ABOUT US
The Western Montana Community Center serves as the hub for many in the LGBTQ+ community throughout Western Montana and will be the center point for Missoula Pride.
We could not do this without the collaboration of those from a wide array of local organizations and community groups including, but not limited to: Gay Health Task Force, Open Aid Alliance, Missoula Paddleheads, Lambda Alliance, All Nations Health Center, Montana Two-Spirit Society, and EmpowerMT.
The Center's Mission
The Western Montana Community Center is an open affirming environment for people of all sexual orientations and gender identity expressions. We empower our community through education, advocacy, and collaborative networking. We strive to be Western Montana’s voice for the LGBTQ+ community and allies. We are proud to be a volunteer-based, community-funded organization where we strive to make our little corner of Montana a better place to live!
Missoula Pride's Vision
Missoula Pride's vision is to once again bring a large-scale LGBTQ+ Pride celebration to the Missoula and greater Western Montana region. Much like the Clark Fork, Missoula's LBGTQ+ community is the center stream that runs through the heart of everything. Our vision is to create spaces where people from all walks of life, with all gender and sexual identities under the rainbow, can come together to feel seen, be heard, and be in community with one another.
Meet the Missoula Pride Team
Devin, Cali-Rado-Tanan grew up on Vandenberg AFB with his parents, grandparents, and two younger brothers. He calls Missoula home and has been deeply involved in building communities through grassroots activism and civil disobedience since he first arrived here to start college at UM in 2008. After coordinating the first large-scale pride block party in Missoula during (then) Big Sky Pride in 2015, he left to pursue a Master’s Degree in Higher Education at Penn State. The call of the mountains was heard, and he found his way right back two years later to take on his current role as the Director of New Student Success at UM.
Devin has served as a co-director of Missoula Pride since its founding in 2022, and has spent 10+ years focused on designing events and environments centered in belonging, community engagement, and social change - both on campus and in the broader community.
Outside of work, Devin is likely listening to his record collection and cooking in his Frank-N-Furter apron, drinking a Shady at the “Myrtle Office”, or dancing in the dark to music that is far too loud.
Devin Carpenter (he/him)
Co-Director, Missoula Pride
Logan Foret aka the "Straight White Shield" is an entrepreneur based in Missoula, Montana. As a Co-Director for Missoula Pride, Logan plays a crucial role in organizing and promoting events that celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, Logan serves as an ally, advocating for inclusivity and equality.
Beyond their involvement in the LGBTQ+ community, Logan is a local entrepreneur and the CEO of BFK Presents. Through this role, they demonstrate their passion for business and innovation, striving to create opportunities and contribute to the local economy.
Logan's commitment to their community extends beyond their professional endeavors. They deeply care about grassroots movements and actively participate in initiatives that aim to bring positive change to Missoula. With a genuine dedication to making a difference, Logan is a valuable asset to their community.
Logan Foret (he/him)
Co-Director, Missoula Pride
BFKbookings@gmail.com
Andy grew up in Culbertson, a small town in Eastern Montana. He moved to Missoula in 2011 to attend school at UM where he fell in love with the people and community here. After coming out his senior year of college, a friend recommended that he attend the weekly men's group hosted at the Center as a way to meet folks with similar lived experiences and to find a community. Shortly after attending this first meeting, Andy quickly found himself singing with the Missoula Gay Men's Chorus, serving on the Center's board of directors, and later working for the organization itself.
Andy loves being active in his local community and when he's not working at the Center, he can frequently be found performing in local theater, coordinating service events for our local Partnership for Children youth home kids in conjunction with the Missoula Sunrise Rotary as well as serving on the board of the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center and Run Wild Missoula.
Andy Nelson (he/him)
Executive Director WMCC
Dani joined the Pride Team this year as an experienced accountant and they specialize in working directly with small businesses and non-profit organizations. They've also previously been an integral part of production with the Pride Teams in San Francisco and Denver, showcasing their commitment to community causes. Dani's been lucky to live across both California and Colorado and now, proudly calls Missoula home.
Beyond their financial prowess, Dani is an outdoor enthusiast, culinary explorer, dedicated advocate for inclusivity and empowerment, and dog parent to their sweet pup Logan. Their dynamic blend of expertise and passion continues to make a profound impact within the community and beyond.
