Executive Director

+ Angie Weikert

    Angie has dedicated her career to education and fostering a connection to the natural world. Born and raised in Michigan, she began her professional journey earning a B.S. in Secondary Education with a minor in Outdoor Recreation Management from Northern Michigan University, laying the foundation for her career bridging outdoor recreation and place-based education.
    Since making Bozeman her home in 2005, Angie has blended her passions through teaching roles with the Montana Outdoor Science School and Bohart Ranch Cross Country Ski Area. She joined the Crosscut team in 2021 as Managing Director of Lightning Creek and has since taken on expanding leadership responsibilities, including roles as COO and President, before becoming Crosscut’s CEO in December 2024.
    Angie’s career also includes more than a decade of leadership at the Museum of the Rockies, where she developed innovative educational programs that more than doubled participation and enhanced organizational efficiency by streamlining systems and fostering team collaboration. She holds both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Education from Montana State University, with research focused on building community partnerships to support place-based education.
    A committed community leader, Angie has served on several nonprofit boards and is currently the Board Chair of the Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center. She brings vision, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong background in data-driven solutions to her role at Crosscut, advancing its vision to connect people and nature.

angie@crosscutmt.org

Outdoor Education Director

+ Chandler Bowen

    As a steward, naturalist, and educator, Chandler shares her lifelong love for the outdoors with participants in Crosscut’s Nature Camps and Ski Education Program. She leads Crosscut’s team of instructors, and plans, develops, and manages outdoor education programs.
    An early love for the Yellowstone area drew Chandler to earn her bachelor’s in Environmental Biology from Pacific University. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Science Education from Montana State University and believes that engaging people of any age in hands-on, immersive, educational experiences is a powerful tool in the pursuit of protecting and appreciating our wild spaces. She has been a professional naturalist and outdoor educator in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2015. Chandler loves sharing thought-provoking curriculum and having conversations that advance conservation awareness and promote environmental stewardship for future generations. She is passionate about delivering programs that are accessible and approachable to people of all backgrounds, and helping students feel comfortable outdoors regardless of their physical abilities or the season.

chandler@crosscutmt.org

Sr. Director of Finance & Operations

+ Josh Fairchilds

    Josh hails from the Mojave desert region, and despite that he has been a life-long alpine skier. After moving to Montana nearly 20 years ago, he has become an avid Nordic skier. An avid, and sometimes obsessive, skier and mountain biker Josh spends as much time as possible outside exploring.
     Josh has spent 30+ years in the outdoor industry, working for several iconic brands. As a co-founder of Oboz Footwear he created a highly successful product line, set up the global manufacturing infrastructure, and was a member of the executive management team. At Simms Fishing he was the director of global sourcing overseeing a diverse supply chain across many countries and multiple continents. He has served on the board of several non-profits and currently is the President of the board for Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association.
     After spending winter 2023-24 in the Nordic Center, Josh has had first hand knowledge of the passionate community of winter recreationalists that call Crosscut home.

josh@crosscutmt.org

Director of Trails and Grooming

+ Mitch Harris

    With a lifelong love for outdoor recreation, a practiced attention to detail, and the creative aptitude to keep things running safely and efficiently in all conditions, Mitch Harris ensures Crosscut’s trails are the perfect playground, training ground, and outdoor sanctuary for the whole community, year-round.
     Mitch coordinates the trail work and grooming teams, leads trail maintenance, and keeps the machines functioning in all weather conditions — maintaining and operating machinery to complete off-season trail projects during the summer months, and grooming ski trails and managing the rest of the trails crew during the winter. He collaboratively plans trail improvement projects in alignment with Crosscut’s vision. An economist by training, Mitch applies his analytic nature and knack for precise, detail-oriented work to his leadership role with Crosscut. Growing up on a dairy farm, working with heavy machinery and tackling challenges on the fly was part of his everyday world. An avid Nordic skier and mountain biker, Mitch draws from an experiential perspective of what goes into creating high-quality trails and maintaining exceptional trail conditions, sharing his passion for the outdoors with all those who visit Crosscut.

