Board of Directors
Meet the MTCHWA Board of Directors
The Executive Officers of MTCHWA were voted in on March 10th, 2026 during the first annual Membership Meeting. The Chair and Liaison Director positions were appointed by the Executive Officers at the first MTCHWA Board Meeting on March 11, 2026.
President, Kayla Thomas
With nearly 5 years in the role of Community Health Worker, I bring experience as well as commitment to the CHW field. I am new to board work, I will admit, but with that comes excitement for the foundational work to come. In addition to my professional experience, I am a lifelong Montanan, raising a family here, so I am committed to its betterment
President-Elect, Ann Haley
Most of Ann’s life work has always been about helping people. As a Community Health Worker, Care Manager and Certified Application Counselor, she has been involved in teaching CPR/AED/First Aid Classes, Diabetes Education, Community Exercise Program, initiated the Food Truck, and assisted with Medicaid applications and much more.
Treasurer, Beth Ann Carter
I have dedicated my career to expanding and supporting the Community Health Worker (CHW) workforce in Montana since launching the MORH/AHEC CHW training program in 2017. For more than nine years, I have championed this workforce through statewide advocacy, program development, and strong stakeholder engagement.
Secretary, Jobyna McCarthy
Jobyna brings empathy, innovation, and deep lived experience to her leadership. Her work is rooted in a passion for strengthening families, supporting caregivers, and ensuring that community voices, especially those most marginalized and systemically undervalued, are heard at decision-making tables.
Marlena Farnes, Membership Chair
My purpose is to create a welcoming, structured, and supportive membership experience that reflects the heart of community health work. I am passionate about helping people and committed to ensuring that every Community Health Worker, especially those serving populations whose voices are often unheard, feels represented, valued, and connected. Drawing from my experience in Urban Indian health, IHS operations, and community-based care, I aim to build bridges across diverse practice settings and geographic communities in Montana.
Education Chair, Nannette Tomlin
Nan Tomlin began her professional journey with a 30-year career as a teacher and coach, including serving as a track & field and cross country coach, where she developed strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills while mentoring students and leading teams. After nearly three decades in education, she transitioned into community health to continue serving others in a new capacity. She now serves as a Community Health Worker, grant coordinator, and administrative team member with Smiles Across Montana.
Policy Chair, Catherine Orr
Cathy Orr is the Executive Director of the Council on Aging in Ravalli County, where she leads with vision, heart, and an unwavering commitment to older adults in rural Montana. Under her leadership, the organization has strengthened core aging services, expanded community partnerships, and increased financial sustainability while building innovative programs that meet the evolving needs of a rapidly aging population.
Serving a county where more than 35% of residents are over age 60, Cathy has championed collaborative solutions.
CHW Ally Liaison, Sara Berry
Sara Schmidt is a nurse practitioner, researcher, educator, and systems thinker with 26 years of healthcare experience spanning critical care, end-of-life, and public health. She brings pragmatic optimism to everything she touches, forged through challenge and deepened by the understanding that rough roads lead to remarkable work. That lived experience is her edge: she sees the invisible ink, the unspoken needs, the people and possibilities often overlooked.
CHW Supporter Liaison: Amanda Zimmerman-Murter,
For more than 7 years, I have been working in public health and most recently serve as backbone staff for the Healthy By Design Coalition. I have supported and helped lead capacity building efforts for both the community and local organizations with CHWs in Yellowstone County, convened partners to strengthen the local network of CHWs, and have focused on upstream initiatives with CHWs and partners.
Licensure Liaison, Mackenzie Petersen
Before working in the world of Medicaid and Public Health, Mackenzie worked with individuals experiencing houselessness in downtown Portland. This work and the incredible people that she met through that job, inspired Mackenzie to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Work and a Master’s Degree in Public Health. In her spare time, she loves to plant trees, get outside with her family and build with clay.
Tribal Liaison, Stephanie Iron Shooter (Sicangu Oyate/ Aaniih)
Stephanie Iron Shooter is an enrolled member of the Aaniiih Nation of the Fort Belknap Indian Community in Montana and is a descendent of the Sicangu Oyate of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Grounded in the cultural teachings and value systems of her Nations, she has dedicated her career to advancing the health and well-being of American Indian people across Montana. From 2022 to 2025, Stephanie served as the Director of the Office of American Indian Health within the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.