Last Update: 10/07/2024

Department of Agriculture

Website:   agr.mt.gov

Department of Agriculture Organizational Chart

Contacts
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

Director, Christy Clark cclark@mt.gov (406) 444-5440
Deputy Director, Zach Coccoli z.coccoli@mt.gov (406) 444-0132
Attorney, Vacant agr@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

Chief Financial Officer, Cody Pearce cody.pearce@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
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

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

Administrator, Zach Coccoli z.coccoli@mt.gov (406) 444-0132

Ag Finance, Trade & Market Development Bureau

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
Federal Grants Specialist, Olivia Mays olivia.mays@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

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

Market Devleopment 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

Director, Dan Reimer daniel.reimer@mt.gov (406) 604-7181
Administrative Assistant, Ethan Wilburn ethan.wilburn@mt.gov (406) 604-7182
Administrative Specialist, Stephanie Cordeiro stephanie.cordeiro@mt.gov (406) 604-7183
Lab Coordinator, Kari Schiller kschiller@mt.gov (406) 604-7185
Ag Inspector, Jeff Hofstad jhofstad@mt.gov (406) 604-7186
Ag Inspector, Tom Troxwell tom.troxell@mt.gov (406) 604-7189
Ag Inspector, Michael Birkoski mbirkoski@mt.gov (406) 604-7187
Ag Technician, Ron Dunlap ronald.dunlap@mt.gov (406) 604-7184
Ag Technician, Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 604-7189
Quality Assurance/Lead Inspector,  Adam Gutzwiler adam.gutzwiler@mt.gov (406) 604-7190

Plentywood State Grain Laboratory

Lab Coordinator, Patti Hedges phedges@mt.gov (406) 765-1005
Ag Technician, Brian DeJardine brian.dejardine@mt.gov (406) 765-1005
Ag Technician, Dawn Johnstone dawn.johnstone@mt.gov (406) 765-1005

Wheat and Barley Bureau, Great Falls

Website montanawbc.com
Bureau Chief, Kent Kupfner kent.kupfner@mt.gov (406) 604-7593
Administrative Support/Receptionist, Tammy Suek tsuek@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
Communications Coordinator, Vacant wbc@mt.gov (406) 604-7591
FAX Number (406) 761-7851

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES DIVISION

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

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, Rylie Warren rylie.warren@mt.gov (406) 444-5471
Licensing & Registration Specialist, Nancy Edwards nancy.edwards@mt.gov (406) 444-9421

Agricultural Services Bureau

Bureau Chief, Kima Traynham ktraynham@mt.gov (406) 444-9431

Agricultural Services Bureau Field Offices

Field Office - District 1

Plant Science Specialist  Tonda Moon

tmoon@mt.gov (406) 329-1346
Field Office - District 2
Plant Science Specialist  - Theresa Schrum
tschrum@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  - Diana DeYoung
ddeyoung@mt.gov (406) 228-9510
Field Office - District 5
Plant Science Specialist  - Caitlyn Forrester
c.forrester@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  - Kaitlyn Schelbert
k.schelbert@mt.gov (406) 257-9015
Field Office - Lewistown
Vertebrate Pest Specialist  - Stephen M. Vantassel
svantassel@mt.gov (406) 538-3004

Pesticide Compliance Section

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

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) 538-3004

Noxious Weed Section

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
Noxious Weed Grant Coordinator, Greta Dige greta.dige@mt.gov (406) 444-7882

Groundwater Section

Sustainable Agriculture Section Supervisor, Brett Heitshusen bheitshusen@mt.gov (406) 444-3271
Hydrologist, John Peterson john.peterson@mt.gov (406) 444-5422
Pesticide Container Recycling Technician, Paul Johnson paul.johnson@mt.gov (406) 431-3204

Analytical Laboratory Bureau, Bozeman

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) 577-7920
Analytical Chemist, Jessi Langlais jessica.langlais@mt.gov (406) 577-7926
Senior Feed & Fertilizer Chemist, Vacant agr@mt.gov (406) 577-7922
FAX Number (406) 444-7927

Commodity Services Bureau

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

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 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) 329-1344
District B (Bozeman Office)
Agricultural Science Specialist - Alex Vissotzky
   alex.vissotzky@mt.gov (406) 556-3766
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

Natural Resources Section

Phyto/CAPS Survey Coordinator, Frank Etzler frank.etzler@mt.gov (406) 444-9066
State Entomologist, Alyssa Piccolomini apiccolomini@mt.gov (406) 444-3970
Nursery Specialist, Quarantine, Carson Thomas carson.thomas@mt.gov (406) 444-3428

Organic Section

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, Vacant etyanich@mt.gov (406) 465-7760

Pest Management & Hemp Section

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