Leadership
Montana Jobs Network - Board of Directors
Kate Pace, Board Chair
Chief Operating Officer, Craton Consulting, Missoula
Kate Pace has more than 15 years of experience in client-facing operations and management roles. At Craton Consulting, Kate leads operations, drives growth, and guides the business to maximize value for all stakeholders. Kate also serves as a member of the MHTBA workforce committee. She is passionate about creating inclusive and equitable workforce opportunities in Montana and believes that technology is one of the most powerful vehicles to democratize access to the jobs of the future. Kate graduated from Appalachian State University in 2009 with a degree in Cultural Anthropology.
Libby Brunell Adams, Secretary
Senior Consultant, Cascadia Management Group, Missoula
Libby Brunell Adams has served in interim executive roles from HR to COO for clients and has skilled experience in the manufacturing and IT industries. While working as the HR manager for Missoula-based IT firm Alter Enterprise (acquired by Fisher’s Technology in 2023), Libby led the team in restructuring the organization's tech team and built a recruiting and hiring process that includes a hands-on intern program that serves as Montana’s only apprenticeship program for IT. She also serves on the Missoula Downtown Foundation and Downtown Missoula Partnership boards. She enjoys serving her community, both locally and statewide. With her extensive experience, Libby leads cross-functional teams with diverse skills and backgrounds across the state of Montana and the U.S.
Derek Eaton, Vice Chair
Managing Director, IIInigence, Billings
Derek Eaton is currently the managing director for IIInigence. He previously served as managing director for Triple2Digital, a full-service digital agency specializing in creating software, hardware, and managed services solutions. He spent the last 10 years in technical sales account management roles for IT companies throughout Montana after earning a Network Engineering degree from MSU-Billings. Derek spent his early professional career in insurance. A 7th-generation Eastern Montanan, Derek worked closely with Big Sky Economic Development to help form the Yellowstone Tech Alliance, a group working to grow the capabilities of technology firms in Eastern Montana and attract talent and businesses to the region. He is also a board member for STEM Yellowstone.
Jann Butler
Executive Advisor and Coach, onX, Missoula
Jann Butler is the Executive Advisor and Coach at onXmaps. Butler has extensive global human capital management executive experience in technology, SaaS, and e-commerce companies from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Danaher. In her current role as Executive Advisor & Coach at onX, she leverages her towering strengths of systems thinking as well as her reputation for being a talented coach focused on executives, leaders, and career development to unlock individuals’ potential to further enable onX’s growth trajectory. She is passionate about leveraging her systems and coaching skills to further advance the mission of the Montana Job Network.
Kym Corwin
Head of Workforce Development, Cognizant, Missoula
Kym Corwin works in a vast number of areas within Cognizant. She is key to all aspects of the AIM training program and shares responsibility for the professional development and performance of its 100+ team members. Kym’s primary focus includes mentoring, resource planning, project oversight, and business development. Before joining Cognizant, she worked within the dairy and commodity training industry. In addition to her work at Cognizant, she also leads the Missoula Highland Dance program teaching Scottish Dance to children and adults in the Missoula community.
Kym holds a BA in Organizational Communication Studies with an emphasis in Rhetoric from the University of Montana. She has served on the MHTBA workforce committee since 2021.
Paddy Fleming
Director, Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC), Bozeman
Paddy Fleming has been a manufacturing consultant to Montana's manufacturers since 2001 and has initiated teacher externships, manufacturing apprenticeships, and numerous other workforce development programs. Prior to his work with the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center (MMEC), Paddy spent many years managing and turning around large manufacturing facilities for major corporations throughout the United States. He also serves on the State Workforce Innovation Board.
Paddy earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University and completed his MBA at Olivet Nazarene University.
Tom Gallagher
Dean, Missoula College, Missoula
Dr. Thomas P. Gallagher serves as Associate Vice Provost at the University of Montana and Dean of Missoula College, where he leads statewide initiatives in workforce development, cybersecurity education, and two-year college innovation. A Carroll College graduate with advanced degrees in computer science and educational leadership, Dr. Gallagher has secured substantial external funding to advance student success, action research, and workforce partnerships. He established Montana’s first National Security Agency Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense and has led international education programs through the Mansfield Center. Recognized for his visionary leadership and commitment to economic mobility, Tom brings deep experience in aligning education with high-demand industry sectors and expanding opportunity across Montana’s communities.
Nikki Geiszler
Executive Director, Montana World Affairs Council, Missoula
Nikki Geiszler serves as Executive Director for the Montana World Affairs Council, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to global education and international engagement across Montana. She brings a strong passion for youth education, with a deep commitment to ensuring all students across Montana — no matter their location — are aware of the opportunities available to them. Nikki works to make sure teachers have not only the resources they need, but the ones they want, and is dedicated to ensuring all communities, including the most rural, are part of the conversation and feel valued, included, and empowered. She also serves on the Women in Business Summit Planning Committee for the Montana Chamber of Commerce and is a proud member of Montana Ambassadors.
Carolyn Long
Director, LIFE Scholars MSU | CEO, Transition360, Bozeman
Carolyn has dedicated her career as a Speech Language Pathologist to improving life outcomes for individuals with learning differences and disabilities. She is the Director of the LIFE Scholars program at Montana State University which provides inclusive higher education opportunities and employment pathways for students with Intellectual Disabilities. She is also the founder of Social Optics and Transition360, both software companies focused on improving personal and professional outcomes for students with learning differences and disabilities.
Carolyn has worked in education and healthcare serving Park and Gallatin Counties and loves the communities and values that define Montanans. She brings a deep commitment to developing pathways for all students and adults to obtain meaningful and competitive employment.
LeeAnne Rimel
Senior Director – Strategic Content, Salesforce, Missoula
For more than 15 years, LeeAnne Rimel has worked in the technology space, beginning as an architect for Salesforce and partnering closely with customers to solve complex challenges. Over the past decade, her focus has shifted to enabling technical audiences by helping them develop the skills they need to succeed and adapt in a rapidly changing industry. LeeAnne is invested in the growth of local jobs and the long-term economic future of people who live in Montana. As the economic landscape shifts, she wants to help create more opportunities for Montanans to build meaningful careers without leaving the state.
Keriann Strickland
Chief Marketing Officer, Submittable, Missoula
Keriann Strickland is a seasoned Chief Marketing Officer at Submittable, specializing in strategic communications and integrated marketing. With a strong foundation in journalism and public relations, she has cultivated a diverse skill set that includes content strategy, community outreach, and media relations. Keriann's career spans various roles in marketing and communications, where she has successfully led teams and initiatives in both startup and corporate environments. A Billings native, Keriann is passionate about empowering women in leadership.
Keriann has been a proud donor to the Montana Jobs Network in 2024 and 2025.