Board

Gayle Hudgins has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with MAS over at least 30 years. As a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Montana, she has collaborated with MAS on many initiatives that benefitted both the organization and UM students, including working with staff to place students for internships in the agency and providing students to assist with Medicare Part D clients. Gayle is currently Director of the Montana Geriatric Education Center, and with other UM colleagues, helped establish a Minor in Gerontology at UM. She has specialized in geriatric pharmacy for over 35 years in teaching and research. Gayle holds degrees in Pharmacy from the University of Washington, Seattle, and Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA. Previous board service includes the areas of pharmacy, gerontology and community organizations, and she looks forward to giving back to MAS as a board member.

Kim serves as both the Director of Strategic Focus and Inclusiveness and Diversity for Kutak Rock LLP. Prior to that, Kim served as a Director of ALPS Foundation Services for seven years. In that role, she consulted with attorney groups nationwide on strategic and business planning, with a focus on designing individualized planning processes to match the needs of each client. 
 
For 10 years, Kim served as a trainer, Board member and Chairperson for the National Coalition Building Institute-Missoula, a statewide and regional nonprofit dedicated to reducing institutional prejudice and discrimination. She worked for four years with the Missoula City/County Office of Planning and Grants as a crime victim advocate, grant writer and court system advocate. In those roles, Kim provided diversity, anti-bullying, prejudice reduction training and conflict resolution facilitation for numerous institutions. 
 

Cynthia serves on the Board of Directors for Missoula Aging Services. With a background in marketing and business development, Cynthia has helped organizations shape their brand and strengthen their community presence. 

A leader with experience in both the public and private sectors, Cynthia brings expertise in strategic communications and a passion for supporting services that help older adults and people with disabilities remain safe in their homes and communities. Drawing on years of experience implementing initiatives in the Medicaid Long Term Services and Supports sector, Cynthia is dedicated to advocating for high-quality services across Montana.

Cynthia is deeply committed to improving access to care for some of the state’s most vulnerable populations, fostering partnerships, and ensuring that services reach those who need them most.

Tom is a Financial Advisor for Pintler Wealth Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors. He began his financial services career as a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch in 1995 after 10 years as the Director of Finance for a large regional health care organization and 5 years as a CPA in public accounting. He has served on the boards and volunteered for many community organizations such as American Red Cross, Watson Children’s Shelter, Providence Montana Health Foundation, Missoula United Way, and the Missoula Downtown Lions Club.

Tom and his wife Leslie have been married for 30 years and have 3 wonderful children and one lovable shelter dog Lana. Family is very important to Tom and Leslie and they enjoy their time being actively involved in their children's varied interests. Tom enjoys the Montana outdoors and is an active mountain biker, hiker, tennis player, skier, and fly-fisherman.

Kristin Page-Nei serves the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network as their Montana Government Relations Director, where she develops and manages strategic campaigns to promote cancer related legislation and public policy. She previously worked with MAS staff to present a forum in which legislative candidates spoke to health care questions, many of which impacted older adults. She has also collaborated with AARP Montana and the Area Agencies on Aging on several legislative policies that provide access to care for prevention, early detection and chronic disease management for all Montanans. Because MAS staff cannot lobby using state or federal funds, Kristin feels it is important to have board members “who are willing to do the direct advocacy with our elected officials about the importance of public funding for MAS. She adds, "Having aging parents has rekindled my interest in what resources are available to our seniors as well as how are we utilizing our elders wisdom and talents.” Kristin has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Montana and has served on a variety of community and school-related committees and coalitions.

James McKay, MD, is the Regional Chief Physician Executive for the Western Montana Region of Providence Health & Services, including St. Patrick Hospital. A radiologist by training and a smokejumper in Missoula in his pre-medical life, he appreciates the valued and important position that Missoula Aging Services holds in the community and the way it has benefited many families, including his own.

Greg joined the MAS Governing Board in 2024. 

Amber Rogers, RN BSN, MSN, has been employed at Mountain Pacific since 2015. Currently, she is building systems to support Infant and Early Child Mental Health Consultation across Montana in conjunction with MT DPHHS. Additional responsibilities include the development of community coalitions to decrease gaps in care transitions, navigating the healthcare transition from volume to value, and implementing strategies to improve the prevention of substance use disorder, readmissions, and chronic disease outcomes. 

Before Mountain-Pacific, Amber was a director at a physician hospital organization where she oversaw grant programs, physician peer review programs, and the development of a clinical quality program. The implemented grants focused on supporting critical access hospitals in improving clinical education, EHR implementation, and integrated behavioral health. Amber also has experience as the chief nursing officer at a critical access hospital and over ten years of management experience within a PPS hospital.

Roberta J. Smith is the President and founder of McGeeSmith, Inc., a human resource training and consulting firm. She previously held the position of Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Missoula Federal Credit Union (MFCU). For over 35 years, Roberta’s work focused on education, training, consulting, and the human resource profession. As a member of several professional human resource organizations, she received numerous awards for her work in the field. Along with serving on the boards of local, regional and national human resource organizations, as well as the Board of Directors for MFCU prior to working there, Roberta was happy to return to the MAS board, where she previously served from 2004 – 2011.

Roberta holds multiple certifications from around the country on specific human resource training programs related to her profession. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana and also did her graduate work at the same institution.

Stuart earned a Ph.D. in Behavioral Ecology from the State University of New York. He has an extensive background in the nonprofit sector having served as CEO of two large 501(c)3 organizations, including Audubon of Florida followed by the Chicago Zoological Society from 2003-2021, where he now serves as President Emeritus. Over the course of his career, as both an executive and board member, he has led transformative conservation efforts internationally in Latin and South America and in the United States. He brings to the board decades of experience with fund development, strategic planning, risk management and community partnering. Over the last 22 years, Stuart has also cared for four family members, including two with dementia and two with COPD. He considers this one of the most rewarding things he has done. Stuart resides in Seeley Lake.

Kristen is pleased to serve as the Missoula City Council Liaison on the Missoula Aging Services Governing Board of Directors. 

She uses her wealth of experience as a data policy analyst to help guide her decisions. Kristen also played a key role in getting the mobile crisis teams operational in Missoula. This was the result of conversations with key stakeholders, strategic planning, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and the outcome is a mapping project that lives at the intersection of mental health and different points along the criminal justice spectrum.

Kristen is also concerned about affordable housing and is interested in working to find long-term solutions for low-income earners and the missing middle while working within the constraints placed upon local jurisdictions by the most recent legislative session. 

Juanita Vero is a fourth-generation partner of the E Bar L Ranch in Greenough. In addition to running her family business, she has served on numerous community conservation-focused boards and committees, including chair of Montana Conservation Voters, Missoula County Open Lands Committee, Big Blackfoot Chapter Trout Unlimited, Swan Valley Connections and Sunset School Board.

Juanita has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys horses, snowboarding, and backcountry wandering after game with her husband and his llamas. She used to play lacrosse, rugby and ultimate frisbee but is now relegated to spending more time on her yoga mat.

In November 2020, Juanita won the election for a six-year term as Missoula County Commissioner.