About Our Staff

Kevin Sylvester

Executive Director

Kevin joined Eagle Mount in the fall of 2019 and works with the board and staff to forward all aspects of the organization’s mission. Kevin holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Connecticut and a Masters in Public Administration from MSU. Kevin is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and a Fellow in Charitable Estate Planning (FCEP). Outside of work, Kevin loves spending time with his wife Carolynn and their daughters Ruth and Gwen, fixing up their home, and exploring Montana.

ksylvester@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4425

Bruce Anderson

Director of Programs

Bruce is a fourth generation Montanan who happily returned to Montana after serving 30 years in the Navy as a helicopter pilot and naval officer. After living in a variety of locations around the U.S. and Europe, his wife Kristi and he realized there is nowhere quite like Bozeman and returned in 2015. Since then, he has volunteered at Eagle Mount in the winter programs and cycling in the summer. The prospect of becoming involved at Eagle Mount in a full time capacity was too much to pass up and he happily welcomed the opportunity to get involved as the Director of Programs. Before his time in the navy, he worked as a hired hand on a ranch and for the Forest Service as a Missoula Smokejumper. He enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, gardening, and half ironman triathlons.

banderson@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4431

Pearl Nixon

Director of Finance and Operations

Eagle Mount has been a part of Pearl’s life since she started volunteering with the Horsemanship Program as a teenager, where she discovered that helping others enjoy something you love is truly rewarding. However, her passion for supporting friends and neighbors with disabilities started when she was lucky enough to have inclusive classrooms in the Bozeman schools. Pearl joined the staff in 2013, and has a special place in her heart for activities that offer adults with developmental disabilities lifelong recreation.

pnixon@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4417

Heather Thomas

Director of Development

Heather joined Eagle Mount in July 2024 as the Director of Development. She works with the staff and board to raise support for Eagle Mount’s incredible mission. A proud graduate of Trinity College (Hartford, CT), she brings more than 20 years of professional development experience, including at Humanities Nebraska, the University of Virginia, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. As a parent of an Eagle Mount participant, Heather is passionate about celebrating all abilities and providing access to big adventures in Montana’s spectacular nature. An adventurer at heart, she and her family love to hike, fish, camp and cross-country ski. Making collage cards fills her creative spirit.She lives in Livingston with her family and English cocker spaniel Skipper.

hthomas@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4430

Trevor Olson

Operations Manager

Born and raised in Bozeman, Trevor learned about Eagle Mount while obtaining his degrees in Physics and Mathematics at Montana State University. After college, Trevor spent several years fixing wind turbines by rappelling off of them and spending his winters as an adaptive snow sports assistant for Eagle Mount. During that time he obtained his Level 1 Alpine and Level 2 Adaptive PSIA certifications, and helped lead the Eagle Mount Bridger and Big Sky programs. The love of Eagle Mount kept pulling at Trevor and in the winter of 2020 he accepted the position of Director of Operations. In his free time, Trevor enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, and spending time in the outdoors, be it rock climbing, skiing, camping, or any of the other plethora of outdoor opportunities that we get to enjoy by living in the treasure state.

tolson@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4414

Sailor Neale

Facilities Manager

Sailor grew up in Vancouver B.C., mountain biking, snowboarding, and sailing. Upon moving to Bozeman over a decade ago, Sailor immediately discovered Eagle Mount and began volunteering with Bridger Ski Program alongside the ice-skating program. Sailor is excited to be keeping all the buildings and equipment running at top notch, ensuring the Eagle Mount programs can run effortlessly for all.

