
Board
Our board

Mike Stewart
chair
Dr. Mike Stewart is a radiologist who has been practicing in Montana since 1992. He is the past medical director of Community Medical Center in Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine and is currently the medical director of Montana Breast Health. He serves as a trustee of the Headwaters Foundation board because he wants make a difference in the health of underserved people and communities in western Montana.

Carissa Kuhl
vice chair
Carissa Kuhl has served Mineral County in the behavioral health field since 2010 in various roles. Her passion for delivering school-based treatment programs has allowed her to work closely with children and their families. Carissa feels Headwaters Foundation brings hope to uniting the efforts of many community partners to offer wrap around supports that resuscitate concepts of ‘community.’

Rachel Huff-Doria
trustee
Rachel Huff-Doria spent four years as the Executive Director of Forward Montana, a statewide organization that builds political power with and for young Montanans. Rachel moved to Big Sky Country from the Appalachian hills, where she worked with a reproductive justice organization in West Virginia, leading community organizing, policy, and advocacy efforts. As a new mom, Rachel is passionate about changing our system so that a healthy start isn’t determined by privilege and chance in western Montana. She was drawn to Headwaters Foundation because of their commitment to trust-based philanthropy and family equity.

Jennifer Means
trustee
Jennifer was born and raised in Northern Montana on the Blackfeet Reservation and is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe. Prior to working in the healthcare field, she was in banking for over 8 years and worked primarily in lending and financial analysis. As Clinic Manager at Partnership Health in Missoula, and with almost a decade of healthcare experience, she is dedicated to ensuring access and delivering healthcare services to the underserved and underrepresented. Jennifer joined the Headwaters Board because she is passionate about making an impact in communities lacking access to care and ensuring that the voices and perspectives of American Indians are elevated within conversations about health and equity.

Richard Opper
treasurer
Richard Opper spent 4 years as Director of the Montana Department of Health and Human Services. There he came to understand some of the many factors affecting the health of Montanans, particularly its most vulnerable populations. He is delighted to serve on the Board of Trustees because of its commitment to helping children lead the full and healthy lives to which all Montanans should be entitled.

Robert J. Phillips
trustee
Born and raised in Montana, Robert J. Phillips has been practicing law since 1978 in the areas of insurance defense of all kinds, including coverage opinions, coverage litigation and bad faith defense. Bob is excited about the work of the Headwaters Foundation because of his longtime commitment to a healthy western Montana.

Kelley Rischke
trustee
Kelley Rischke is a fourth generation Montanan and has been practicing law since 2008. In her role as Assistant Attorney General, Kelley regulated nonprofit and charitable entities, including the sale of nonprofit hospitals like Community Medical Center. She has also litigated against pharmaceutical companies to protect consumers from deceptive advertising claims about the risks and benefits of prescription drugs, including opioids. Kelley serves as trustee at Headwaters Foundation because she is passionate about changing systems to improve the health and happiness for future generations of Montanans.

Jason Smith
trustee
Jason Smith has spent his career in public service working to ensure that the voices and values of Tribal communities are included in policy conversations throughout the state. He has served his community in many different roles working to build Tribal economies on reservations and uphold Tribal Sovereignty through government to government engagement, for the Chairman of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and as Director of Indian Affairs for Governor Steve Bullock. He is currently working to expand access to culturally appropriate health care as Director of the Montana Consortium for Urban Indian Health. He joined the Headwaters board because he knows that supporting communities is essential for improving health and that it takes a community to raise a child.

Jordan Thompson
trustee
Jordan Thompson is a member of and an attorney for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation. Jordan lives east of Flathead Lake at the base of the Mission Mountains and loves spending time outside. Jordan serves on the Headwaters Board because he is passionate about collaborating with others to find innovative ways to support healthy communities.

Christina Twohig
trustee
Missoula-born Christina Twohig, is a CPA and partner at Boyle, Deveny & Meyer. Christina’s practice focuses on estate planning, trusts and estate compliance, as well as business and personal income taxes, financial statement preparation and consulting. She currently serves as the treasurer of the Western Montana Chapter for Elder Abuse and has also served on the boards of the Blue Mountain Clinic, Missoula Chapter of the Montana Society of CPAs and Loyola Foundation. Christina serves as trustee on the Headwaters Foundation board because she believes we have an opportunity to fundamentally improve the health of Western Montanans.

Marilyn Zimmerman
trustee
Marilyn Bruguier Zimmerman (Nakota, Dakota, Ojibway, Newe), Ph.D, Co-Principal Investigator and Sr. Director of Policy and Programs at the National Native Children’s Trauma Center (NNCTC). Dr. Zimmerman is the former Tribal Senior Policy Advisor at OJJDP and Founding Director of the NNCTC. She has been a member of numerous national, state, and local committees and workgroups including the U.S. Presidential (Obama) Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities and the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General’s (Holder) National Task Force on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence. Dr. Zimmerman has expertise in trauma-informed systems-change, provides training and technical assistance in all service systems serving AI/AN children and families, and has participated in cultural adaptation of evidence-based and best practices. Finally, Dr. Zimmerman understands the relationship and community-based principals for the development of trauma-informed best practices for tribes.