin@mt.gov (406) 604-7590
Trade & Marketing Manager, Lori Wickett lori.wickett@mt.gov (406) 604-7592
Project Coordinator, Nick Scott nickolas.scott@mt.gov (406) 604-7591
FAX Number   (406) 761-7851

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES DIVISION

Name Email Address Phone Number
Administrator, Ian Foley ifoley@mt.gov (406) 444-9454
Program Assistant, Kim Englert kimberlyenglert@mt.gov (406) 444-2944
FAX Number   (406) 444-9493

Licensing & Registration Unit

Name Email Address Phone Number
Seed & Commodity Dealer/Warehouse Program Manager, Bob Ballensky bballensky@mt.gov (406) 444-3950
Licensing & Registration Specialist, Kay Deskins kdeskins@mt.gov (406) 444-0510
Licensing & Registration Specialist, Kyra Allison Wright k.allison-wright@mt.gov (406) 444-3691
Licensing & Registration Specialist,  Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 444-5471
Licensing & Registration Specialist,  Nancy Edwards nancy.edwards@mt.gov (406) 444-9421

Agricultural Services Bureau

Name Email Address Phone Number
Bureau Chief, Kima Traynham ktraynham@mt.gov (406) 444-9431

Agricultural Services Bureau Field Offices

Field Office/Contact Email Address Phone Number
Field Office - District 1

Plant Science Specialist  - Tonda Moon

 tmoon@mt.gov (406) 329-1346
Field Office - District 2
Plant Science Specialist  -  Vacant		 agr@mt.gov (406) 587-9067
Field Office - District 3
Plant Science Specialist  - Jake Degenstein		 jake.degenstein@mt.gov (406) 761-0655
Field Office - District 4
Plant Science Specialist  - Caitlyn Forrester		 c.forrester@mt.gov (406) 594-4782

Field Office - District 5
Plant Science Specialist  - Karly Fills

 karly.gills@mt.gov (406) 652-3617
Field Office - District 6
Plant Science Specialist  -  Kaleb Pearson 		kpearson@mt.gov (406) 444-5953
Field Office - District 7
Plant Science Specialist  - Vacant		 agr@mt.gov (406) 257-9015
Field Office - Lewistown
Vertebrate Pest Specialist  - Stephen M. Vantassel		 svantassel@mt.gov (406) 538-3004

Pesticide Compliance Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Pesticide Compliance Supervisor, Leonard Berry lberry@mt.gov (406) 444-6982
Case Review, Worker Protection, Kaleb Pearson kpearson@mt.gov (406) 444-5953

Training & Development Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Pesticide Training & Development Supervisor, Matt Deaton mathew.deaton@mt.gov (406) 444-3676
Education & Outreach Specialist, Lori Leaf lori.leaf@mt.gov (406) 444-5512
Training/Development Specialist, Beth Thomas beth.thomas@mt.gov (406) 444-3732
Vertebrate Pest Specialist, Stephen Vantassel svantassel@mt.gov (406) 431-7720

Noxious Weed Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
State Weed Coordinator, Jasmine Chaffee jchaffee@mt.gov (406) 444-3140
AgCorps Program Coordinator, Amanda Coyle amanda.coyle@mt.gov (406) 444-7819
Early Detection, Rapid Response Coordinator, Josh Wagoner josh.wagoner@mt.gov (406) 444-7880
Invasive Species Education Coordinator,  Megan Hoyer megan.hoyer@mt.gov (406) 594-9171
Noxious Weed Grant Coordinator, Greta Dige greta.dige@mt.gov (406) 444-7882

Groundwater Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Sustainable Agriculture Section Supervisor, Brett Heitshusen bheitshusen@mt.gov (406) 444-3271
Hydrologist, John Peterson john.peterson@mt.gov (406) 444-5422
Pesticide Disposal, Carli Davis carli.davis@mt.gov (406) 444-5422
Pesticide Container Recycling Technician, Paul Johnson paul.johnson@mt.gov (406) 431-3204

Analytical Laboratory Bureau, Bozeman

Name Email Address Phone Number
Bureau Chief, Jona Verreth jverreth@mt.gov (406) 577-7918
Assistant Lab Director, Kelsey Powers kelsey.powers@mt.gov (406) 577-7921
Technical Program Manager,  Robin Johnson robinjohnson@mt.gov (406) 577-7919
Analytical Chemist, Jaci Darlow jdarlow@mt.gov (406) 577-7924
Analytical Chemist, SooRyong Yoon syoon@mt.gov (406) 577-7925
Analytical Chemist, April Oliver april.oliver@mt.gov (406) 577-7922
Analytical Chemist, Jessi Langlais jessica.langlais@mt.gov (406) 577-7926
Feed & Fertilizer Chemist, Abie McCollar abie.mccollar@mt.gov (406) 577-7920
FAX Number   (406) 444-7927

Commodity Services Bureau

Name Email Address Phone Number
Bureau Chief, Ed Evanson edward.evanson@mt.gov (406) 444-2945
Seed Potato, Anhydrous Ammonia & Produce Program Manager, Larry Krum lkrum@mt.gov (406) 444-5419
Food Safety Manager, Andrea Sarchet andrea.sarchet@mt.gov (406) 444-0131
Produce Safety Compliance Specialist, Jessica Arneson jessicaarneson@mt.gov (406) 444-3001

Field Operations Section, Feed & Fertilizer

Name Email Address Phone Number
Commodities Section Program Manager, Ryan Solberg rsolberg@mt.gov (406) 556-4535
Feed & Fertilizer Specialist, Falina Hutchinson fhutchinson@mt.gov (406) 444-5415

Field Offices

District/Contact Email Address Phone Number
District A: North (Kalispell Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Taylor Cline		 taylor.cline@mt.gov (406) 257-9014
District A: South (Missoula Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Reed Traynor		 reed.traynor@mt.gov (406) 329-1345
District B (Bozeman Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Alex Vissotzky		 alex.vissotzky@mt.gov (406) 556-4535
District C: North (Conrad Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Dawn Bales		 dbales@mt.gov (406) 278-9120
District C: South (Great Falls Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Michaela Hystad		 mhystad@mt.gov (406) 761-0926
District D (Glasgow Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Robyn Cassel		 rcassel@mt.gov (406) 228-8012
District E: East (Forsyth Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Nick Metcalfe		 nick.metcalfe@mt.gov (406) 346-5483
District E: West (Billings Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Laurie Neuman		 lneuman@mt.gov (406) 652-3616

Commodity Services Bureau

Natural Resources Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Phyto/CAPS Survey Coordinator, Frank Etzler frank.etzler@mt.gov (406) 444-9066
State Entomologist, Amy Savage amy.savage@mt.gov (406) 444-3970
Nursery Specialist, Quarantine, Carson Thomas carson.thomas@mt.gov (406) 444-3428

Organic Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Organic Program Manager, Ed Tyanich etyanich@mt.gov (406) 465-8305
Organic Program Specialist, Kelly Hill kelly.hill@mt.gov (406) 437-1178
Organic Program Specialist, Justin Vetch justin.vetch@mt.gov (406) 465-7760

Commodity Services Bureau

Pest Management & Hemp Section

Name Email Address Phone Number
Hemp Program Technician, Mikayla Moore mikayla.moore@mt.gov (406) 444-5430
Ag Field Technician, Braden Stremcha braden.stremcha@mt.gov (406) 444-5517
FAX Number   (406) 444-9466