Sailor spends his free time attempting to teach his cat, Shuri, to be just a little less feral, and can be found mountain biking, four wheeling, or making metal art.

sneale@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4427

Andrew Flakker

Administrative Assistant

Andrew is a native of Glendive, Montana and attended several universities throughout state before coming to work at Eagle Mount in January of 2020. As a child, Andrew was treated by the Shriners Hospital for Children in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is overjoyed to add his experience of disability self-advocacy and disability community support to Eagle Mount’s already decades long commitment to adaptive recreation.

aflakker@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4411

Gale Bennett

Development Coordinator

Gale is from the Boston area. She graduated from Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ) in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Business and majored in Information Systems. Gale has been a lifelong athlete and was a member of the Stevens DIII Women’s lacrosse team. Since high school, Gale has been involved with Special Olympics, in MA and MT, and has volunteered for other adaptive sports programs, so Eagle Mount is a perfect fit. She moved to Bozeman in June of 2024 to be in the mountains. In her free time, Gale loves to sing, hike, meet new people and try new things. Gale loves cats, although she doesn’t have one of her own (yet)!

gbennett@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4410

Terrence Gotz

Philanthropy Officer

Terrence moved to Bozeman in 2001 from Minnesota to be closer to the mountains and the resorts he grew up skiing—Big Sky and Bridger Bowl. He first came to Eagle Mount as a volunteer ski instructor with the Big Sky ski program. Currently his youngest daughter enjoys skiing, swimming, and riding horses with Eagle Mount as a participant. He brings over a decade of experience in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership. Terrence, his wife Robyn, and two daughters can often be found on the trails around town, biking or on the slopes of Big Sky Resort.

tgotz@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4424

Liz Jones

Design Coordinator

Liz moved to Bozeman from Minnesota for school at Montana State University where she studied Graphic Design and Studio Art. She moved to be closer to the mountains for skiing and hiking and to join the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association at MSU. Liz first got involved with Eagle Mount in 2018 volunteering with the ski program and was super excited when a design position opened up! When she’s not designing or creating art, Liz can be found riding horses in the mountains, playing subpar fiddle tunes, or camping out of her beloved mom van, Betty.

ljones@eaglemount.org | (406) 586-1781

Nichole Meeks

Event & Sponsorship Manager

Nichole has lived and worked in the Gallatin Valley for over a decade. Originally from Connecticut, Nichole earned a degree in Graphic Design from Champlain College in Burlington, VT. After working in the adventure travel business, she transitioned to specializing in grant writing, donor relations, and project coordination for community-focused nonprofits. Outside of work, Nichole, her husband and two children enjoy hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and traveling. Nichole was drawn to Eagle Mount for the opportunity to combine her professional expertise in nonprofit development with a passion for the outdoors.

nmeeks@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4426

Anna Smoot

Grants Manager

After growing up in Colorado, Anna earned BAs in English and Secondary Education from the University of Wyoming and completed her Certified Fundraising Executive, CFRE, in 2017. Anna has spent her career raising support for causes from education to mental health and substance abuse, spending eight years in healthcare philanthropy at UCHealth in northern Colorado and Bozeman Health Foundation prior to joining the Eagle Mount team. Anna, her husband Doug, and their three young sons live in south Bozeman with their energetic lab mix, Ginger, and spend their free time hiking, skiing, camping, grilling in the back yard, gardening, and enjoying all that Montana has to offer.

asmoot@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4416

Melia Swirsky

Marketing & Communications Manager

Born and raised on O’ahu, Melia came to Bozeman to study at Montana State University. She earned a degree in Business Marketing and a minor in Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship. During her time at MSU, she was actively involved in the All-Women Outdoors Club, the Boardroom Bobcat program, and the American Marketing Association. Her passion for inclusive outdoor experiences drives her work at Eagle Mount. In her free time, Melia enjoys hiking, skiing, swimming, arts and crafts, and petting all the dogs on Peet’s Hill.

mswirsky@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4415

Brian Guido

Recreation Program Director

Brian joined the Eagle Mount team August 2024. Brian grew up in Pullman, Washington. Coming from a white water back ground, he river guided for ten summers on the salmon river, then shifted to working in Adaptive skiing in Colorado for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center. Brian achieved his under graduate and graduate degrees at the University of Idaho in Recreation Administration and has since continued in the Adaptive field in Salt Lake City at the University of Utah Hospital Rehab for Trails, as well at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort’s Adaptive program/ Teton Adaptive, in Jackson Wyoming.