Dani Goodman (she/they)
Treasurer, WMCC
Kera is the Operations Administrator for The Center and Site Ops Manager for Missoula Pride. They are passionate about creating a comfortable and safe space for their community while focusing on accessibility, safety, and inclusivity. Kera has been a part of the Missoula community for over 10 years, moving to Missoula from Chicago in 2012. Kera came out in their mid-20s and has worked hard to create a fulfilling life with a chosen family and amazing friends while wishing the same for everyone in this community.
Kera is on the IDEA committee for MCT, Inc. Accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusivity are major focuses that they try to include in everything they do at The Center as well as throughout Missoula. In their free time, they can be found napping on water vessels, training their cat to walk on a leash, or doing theater in the local scene from MCT to Rocky at The Wilma. Kera loves Missoula and can't imagine a better place to let their freak flag fly.
Kera Rivera (they/them)
Operations Admin., WMCC
Meet Lo Hunter (she/her), our Media Team Director and Lead Photographer! She is an internationally published, award-winning queer photographer and filmmaker, returning for her third year to photograph all the magic of Missoula Pride weekend.
One of Lo’s missions in life is to capture pure moments of Queer Joy and share them with the world and was featured in a @gaytimes exhibition in London last year with her portrait work from year one. You will find her camera-in-hand, laughing and snapping away, and then running off to capture more. Catch her if you can for a photo on June 14th-16th!
Lo Hunter (she/her)
Media/Photography, Missoula Pride
Micah Moore (he/him)
Missoula Pride Team
He is an inspirational residential DJ from Montana, who takes immense pride in his work and believes that love is the driving force behind everything in life. His passion for music, technology, and DJing has helped him achieve great success, and he landed his first gig for Party Volcano at the Badlander through self-teaching and dedication. He is capable of playing all styles of music, but his heart beats for House music, especially Tech and Bass House.
Having worked with the Missoula Pride team for multiple years, he developed a strong passion for their mission and was thrilled to formally join their team. As a dedicated member, his main role is to contribute his expertise and skills towards making the annual Pride event a phenomenal success. With his diverse experience and creative ideas, he is confident in his ability to help bring this spectacular event to life every year.
Peyton Cole (she/her)
Volunteer Coordinator, Missoula Pride
Peyton is a native Montanan who pursues event and music production. She prides herself on bringing people together and creating safe spaces for folks to do just that. She will soon be moving to Austin, TX to pursue music full-time!
Meet the WMCC Board
Brittany McLaughlin (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Brittany B is a registered nurse, who was born and raised in Montana. She is one of the original founders of Queer Prom MT and is currently one of the co-chairs. She also works with the Queer Prom Teens committee to plan teen events that provide a safe and fun environment for queer youth/allies. When not planning Queer Prom events Brittany can be found on her hobby farm in Florence, where she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and caring for her 3 cats, 4 dogs, 4 alpacas, and 12 ducks.
Cara Grula grew up near Chicago. She moved to Missoula in 2014 to work for the BLM. Cara earned her Master's degree in Environmental Studies from UM in 2016. She moved to Moab, UT, where she fell in love with public education and rafting. Cara now works as a High School Biology Teacher in Florence, MT. She lives with her wife on Missoula's Northside and enjoys outdoor activities, throwing clay, and looking for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe in her free time.
Cara Grula (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Karen Berg-DiGangi (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board Co-Chair
Karen B is an East Coast transplant who fell in love with Montana and met her wife here. Living in the Bitterroot with 4 dogs and 2 cats, she loves helping connect and grow this community through Real Estate. She can usually be found on the soccer field, at a brewery, or floating down the river when not busy with the Missoula Businesswomen's Network, the Lambros Community Foundation, the Missoula Organization of Realtors, or the Center.
Jacqueline Shrader (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Jacqueline Shrader is from Spokane but spent summers in Seeley Lake and Missoula. She works in international development and has lived in Latin America and West Africa. She cares about policy and public discourse on minoritized groups. Jacqueline enjoys paddleboarding, visiting breweries, playing softball, skiing, and going to the farmer's markets. She has two cats with her partner.