mitch@crosscutmt.org

Marketing & Philanthropy Manager

+ Kelley Jazdzewski

    Kelley grew up in Illinois, but the moment she laid her eyes on the Rocky Mountains in middle school, she made a plan to move West. Kelley attended Illinois State University, where she discovered the desire to connect people with natural experiences. She moved to Colorado to work with the High Plains Environmental Center, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to land stewardship and education.
    After sinking roots in Montana in 2018, she fell in love with the opportunities to explore the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Her passion for wild and open spaces deepens every season as she backpacks, trail runs, and skis. Kelley loves being part of Crosscut because the organization cares for its community and the land by facilitating access to and connection with nature.

kelley@crosscutmt.org

Masters Biathlon Team Coach

+ Dave Jessen

    Dave has led the Crosscut Masters (Adult) Biathlon Team since its founding in the 2017–18 season. Under his guidance, the program has grown from 13 participants to an average of 50 athletes each year. With a strong background in and passion for competitive shooting, he was drawn to biathlon for its unique blend of endurance, focus, and fine motor skill. Dave especially enjoys coaching the Novice Program, where newcomers get their first taste of this challenging and rewarding sport.
    In addition to his coaching, Dave is an official U.S. Biathlon Assocation Range Safety Officer (RSO) and has served as RSO for many community and competition biathlon events at Crosscut, including the 2025 U.S. Biathlon Senior Nationals. Beyond the range, he and his wife, Holly, enjoy fly fishing, hunting, hiking, and exploring all that Montana has to offer.

dave@crosscutmt.org

Administrative Assistant & Outdoor Education Instructor

+ Anna Johnston

    Anna grew up bouncing around the Wasatch Front in Ogden, UT. From the moment she opened her eyes, she has been awestruck by the world. Anna feels most content when she is among mountainous landscapes, doing a little dance. She attended Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA for her undergraduate degree in English before promptly moving to Jackson, Wyoming to teach outdoor education at Teton Science Schools.
    Anna found Crosscut Mountain Sports Center’s outdoor education program in 2022 and has been here ever since. She adores Crosscut’s place based education model, seeing kids and adults leave programs more connected with the world and with themselves. Her love for the property and the people here drew her into working as Administrative Assistant. You can now find her teaching for ski education and nature camps, behind a computer learning how to do something new, or frolicking around the Bridger Mountains.

anna@crosscutmt.org

Reservation Systems Specialist

+ Jenny Johnston

    Jenny worked in Crosscut’s Nordic Center seasonally for three winters before joining the team year-round in 2022 to manage Crosscut’s reservation software system, Flybook. With exceptional attention to detail and a knack for creative problem solving, she deftly manages the reservation system — earning her the nickname of “Flybook Goddess,” although she thinks of herself as the “Flybook Fairy,” magically fixing things from behind the scenes. Jenny loves working with the great team of Program Managers to create online listings for their camps, clinics, and lessons.
    Jenny first became involved with Crosscut through her kids, who are in the Biathlon Program. Originally from Texas, she learned to ski as an adult and credits her firsthand experience with the challenges and rewards of learning skiing later in life with helping her relate to beginners of all ages. Her education in Environmental Resources led her through a variety of work, from watershed restoration projects to teaching kids about water quality. She served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Habitat for Humanity. Patient, calm, and supportive, Jenny loves helping to create a non-intimidating environment for people to learn new outdoor activities.

jenny@crosscutmt.org

Director of Outreach

+ Ryan Krueger

    An avid skier and biker, Ryan Krueger understands why snow and dirt tug at the human imagination, and how shared outdoor experiences bring us closer. With a wealth of firsthand experience in blazing trails in both business development and the outdoors, he lends a richly collaborative, creative, and tuned-in perspective to Crosscut’s marketing and events.
     After studying photography and writing at Montana State in Bozeman, Ryan began his career as a photo editor with a magazine before becoming a freelance photographer and writer in the outdoor industry. He spent the better part of a decade in the bike industry, co-founding a company and guiding brand creation and expression as marketing director. Today, Ryan draws from those experiences to shape his approach to highlighting and celebrating Crosscut’s work and initiatives and bringing events to life.