bguido@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8479

Paige Robison

Recreation Assistant Director

Paige is originally from Northern California, she moved to Bozeman 10 years ago for school at MSU where she studied Early Childhood Elementary Education with an emphasis in Special Education. She started volunteering with Eagle Mount in 2017 in our Ski Program and it was the highlight of her ski seasons. This is where she fell in love with Eagle Mount and the mission, her “Golden Eagle Moment” was being hired on in 2022 as an adaptive ski instructor. This is where her passion for adaptive recreation flourished, and she knew she wanted to make a career out it! When not on the ski hill with Eagle Mount or at Adventure days you find can her camping, biking, hiking, and enjoying time in the good ole outdoors!

probison@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8481

Beth Wilson

Recreation Associate Director (Big Sky)

Beth is originally from Michigan, but lived in Colorado for 11 years before coming to Montana in 2016. Her teaching background is working with children with autism in both public schools, and in an Autism Center. While earning her BA degree in Special Education, she volunteered for the STARS adaptive ski program in Steamboat Springs, CO. In the summer of 2010, she was a backcountry/wilderness therapy guide in Utah where she discovered her passion for teaching outdoors. Since Beth’s arrival in Big Sky, she has supervised the locals Skiwees program at Big Sky Resort, but has spent most of her time raising her two boys. Beth is grateful for the opportunity to combine her passion for outdoors and her passion for supporting those with special needs at Eagle Mount. Beth has a husband (Chad) and two boys (TJ and Levon), and a German Shorthaired Pointer (Emerald). They can be found doing a variety of outdoor activities including skiing in the winter, and mountain biking or rafting in the summer.

bwilson@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8480

Drew Asaro

Recreation Associate Director (Cycling and Bridger Bowl)

Drew was born and raised in Boise, ID, moved to Bozeman 2016 to ski and mountain bike. In January of 2018, he broke his back in a ski accident, leaving him paralyzed from the belly button down. He then joined Eagle Mount as a participant in the snow sports program. After that, he joined the Eagle Mount adaptive skiing teaching team and by the end of the 2019 season, he was just barely good enough to teach beginner/ intermediate sit ski lessons. Now he runs the Bridger Bowl program.

aasaro@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8483

Kasady Brehm

Snowsports Volunteer Coordinator

Originally from Nebraska, Kasady interned for Eagle Mount in 2018 while completing her degree in exercise science at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. She moved to Big Sky five years ago for the snowboard season and stayed for the summers and rafting season. Her passion for facilitating experiences in the outdoors brought her back to Eagle Mount and she’d love to continue evolving in world of adaptive outdoor recreation. When she’s not playing outside in the sun, you can find her being creative with crocheting or making jewelry.

kbrehm@eaglemount.org | (406) 306-0877

Aislinn Lamoreaux

Recreation Assistant

Aislinn is an avid outdoors woman, breathing biking, running, skiing, climbing, you name it. Hailing from Eugene, Oregon but more recently Bend, Ash is a newcomer to the Gallatin Valley. Going to school out east at Hampshire College she studied environmental science and outdoor education and has since perused work in the adaptive sports world. She has worked as an adaptive ski instructor, in equine therapy and recreation therapy in Colorado and Oregon, over the past four years. Ash deeply values the connections, friendships, and importance of her work in this field.

alamoreaux@eaglemount.org | (406) 586-1781

Nora Zager

Recreation Assistant

Nora was born and raised in Bozeman, left to the east coast for college, and found her way back after graduating to pursue photography and live in the mountains. She now photographs weddings, elopements and portraits around Montana, and helps host photo workshops around the world. Nora worked in the special education department in high school, and was involved in a college tutoring program where she volunteered with elementary school kids with learning disabilities living in South Boston. She began volunteering for Eagle Mount’s ski program, where she fell in love with the community of people she met. She is excited to be all the more involved this summer!

nzager@eaglemount.org | (406) 586-1781

Claire Brunner

Horsemanship Director

Claire, a Midwesterner, moved to Livingston, MT with her husband in 2013. Being a PATH International Certified Horsemanship Instructor, she was immediately welcomed by Eagle Mount and started as a volunteer instructor. In 2019 her dream job was realized and she became a full time staff member. She loves making Adaptive riding fun and spending time with her favorite horse, Wilbur.

