Dannette Fadness, AmeriCorps 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 to supporting community-driven initiatives which connect first generation and low-income Montanans with post-secondary education. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5181.
Rachel Keo, MTCC AmeriCorps Graduate Assistant, supports both staff and members in the MTCC AmeriCorps program. She is a former high school English teacher, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer (Albania ’18-’20), and a future counselor. She is a full time graduate student working on her Masters in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health at the University of Montana. In her free time, she runs, hikes, sings and dabbles on strings. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5458.
Eli Bowe, Program Specialist, collects performance data for MTCC’s AmeriCorps and VISTA programs. He supports members and host sites in measuring their impact, and executing programming statewide. He provides additional support in the fields of member recruitment, and training while coordinating the twice-annual Community Building Institute. Eli joined the MTCC team after serving consecutive terms with our AmeriCorps VISTA and AmeriCorps Leaders programs, 2018-2020. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5181.
Callye Foster, VISTA Program Manager
Callye 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. 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.
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. Contact info: email or call 406-243-5135.
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 Montana before 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.