ryan@crosscutmt.org

Director of Mountain Services

+ Heidi Makoutz

    Heidi was raised on her parents’ hobby farm in Western New York, where she found an early connection with the outdoors. She has always been a bit of an instigator (in all the best ways) and a lifelong learner. Attending St. Lawrence University, she ran on the cross country and track teams and skied on the EISA circuit, all while maintaining a rigorous course load and graduating as valedictorian of her class. Volunteering at the local high school sparked her career in teaching and coaching. She went on to earn her master’s in education. An award-winning educator, Heidi taught general science, computer science, health and human development, and chemistry to 7-12th graders with an emphasis on neuroscience, mindfulness, and adolescent brain development. She coached cross-country and track and field at the high school level.
    While starting her family, she began shifting her passion for authentic growth through sport from hobby status to her profession. Heidi finds joy and purpose in instructing Nordic skiers and mountain bikers of all ages. Contributing to the community while raising three adventurous girls has enhanced her belief that working hard IS having fun — on wheels, on skis, and in life. A natural leader and teambuilder, she balances an analytical mindset with practical vision to make learning new things approachable and rewarding for her athletes and colleagues. Heidi is a certified PSIA Level 1 instructor, PMBIA Level 1 instructor, NICA Level 3 mountain bike coach, and a USSA Level 200 Nordic ski coach and race official. Before joining the Crosscut team, she received Coach of the Year and Coach of the Month awards from BSF. Inspired by Crosscut’s vision, Heidi looks forward to sharing her enthusiasm with you!

heidi@crosscutmt.org

Donor Relations & Biathlon Range Manager

+ Sydney Michalak

     Sydney grew up on the East Coast, where she combined her love for winter recreation and Nordic skiing with competitive rowing and academics. In 2018, she represented Team USA in the women’s double sculls (W2x) at the U23 World Rowing Championships in Poznań, Poland, shortly before earning her master’s degree in mechanical aerospace engineering from Syracuse University.
    Drawn west by the mountains and a spirit of adventure, Sydney moved to Montana in 2020 and quickly became part of the Crosscut community. She spent five years as a ski instructor and four years coaching with the Crosscut Elite Team, in addition to traveling on three international trips to coach with the U.S. Biathlon National Team. Her background as a professional athlete and elite-level coach has shaped her into a thoughtful, experienced leader who knows how to inspire performance and resilience. Sydney plays an important role in Crosscut’s growth by supporting fundraising efforts, connecting with community partners, and helping design engaging events that bring people together on the trails and at the range.
    An adventurer at heart, Sydney thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2021. Her enthusiasm and attentiveness infuse her work advancing Crosscut’s mission. She is proud to contribute to an organization that continues to grow and thrive thanks to the passion and work of its employees and community.

sydney@crosscutmt.org

Nordic & Trail Center Manager

+ Reid Short

    Reid Short has spent most of his life helping empower people with tools and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with confidence. As Crosscut’s Nordic Center Manager and Mountain Bike Program Coordinator, he fosters a warm, welcoming learning environment for recreators and athletes of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
     Originally from Virginia, Reid is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast with a love for exploring the backcountry by foot, wheels, skis, and rafts. He learned to downhill ski when he moved to Montana to study Mechanical Engineering at MSU, quickly picking up the sport and becoming an instructor at Big Sky Resort. He joined Crosscut in 2020 and led the way in refining our mountain bike camp and clinic curriculums, making all learners feel at ease with their skill development. As of 2022, he stepped into the leadership role for the Nordic Center, lending his encouraging energy and practical mindset to guide and support the facilities, programs, and team. Reid loves to keep things simple, effective, and fun.

reid@crosscutmt.org

Community Engagement Manager

+ Dan Sandberg

    Dan Sandberg grew up in Freeport, Maine, and was introduced to the outdoors through the sport of Nordic ski racing. He found a supportive, inclusive, and empowering community built around a shared passion, with a culture of challenging one another to do hard things while making sure to have fun along the way! Dan's career has centered around creating this same type of opportunity for others ever since, and has worked as a coach, guide, outdoor educator, and administrator for a wide variety of outdoor and experiential learning organizations. He is excited to help strengthen Crosscut’s connections with donors, volunteers, and partners to ensure everyone in our community can experience the transformative impact of outdoor recreation and education.
     He holds a M.S. in Recreation Studies from Ohio University, where his research focused on understanding the elements that are needed to create effective leadership development programs for aspiring outdoor educators. Dan moved to Bozeman in 2017 to work with Montana State University's Outdoor Recreation Program where he honed his coalition building and creative collaboration skills.
     In addition to his work at Crosscut, Dan serves on the board of The Dirt Concern, the Bozeman Chapter of the Southwest Montana Mountain Bike Association. When he’s not working to connect community members with Crosscut’s programs and vision, Dan can be found skiing, mountain biking, or drinking a latte at his favorite coffee shop.

