Staff & Service Members

Dannette Fadness, MTCC AmeriCorps Program Manager
Dannette administers the MTCC AmeriCorps program, providing leadership and support to campuses and communities across Montana. She served two terms in AmeriCorps as a counseling Fellow and as a Campus Corps Team Leader. She also served as a Montana Campus Compact Student Leader for the Raise Your Voice Campaign and designed the Montana Raise Your Voice Campaign logo. Dannette is passionate about lifelong learning and co-authored a chapter in a cognitive fitness book, “Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in Adults”. Dannette received her undergraduate degrees in counseling psychology and fine arts and her master’s degree in managing organizations and human development from the University of Great Falls. She looks forward supporting community-driven initiatives which connect first generation and low-income Montanans with post-secondary education. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5181.

Claire Foley, Graduate Intern and AmeriCorps Program Assistant, collects performance data for MTCC’s AmeriCorps Program. She supports AmeriCorps Leaders and Host Sites in measuring their impact, and is planning and conducting statewide MTCC program evaluations for the 2018-2019 service year. Claire is currently a graduate student at the University of Montana, and will complete Master’s Degrees in Public Administration and Environmental Studies in Spring 2019. She previously served two AmeriCorps terms of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5181.

Callye Foster, Program Specialist provides exceptional support for MTCC’s programs such as AmeriCorps and VISTA. She oversees and leads VISTA and AmeriCorps member recruitment, facilitates training events such as the Community Building Institute, and is a liaison for site development efforts. Before joining MTCC’s team, Callye served two consecutive terms through the AmeriCorps Energy Corps Program at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality as the SMART Schools Coordinator. She received her B.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Central Florida. Contact info: email or call 406-243-2379.

Maryelizabeth Koepele, VISTA Leader, supports VISTA members across the state. She previously completed a year of MTCC VISTA service at the Literacy Center of Northwest Montana in Kalispell where she worked to implement new volunteer programs and develop systems within the organization. Maryelizabeth grew up in Huntington, New York and she received her B.A. in Classics and Religion from Washington and Lee University in 2017. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5451.

Kathy Peters, Program Coordinator, is MTCC’s lead staff for office and financial management, working with UM’s Banner and Grizmart systems for payroll reporting, A/R, A/P, and account reconciliations. She coordinates with HR and Program Managers to onboard approximately 100 AmeriCorps and VISTA members annually, and manages the process of awarding MTCC’s annual Civic Engagement Scholarships. She is also responsible for marketing, web and graphic design. She holds a BA in Business Management from Auburn University and has many years’ experience in non-profit and small business management, art direction and graphic design.

Lana Petrie, Senior AmeriCorps Leader, MTCC Network Office, is serving as the AmeriCorps Senior Leader for 2018-2019. She supports AmeriCorps Leaders and Members throughout Montana. Lana’s past service includes being an AmeriCorps Leader for Indigenous Research and STEM Education at UM. She is originally from Tennessee where the tea is sweet and the weather is warm. Lana holds a BS in Animal Science with a minor in Chemistry from Murray State University and a MS in Animal Science emphasizing International Agriculture from Oklahoma State University. Lana’s hobbies include camping, eating, watching football, and playing the WiiU with her husband, David. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5451.

Colleen Piluso, VISTA Program Manager, ensures the success of Montana Campus Compact’s VISTA Program by managing the VISTA grant requirements and providing guidance and support to VISTA host sites and members. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Community Health from UM and in 2018 graduated from the UM’s MPA-Nonprofit program. As a first generation college-student and AmeriCorps alum, she is passionate about helping young people achieve higher education and become civically engaged in their communities. Colleen is proud to work for an organization dedicated to cultivating strong individuals, building significant partnerships, and creating positive impacts across her home state of Montana. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5458.

Josh Vanek, Associate Director, works to expand MTCC’s impact across Montana and the region, and ensuring affiliate value in MTCC’s programs and initiatives. He works closely with MTCC’s Advisory Committee, staff and partners to deepen the reach of MTCC’s mission. Josh received his B.A. in political science from The University of Montanabefore serving in the Peace Corps in Latvia from 1997-1999. After completing Peace Corps service, he returned to Montana and served with as an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader before joining the MTCC staff. He is a graduate of the University of Washington’s Evan’s School of Public Affairs Nonprofit and National Service Management program. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5175.

Andrea Vernon, Executive Director, works with campuses and communities across the state to build impactful civic engagement experiences and opportunities for students, faculty and community partners. She has spent the past 20 years working with higher education service learning and AmeriCorps National Service programs at the state and local levels. Through this work Andrea is involved with teaching, researching, and administering programs that bridge higher education and the nonprofit sector. Andrea holds a B.A. and an M.A. in sociology and received her Doctorate in Education from the University of Montana in educational leadership in which her studies focused on higher education student services, service learning and program administration. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5159.