Miles Shuck left his hometown and spent a decade in Colorado before moving to Missoula in search of natural spaces and better berry growing conditions. He is a first-generation college graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. Miles is interested in education, LGBTQIA+ rights, labor rights, and U.S.-based food systems. He currently works in UX Design and serves on the board of The Center to support the LGBTQIA+ community of Western Montana and beyond.
Miles Shuck (he/him/his)
WMCC Board
Natalia Boise (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Natalia Boise is a Montana-born activist focused on community engagement and education. A Fulbright scholar who graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Linguistic Anthropology and currently pursuing a master's certificate in nonprofit administration, she is passionate about nonprofit humanitarian work, equity, community engagement, and intersectional activism.
Jeri Barta (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Jeri Barta is a proud lesbian from Montana who loves spreading positivity, playing hockey, cooking, and enjoying the arts and nature. As a Realtor, she helps LGBTQ+ individuals find their perfect home or business location, and make smart investments for their future. With Jeri, you can expect lots of laughter, love, and unapologetic queerness. Let's show the world what we're made of!
Lynsey G is a writer, editor, podcaster, and publisher who won an IPPY award. She moved to Missoula in 2015 and founded Oneshi Press, a publishing company that creates inclusive comics, fiction, and illustrated novels. She co-hosts the Hourgasm podcast and is involved with the community through the Center while studying Druidry.
Lynsey G (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Zeke Cork (he/him/his)
WMCC Board
Zeke Cork grew up in Missoula. He came out in the mid-seventies as “gay” then later as LGBTQIA+ people took back “queer” he ran with it. He started transitioning at the age of sixty and has enjoyed his second puberty far more than the first one. He works in railroad operations and writes queer fiction and CNF. He is passionate about his community and wants to be both an active and effective member of it.
Micaela Murphy (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Micaela M grew up in Spokane, Washington, and moved to Missoula four years ago to pursue an education in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Political Science. When she has free time she enjoys taking hikes with her partner and their two dogs or hitting the mountains and going snowboarding for the day. Micaela decided to do her practicum at the center because she is passionate about LGBTQIA+ issues and wants to pursue a career in nonprofit work after she graduates this spring.
Kateena B grew up in Brady, Montana and moved to Missoula in 2003 to study psychology at the University of Montana. She spends her free time with her amazing family and friends. She also takes part in the local music scene and has recently started performing in local theater. As the newest member of the Center staff, she hopes to support and assist the community in a purposeful and meaningful way.
Kateena Bell (she/her/hers)
WMCC Board
Patrick Boise (he/him/his)
WMCC Board Co-Chair
Patrick B Patrick Boise is a California-born, rural Montana-raised activist focused on intersectional and interdisciplinary community coalescence. A non-traditional student at the University of Montana, he earned bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Management Information Systems and is pursuing his master’s degree in Economics. Patrick has enthusiasm for finding common threads among individuals of different backgrounds and perspectives, working to bring them together in respectful discourse rooted in our common values. He also has a creative streak and loves to make things, whether through sewing, painting, welding, or coding, he enjoys producing items that blend practicality and beauty whenever possible.
Chance LeBlanc (they/them/theirs)
WMCC Board
Chance L is a full-time student studying Creative Writing and Public Health, and they are currently working to increase food security at U of M. When not working or in school, they are spending time with their child learning about turtles and space.
Brock F is a native Montanan who is proud to call Lolo and the Missoula area home. Brock is quite busy as a law student at the University of Montana. Brock cares deeply about legal aid work-assisting low income folks by providing high quality legal services. When not busy with law stuff, Brock enjoys kayaking and shopping at the farmers’ market.
Brock Flynn (he/him/his)
WMCC Board Secretary
River Segar (he/they)
WMCC Intern
River S is the newest addition to The Center. He is an out and proud transmasculine nonbinary person, and is committed to the fight for transgender rights. He comes to us from the University of Montana School of Social Work, and is currently in his senior year of the Bachelors of Social Work program. River chose The Center for his practicum location in order to learn new ways to make western Montana a richer and safer environment for LGBTQIA2S+ people. In their free time, River can be found spending time with friends at The Center’s T.I.N. group, playing The Sims with his cat, Saoirse, or at the local dog parks with his dog, Ghost.