dan@crosscutmt.org

Biathlon Coach, Youth Program

+ Ann Sorenson

    Ann Sorenson began her athletic career as a runner, competing through high school and later as a Division I cross-country athlete at the University of Dayton, Ohio, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Physical and Health Education. After college, Ann transitioned to the sport of summer biathlon, joining the U.S. National Team in 1993. She competed internationally for a decade, winning multiple U.S. National Championships and racing in eight World Championships. Her career highlights include extensive travel across Europe and Russia, and a top ten finish at the 2000 World Championships in Russia.
    Since 2016, Ann has been a valued member of Crosscut’s biathlon program, coaching youth athletes ages 10-17 and leading seasonal camps. She previously coached with the Bridger Biathlon Club, bringing more than a decade of coaching experience to the local community. Her passion for youth development has also taken her abroad: in 2023 and 2024 she traveled with Crosscut athletes to the Liatoppen Biathlon Festival in Norway, and in 2024 she expanded her expertise by completing an IBU Academy course in Salzburg, Austria, and Ruhpolding, Germany.

ann@crosscutmt.org

Sr. Director of Communications

+ Laurie Stahle

    Laurie grew up romping around the hollows, creeks, and caves of the Ozark Mountains in northern Arkansas. After graduating from the University of Central Arkansas, she spent four years living and working in Beijing, China bisected by a couple year stint in Southern California completing a master’s degree in East Asian Studies. When the big city life began to wear thin, she looked to make a new home in the Intermountain West. After moving to Bozeman over a decade ago, Laurie completed a PhD in Earth Sciences and then worked locally in strategic communications, operations, project management, and graphic design. Throughout her diverse career, the common threads of human and physical geography have guided Laurie’s trajectory.
    A fortuitous meeting with Lowell Bailey in 2018 introduced Laurie to the mission and vision of Crosscut. She’s been an avid champion of the cause ever since. After years of working with Crosscut as a consultant, Laurie joined as CMO in 2021, heading up communications, marketing, information technology, and people support. Passionate about both data and human stories, Laurie leans into hard work with a mindset of inclusivity, collaboration, and fun. Look for her trying to catch her breath on the Crosscut trails as she tries to improve her skate ski technique and fitness.

laurie@crosscutmt.org

Blue Coat Ambassadors

Nordic + Trail Center Team

Ski & Biathlon Lessons Team

Ski Education Team

Trails and Grooming Team

All Staff

Biathlon Team

Mountain Bike Team

Outdoor Education Team

All Staff

Board Member

+ Dani Aravich

    Dani Aravich grew up in Boise, Idaho and was encouraged by her parents to get involved in sports. From soccer to basketball, softball and ice skating, Dani tried it all and she excelled, while playing against non-disabled peers. In high school, she narrowed her focus to track & field and caught the attention of several collegiate programs, eventually deciding on Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana where she competed in indoor and outdoor track & field until injuries gave her the impetus to pause her athletic career and focus on her scholastic one. After college Dani joined the Utah Jazz organization as an account executive.
     Dani was born without her left hand and forearm. Given her talent and love for sport, a family friend suggested she consider training to compete in the Paralympics. The idea intrigued her, she began training and soon saw encouraging results. In 2019, Dani made the decision to leave her corporate position to pursue a career as a professional athlete. The decision was richly rewarded when Dani made her Paralympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games in track and field, representing the U.S. in the 400m T47. In 2021, she made the leap to winter sports and joined the Crosscut Elite Team. In short time, Dani earned a spot on the national team and represented Team USA at the Beijing Winter Paralympics competing in Nordic skiing and biathlon. She earned her first World Cup medal at the 2023 FIS World Championships in Ostersund, Sweden — gold in the combined relay.
    Dani is a passionate advocate for inclusion of people with disabilities in the outdoors. She has made numerous appearances to speak about disability inclusion and has a wealth of experiences across sports marketing, sponsorship, and social media marketing through various roles in the NBA, NFL, and casting agencies.

