So Far: Governor Gianforte’s MT Appointments

Montana's political landscape is changing fast. However, it IS easy to keep up with the latest appointments, Executive Orders and other news in one handy place.

The official site of Governor Greg Gianforte can be found here.

As of Friday, February 5th, 2021, these are all of the officially listed appointments thus far in Montana:

• Administration CIO: TBA
• Department of Administration (Director): Misty Ann Giles
• Department of Agriculture (Director): Mike Foster
• Office of Budget and Program Planning (Director): Kurt Alme
• Department of Commerce (Director): Scott Osterman
• Community Service Director: TBA
• Department of Corrections (Director): Brian Gootkin
• Office of Economic Development (Director): TBA
• Department of Environmental Quality (Director): Chris Dorrington
• Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Director): Henry "Hank" Worsech
• Office of Indian Affairs (Director): Misty Kuhl
• Department of Labor and Industry (Commissioner): Laurie Esau
• Department of Military Affairs (Adjutant General): Major General John "Pete" Hronek
• Montana Lottery Director: TBA
• Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (Director): Amanda Kaster
• Department of Public Health and Human Services (Director): Adam Meier
• Department of Revenue (Director): Brendan Beatty
• Department of Transportation (Director): Malcolm "Mack" Long

You can also find a full list of Governor Gianforte's staff here.

As far as the structure of his COVID-19 taskforce, it is diverse.

• Don Beeman - member of the Bozeman Health Board of Directors; former VP of U.S. Commercial Operations for Merck’s Vaccine Division
• Father Patrick Beretta - parish priest at St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception Churches in Butte
• Daniel Bierschwale - Executive Director of Big Sky Resort Area District
• Dax Cetraro - Owner of Village Inn Pizza, Grand Plaza Casino, Rialto Bar
• Greg Chilcott - Ravalli County Commissioner; Trustee for Montana Association of Counties
• Brenda Connelly - chief operation officer for The Springs Living
• Pamela Cutler, M.D. - emergency room physician and president of the Western Montana Clinic; president of the Montana Medical Association
• Heidi M. Duncan, MD, FAAFP - Medical Director at the Billings Clinic
• Randy Edwards - regional vice president for EmPres Healthcare Management; licensed nursing home administrator
• Scott Gottlieb, M.D. - 23rd commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute
• Wayne Leiker - VP of Refining Operations at Calumet Refinery
• Scott Malloy, LCSW - program director at Montana Healthcare Foundation
• Liz Moore - Executive Director of the Montana Nonprofit Association
• Hannah Nieskens - Superintendent of Whitehall; 2018 Montana Principal of the Year & 2019 NASSP Principal of the Year finalist
• Rick Norby - President of Montana League of Cities and Towns; Mayor of Sidney
• Todd O’Hair - President and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce
• Gwyn Palchak, BSN, RN-BC, ACM-RN - president of District 7 Nurses Association of the Montana Nurses Association
• Adjutant General Matthew Quinn - Commander of Montana Air National Guard; currently leads Governor Bullock’s Coronavirus Task Force
• Brian Rigby - president and apprenticeships coordinator of Iron Workers Local No. 732
• Carley Robertson, M.D. - primary care physician and vice president of the Montana Medical Association
• Sheryl Scheafer - President of Montana Parent Teachers Association
• Dan Schmidt - Superintendent of Poplar Schools
• Jesse Slaughter - Cascade County Sheriff
• Rich St. John - Chief of the Billings Police Department
• Karen Sullivan, MA - Butte-Silver Bow Public Health Officer
• Randy Swenson - Owner of TenderNest Assisted Living
• Cherie Taylor - CEO of Northern Rockies Medical Center
• Steve Wahrlich - Owner of Best Western Plus Clocktower Inn & Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery
• Kaci Wallette - Ft. Peck Tribal Executive Board member and nurse
• Tony Ward, Ph.D. - professor and chair of the School of Public and Community Health Sciences at the University of Montana
• Elsie Arntzen, ex officio - Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Troy Downing, ex officio - Montana State Auditor-elect
• Christi Jacobsen, ex officio - Montana Secretary of State-elect
• Austin Knudsen, J.D., ex officio - Montana Attorney General-elect