Executive Director
Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer
Bonnie Sachatello-Sawyer is the co-founder and executive director of Hopa Mountain, a position she has served in for the past 18 years. She formerly served as the director of Native Waters at Montana State University and the division head for public programs at the Museum of the Rockies. She received her Ed.D. from Montana State University in Adult and Community Education and completed her M.A. in Political Science at the University of Richmond. Her undergraduate degree in Political Science is from Vanderbilt University. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and reading.
Finance MANAGER
Teri Kassens-Crowe
Teri attended Montana State University for her undergraduate and master’s degrees. Her undergraduate degree is in Business with a Finance Emphasis and later received her Master of Professional Accountancy. She serves as the Finance Manager for Hopa Mountain and supports others nonprofits through our capacity-building initiatives too. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, hiking and spending time with her husband and animals on their small homestead.
Local Food Outreach Coordinator
Ali Moxley
Ali joined Hopa Mountain's team in early 2024. She is passionate about creating equitable, sustainable food systems for all. She has her M.S from Montana State University in Sustainable Food Systems and her BSBA in Sustainable Business. She is the co-founder of a specialty cultivated mushroom farm located in Bozeman, MT. In and outside of her work at Hopa Mountain, she focuses on connecting food and agriculture businesses with funding opportunities. Outside of work, you can find Ali foraging, gardening, and cooking food with friends.
Development Coordinator
Shelbi Fitzpatrick
In in her junior year of high school, Shelbi joined Hopa Mountain as a Blackfeet Indigenous Scholar of Promise. In the years to come, Hopa Mountain provided resources and support to help her attend and graduate from Dartmouth College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Native American Studies and Environmental Studies. After serving as the Assistant Director of the Native American Program at Dartmouth College, Shelbi came full circle back to Hopa Mountain. Hopa Mountain's mission to support rural and tribal citizen leaders inspired Shelbi to join the team in April of 2022 and engage individuals and foundations in conversation about how to make impactful change in rural and tribal communities. She enjoys learning about local food and economic systems, and in her free time, likes to fish, write, dance, and cook.
Development Coordinator
Elizabeth V. Swank
Elizabeth joined Hopa Mountain in April 2024. Elizabeth is a doctorate student at Montana State University in the Indigenous and Rural Health program. She has a background in Community Health and a masters in Sustainable Food Systems. Elizabeth is an enrolled member of the Apsáalooke Nation (Crow) and was raised in Garryowen. Growing up on the Crow reservation allowed Elizabeth to know the importance of being connected to one’s family and community. Supporting community needs is an area that Elizabeth is passionate about. She is working towards supporting elders in the community so they can stay in their home as long as possible. When not in school or working with communities, Elizabeth enjoys gardening, hiking, beading, pow-wows, and being with her family.
Scholars of Promise Coordinator
Lucy Rath
Lucy joined Hopa Mountain in May 2022 after serving as a college and career advisor for three alternative public high schools in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was in this role that she realized her passion for supporting students throughout the college search/application process. Lucy is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Environmental Studies at Franklin & Marshall college in Lancaster, PA. A lifelong Montanan, Lucy is thrilled to be back in Big Sky Country working with students across the state in Hopa Mountain's Scholars of Promise program. In her free time, she enjoys fly fishing, watching documentaries, and curating her Spotify playlists.
Scholars of Promise
Joseph McDonald
Joseph is an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and first joined Hopa Mountain as an Indigenous Scholar of Promise (ISP) after his junior year of high school. Now, he serves as a Scholars of Promise program coordinator on the Flathead Reservation. Joseph is currently working towards a Bachelor’s of Science in Symbolic Systems from Stanford University where he works as an oral communication tutor. In his free time, he enjoys playing guitar, video games, and exercising.
Scholars of Promise Coordinator
Joe Johnson
Joe joined Hopa Mountain in August 2023. Joe is currently on an academic journey as a graduate student pursuing his Master of Social Work degree at the University of Montana. He is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians born and raised in Bozeman. Joe’s Bozeman upbringing instilled a deep appreciation for the importance of community. His passion lies in advocating for holistic well-being, breaking down stigmas, offering support to those in need, and pursuing the power of a healthy body and mind. Joe finds solace in music, cooking, and keeping active. Joe is guided by a commitment to positive impact and fostering resilience in the lives of individuals and communities.
Program Coordinator
Latrell Kirkaldie | He/Him
Latrell is an enrolled member of the Fort Belknap Indian Community (A’aniiihnin) and initially joined Hopa as an Indigenous Scholar of Promise (ISP) during his junior year of high school. He has since worked with Hopa on a number of projects over the years and rejoined the crew remotely from Seattle, Washington in 2023. He now serves in the role of program coordinator, overseeing the technological needs of the organization and assisting other programs as needed. Latrell previously worked as program coordinator with the Native American Program at Dartmouth College where he developed and oversaw the community garden, among other projects. Latrell has a deep passion for Mental Health Awareness and gardening. When he is not working, he enjoys kayaking and hiking in the Pacific Northwest.
Latrell holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Dartmouth College.
Scholars of Promise College Coach
Joe Jessepe
Joe Jessepe is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe and has spent his entire life on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. He attended college at Flathead Valley Community College, University of Montana, and was a member of the first cohort of the Native Americans in Natural Resources at Humboldt State University at Arcata, California and majored in Natural Resource Conservation. Joe has served on the Board of Directors of: The Glacier Natural History Association, Opportunities Incorporated, and the Cook Scholarship for St. Paul's School in New Hampshire. Joe is currently the President of CIRCLE, a Non-Profit Indian Education consulting group. He was also a founding member of the Badger-Two Medicine Alliance. Joe has been the driving force behind Scholars of Promise for the past 15 years, supporting students apply to and graduate from college.
Scholars of Promise College Coach
Caleb Williams
Caleb is an enrolled member of the Sokaogon Chippewa Community as well as a descendant of the Assiniboine-Sioux and Chippewa-Cree tribes. His Indian Name is Wabeshke Geshik which translates to Bright Sky. He joined Hopa Mountain as an Indigenous Scholar of Promise his senior year of high school in 2016. In the following months he graduated as the first Native American valedictorian in Billings, Montana at Billings West High School. Hopa Mountain provided exemplary support while attending Amherst College and he graduated with his Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies in 2021. After graduating he worked at Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council as the project coordinator for the Tribal Opioid Response program. Caleb has been working with Hopa Mountain part-time since 2017 and loves motivating rising Scholars of Promise to reach their full academic potential. When he’s not working, he enjoys reading, barbecues, hiking, playing basketball and ping pong, and watching Wheel of Fortune.