Archives: Members

Rich Janssen Jr. is an enrolled Qlispe (upper Kalispel) Tribal Member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. He has spent his entire 31-year career with his Tribes, the last thirteen as the Department Head of Natural Resources, which includes over 258 employees within the Divisions of Environmental Protection, Fish, Wildlife, Recreation, and Conservation, and Engineering and Water Resources. Rich has an undergraduate degree from the University of Montana and a Master of Business Administration from Gonzaga University. Rich is married with a grown daughter and son, Jake, who passed in April of 2023. He also has an English Bulldog named Dennis and is a strong advocate for all people with Autism.

Tracy Campbell is the Superintendent of the City of Missoula Stormwater Utility and has worked with the city since 2019. She manages the operations of the stormwater system and compliance with the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. She has nearly 20 years of experience in environmental regulatory compliance, specializing in the Clean Water Act, USACE Levee Safety Program, and floodplain management. Tracy received her Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University and her Master of Science from Montana State University. She committed to applying scientific principles to protect water quality and helping the City of Missoula make meaningful progress towards environmental sustainability.

Julie Spencer is a Montana native, born and raised in the Flathead Valley. She attended Montana State University and majored in Chemical Engineering but did not complete her degree after getting married and starting a family. After Julie’s children were in school, she returned to school at Flathead Valley Community College where she received an Associate of Science, an Associate of Arts, and an Applied Associate of Science in Business Management with Accounting Emphasis. Julie has worked in the water & wastewater industry since the late 1990s and has been employed at Bigfork Water and Sewer District (BFWS) since 1998. In July 2003, Julie was promoted to General Manager of BFWS and became manager of Woods Bay Water and Sewer District in July 2020. Julie was appointed and elected to the Montana Rural Water Systems Board in 2016 where she served as Treasurer from 2016 to 2023 at which time she was elected as Vice President.

Scott Rumsey was raised in upstate New York, graduated as a biology major from a college in Missouri, and migrated to Montana to accept a fisheries position with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Scott’s early years were spent primarily on Flathead Lake and River monitoring fish populations and angler use. Scott also spent considerable time on stream project permitting required by Montana statute. Scott then advanced to a fisheries biologist position with FWP and undertook fisheries management responsibility for the Swan, Middle Fork and South Fork drainages. Scott’s associated work briefly included population monitoring, fishing regulations, habitat protection, timber sale audits, and threatened and endangered species management and recovery. After 32 years in this career, Scott continues to support good practices that work to sustain healthy fish and wildlife resources and the quality habitat supporting them by serving as a Supervisor on the Flathead Conservation District Board since 2021.

Caroline grew up in a northern Indiana community equally supported by agriculture and manufacturing. After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Caroline returned home to work in rural economic development and then moved west. Eventually settling in Polson, she started her own consulting business providing organizational and project development services to municipal and non-profit clients in fields ranging from healthcare to education to technology. In 2023, Caroline took down her shingle and joined the Lake County Conservation District, using her experience in grant and project development to support local conservation efforts and the people of Lake County. Caroline lives in Polson with her husband, Rob; their beagle, Winston; and their two college-aged sons, Joseph and Kai, who occasionally come home for hot meals and laundry. In her down time, Caroline enjoys hiking in the Missions and acting with the Port Polson Players. 

Josh Letcher was born and raised in Lincoln County, graduated from Lincoln County High School, and attended Flathead Valley Community College. He has worked in a multitude of fields including farming, timber, oil, construction, and real estate; owning and operating his own business for over 15 years. Josh has served on several boards including the Ten Lakes Snowmobile Club, the Tobacco Valley Rod and Gun Club, Montanans for Multiple Use, the Lincoln County Planning Board, and the Lincoln County Local Government Review Board. Since he was young, he has had an interest in public land use and resource management. From the time Josh was in Junior High until now, he has hardly missed a public lands public meeting. He has three teenage boys with his wife Tara, so there is never a dull moment.

Randy Brodehl has been serving as the Flathead County Commissioner for District 3 since 2019. He has spent his adult life working to protect the lives, property, and rights of Flathead citizens. Randy formerly served as a Representative in the State Legislature until 2018 where he was Chairman of the Legislative Audit Committee, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, and Chairman of the Judicial Branch, Law Enforcement, and Justice Subcommittee. Randy also served four years on the Flathead Basin Commission. He is married to Joyce, and they have 22 grandchildren. Randy retired as Fire Chief of the Kalispell Fire Department in 2008. Randy has a bachelor’s degree in Fire Service Management and is an Executive Fire Officer through the National Fire Academy. In his free time, Randy enjoys fishing for bass in the summer, duck hunting and ice fishing in the winter, and bow hunting for elk and deer in the fall. Randy is passionate about assuring that the Flathead remains a great place to live for all generations.

Ron Pifer’s academic background ranges from Mechanical Engineering to Environmental Biology. His extensive professional experience includes Environmental Impact Reports and Statements, plant ecology surveys, aquatic surveys, water quality surveys, state-of-the-art aquaculture, teaching, and providing pro-biotic products for managing ponds, lagoons, septic systems, and aquaculture.