Executive Director

Nancy helped found Nations to Neighbors Montana in 2021 as a Sponsor Circle to welcome Afghan evacuees to Billings. With tremendous volunteer support and 100% community funding, she coordinated the resettlement care for four families. With the opening of a resettlement agency in Billings, Nancy pivoted Nations to Neighbors to become a nonprofit in support of refugees over the long welcome – the many months it takes to build community and learn daily life skills in this foreign context. For a season, Nancy worked for the International Rescue Committee, supporting US communities to sponsor refugees. She holds three masters degrees—in public policy, social work, and humanitarian and disaster leadership. Previously, Nancy was the first director of the non-partisan Legislative Office of Performance Evaluations for the State of Idaho (1994-2002), overseeing performance audits as the “State Watchdog.” Nancy has lived and studied in France and England, and worked in Rwanda and Madagascar. She and her husband have four amazing, grown children.

Parent Connections Coordinator

Beth joined Nations to Neighbors Montana in 2024. She received her Bachelor’s in Public Administration from Evangel University. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation for seven years prior to her move to Billings. In that role, she assisted rural communities with community and economic development projects in both the private and public sectors. Beth was raised in eastern Montana but has lived in both Missouri and New Mexico. No matter her location, she was always drawn back home to Montana. Beth and her husband have two precious little girls. As the N2N Parent Connection Coordinator, she oversees the Refugee Peer-Parent Program, facilitating refugee and peer parent involvement within local schools.

Administrative Assistant

Program Advisor

Laura joined Nations to Neighbors Montana in January 2024 as the Program Developer and now serve as the Program Advisor. She received her PhD (2013) in Political Science from the University of Minnesota and had a 10-year career in teaching and research at Oklahoma State University and Lewis & Clark College. Her background includes teaching and research on the history, politics, and dynamics of major humanitarian crises, including international and domestic responses to the global refugee and displaced persons crisis. Prior to earning her PhD, she was a 2005-2006 Fulbright student research fellow to Lithuania, interned with the U.S. State Department in D.C., the U.S. Embassy to Lithuania, and the Organization for Security & Cooperation in Europe. She also was a U.S. Foreign Policy and International Security post-doctoral fellow at Dartmouth College's Dickey Center for International Understanding. Her studies have taken her to Africa (Nigeria and Kenya), Eastern Europe, and Central America. In 2023, she moved with her family back home to Billings. In Fall 2025 she will join the Political Science Department at Rocky Mountain College in Billings.