board of directors
Emily Wilmott
Emily grew up along the banks of the Hudson River near Albany, New York. The juxtaposition of the river’s ecological degradation with that of New York’s capitol buildings always presented somewhat of an environmental paradox. The very institutions that were able to protect such a vital resource sat idly by as contaminated waters continued to be polluted. This grave injustice sparked Emily’s interest in pursuing an education in environmental policy.
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Emily attended the SUNY- College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY, which further laid the foundation for her passion in environmental policy and water resources. After earning her undergraduate degree, Emily attended Vermont Law School where she served as a Water and Justice Associate at Vermont’s Water and Justice program, earned a special certificate in Water Resources Law, and worked as lead clinician for two semesters at the nation’s top-ranked Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic. In 2015, Emily relocated to the beautiful Missoula, MT. She is currently an associate attorney for Ferguson Law Office where she specializes in water and environmental law. Emily believes that resource conservation requires community engagement and citizen stewardship. While not working, Emily enjoys hiking, skiing and continuing to explore the Big Sky Country.
Matt Simms
Matt Simms is a ceramicist living in Missoula, Montana. He focuses his atmospheric firings on combining the marks of the artist and the passage of fire over the clay to preserve that relationship. Matt has fired his sculptural and utilitarian work in a wood kiln he built in Maxville, Montana, and at the Clay Studio of Missoula’s anagama and soda kilns. He earned a B.A. In Fine Arts from Lewis and Clark College after growing up in Colorado and Southern California, and has been an art teacher and fishing guide. Matt’s work has been exhibited in Missoula, sold privately and donated for auction.
Heidi Sedivy
Heidi has worked with Watershed Education Network for over fifteen years as a volunteer,
AmeriCorps member, employee, contractor, and now, board member. It all began as a Stream
Team intern in 2006 while earning her Bachelor’s of Science in Natural Resource Conservation
at the University of Montana. WEN ignited a dedication to environmental education that
awarded her UM’s Student Volunteer of the Year in 2009. Since then, she has worked with
numerous Montana non-profits, state, local, and tribal governments to raise awareness and
prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. In 2018, she partnered with WEN , Flathead
Basin Commission and local teachers to fund, create, and lead hundreds of local students in the
high school curriculum, Columbia Headwaters Education Kit for Aquatic Invasive Species
(CHEK4AIS). Most recently she worked as the Grants Manager for the Clearwater Resource
Council. In her free time she likes trying out new recipes , going to local concerts and hiking
with her dog Max.
Jocelyn Leroux
Jocelyn grew up exploring the mountains and high desert of Southwest Colorado where her love and appreciation for open spaces and public lands began to develop at a young age. Jocelyn earned a degree in Environmental Biology and Ecology with an emphasis on watershed science at Western State University in Gunnison, CO and then went on to earn her master's degree in Environmental Policy with a focus on watershed management from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Prior to earning her bachelor's degree, Jocelyn worked various seasonal positions for four years all across the west introducing families and teens to the great outdoors and deepening her understanding of the challenges that faced the arid western landscape. Jocelyn moved to Missoula in the summer of 2020 where she now works as the Program Director for Montana Conservation Voters. When not working, Jocelyn enjoys biking, skiing, hiking, packrafting, and continuing to explore her new home all with her dog Pacho by her side.
Joe Kirk and Joan Hess-Homeier
Biographies and Photos Coming Soon