Board Member

+ Jesse Brown

    Jesse is the founder and president of Hyalite Custom Building, a Bozeman-based construction company focusing on sustainable building techniques, high performance custom homes, and commercial structures. Jesse's professional background includes counseling, residential construction and commercial construction.

    Jesse grew up in Minnesota skiing, backpacking, hiking, biking, fishing, and hunting. His time as a wilderness therapy counselor in the Rocky Mountains solidified a foundational belief in the critical importance of outdoor recreational opportunities for people of all backgrounds and skills. He moved to Bozeman twenty years ago in pursuit of a career in the mountains. Jesse and his wife, Sarah, enjoy the Crosscut trails with their family and dogs year round.

Secretary, Board Member

+ Cammy Houser

    Cammy Houser’s career spans operational, product, GM, and project leadership roles in technology and consulting. She works on the Environment team at Apple, and is bringing Apple’s climate commitments to life across products and services. Previously, Cammy spent many years at Airbnb building their hotel business, and prior to that co-founded a social good ecommerce marketplace.
    Cammy, her husband Bing, their two young kids Win and Hop, and their Montanan rescue dog Toby currently live in the Bay Area. Cammy first discovered Crosscut in March of 2020, and spent every day until the very end of the season up on the trails feeling grateful for the continued grooming and good cheer of fellow skiers. She has since volunteered as a Bluecoat Ambassador with a speciality in parking lot organization and shoveling, and considers the Loggers climb her happiest place.

Treasurer, Board Member

+ Eric Lammers

Board Member

+ Ross Longhini

     Ross Longhini brings more than four decades of experience as an engineer, innovator, executive, and mentor, guided by a clear purpose: helping people and organizations discover how to be their best selves. Originally from Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ross earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University, working his way through college before launching a career that took him from California to Vermont and ultimately the Twin Cities.
    Professionally, Ross brings over 40 years of experience in the medical device industry, with a background in engineering, executive leadership, consulting, and board service that informs his approach to organizational strategy and governance. He also has more than a decade of nonprofit leadership experience supporting mission-driven organizations, including a central role in building Sandpoint Nordic into a thriving program serving nearly 1,000 youth annually, with its own Nordic Center, trail system, and year-round programming.
    Since relocating to Bozeman in 2021, Ross has been deeply engaged in the local Nordic community as a coach with Bridger Ski Foundation, a mentor to emerging leaders, and a race organizer for events ranging from Ski for Soren to NCAA Championships and Super Tour races. He lives in Bozeman with his wife Vicki and enjoys cross-country skiing, hunting, running, biking, fishing, and exploring the outdoors with family.

Board Member

+ Jacquie Love

Board Chairperson

+ Chris Plaut

    Chris, a retired partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, spent over 30 years advising clients in complex transactions across a range of industries, as well as devoting significant time to pro bono clients and causes. Chris and his family have been enjoying southwest Montana for over 20 years and Chris now splits his time between Montana, New York and Cape Cod, MA. An avid outdoorsman and passionate conservationist, Chris volunteers with several Montana and national conservation, sporting, and civic organizations, including, since 2014, many summers spent teaching archery and other backcountry skills at the Jack Creek Preserve outdoor youth camps. Chris currently serves as a board member of the Camp Fire Conservation Fund and the Jack Creek Preserve Foundation and Board Chair of American Documentary, Inc.

Board Member

+ Will Price

    Will Price is the Co-Founder and Co-Managing Partner of Next Frontier Capital, a Rocky-mountain focused venture capital fund with offices in Bozeman, Boulder, Salt Lake, and Missoula. Will co-founded Next Frontier Capital to partner with mission-driven, talented entrepreneurs to build Rocky Mountain technology companies of impact, utility, value. Will’s career spans venture capital investing as well as operational, transactional, and advisory roles at both public and private companies. With a Montana family history dating to the 1850s, Will is passionate about investing in the state’s promising future. Will received an MBA from Northwestern University and an BA from Harvard University. Based in Bozeman, Will and his wife, Caroline, have two college-aged sons, Jack (MSU) and Luke (MSU). Will's prior non-profit Montana boards include GVLT, GYC, and APR.