cbrunner@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8474

Joanna Rodgers-Liston

Horsemanship Barn Manager

Joanna grew up in central Connecticut but quickly fell in love with the mountains after moving to Montana for college in 2011. While gaining a BS in Animal Science with an equine emphasis at MSU, Joanna was a part of the IHSA team and horse driving club, in addition to volunteering and interning at Eagle Mount in the adaptive horsemanship program. After graduating, Joanna gained valuable horse experience at various barns in the valley before returning to Eagle Mount to join the horsemanship staff in November 2019. She became a certified therapeutic riding instructor in 2022 and a level 1 therapeutic driving instructor in 2024. Joanna enjoys spending time with her 3 ponies, llama, 2 Icelandic sheep, and 2 cats, in addition to competing in medieval tournaments (SCA).

jrodgers-liston@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-8476

Danielle Higgins

Horsemanship Barn Assistant

Danielle grew up in South Florida and discovered her passion for horses at age six. She rode both competitively and for fun before moving out West in 2023 to work in Yellowstone. After relocating to Bozeman in 2024, she began volunteering with Eagle Mount’s Adaptive Horsemanship program and is now continuing that passion as a staff member. Danielle spends as much time as she can with horses and believes learning never ends—especially in horsemanship.

dhiggins@eaglemount.org | (406) 586-1781

Carol Johnson

Horsemanship Instructor

Long-time resident of the Gallatin Valley, Carol lives with her family (husband, son, and horses, dogs, cats and a peacock) north of Belgrade. She taught ecology (mostly plants) for years, filling “spare” time with riding, training, & raising horses. Her various horse-partners did racing, dressage, (low!) jumping, mountain trails, and shared uncountable pleasurable hours. Volunteering at Eagle Mount in horticulture and horsemanship in 2021 led her to become a PATH-certified therapeutic riding instructor in 2024. She loves working with and learning from the people and horses at Eagle Mount!

cjohnson@eaglemount.org | (406) 586-1781

Maggie Lowry

Aquatics Director

Maggie has been with Eagle Mount since 2013, first as Assistant Aquatic Director and then hosting Saturday Night Out, Kids’ Night Out and Sibling Night Out, and founded the Parent Support Group with SEPTA in 2015. Maggie has enjoyed growing the family support offerings into a full-fledged program, and feels the future holds endless opportunities! In her free time, Maggie is an artist creating sculptural paintings, enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, and is an enthusiastic cyclist.

mlowry@eaglemount.org | (406) 577-6636

Finn Connors

Arts and Horticulture Director

Finn grew up hiking, fly fishing, and skiing in the Gallatin Valley. After receiving their degree in Visual Communication Design, Finn moved back home and jumped into opportunities to reconnect with the community, serving as a leader for the MT Conservation Corps Youth Programs, maintaining city parks, and volunteering with GVLT. Walking into the Eagle Mount campus for Snow Sports volunteer orientation, Finn immediately felt at home. They volunteered with downhill skiing at Bridger Bowl, and then Adventure Days, Horticulture, and Horsemanship. Their role leading Eagle Mount’s Adaptive Arts program is the perfect way to combine their skills in art with their passion for building community.

fconnors@eaglemount.org | (406) 201-5522

Oliver Cole

Big Sky Kids Assistant

Oliver is a Bozeman native and proud graduate of Montana State University (Go Cats!). Prior to Eagle Mount, he worked in the Bozeman Health Cancer Center coordinating clinical trials and has volunteered with Eagle Mount since 2018 in several programs. As the brother of an Eagle Mount participant, Oliver is aware of the amazing role Eagle Mount plays in so many individuals’ and families’ lives and thankful to be a part of continuing the organization’s mission as a staff member. In his free time, Oliver enjoys coaching high school soccer, running the trails of Bozeman, skiing, and experiencing vicarious dog ownership through his parents’ pooches Poppy, Stuart, and Edmund.

ocole@eaglemount.org | (406) 602-4412