Mission
Montana Women For provides education and advocacy to encourage the participation and empowerment of women within our democracy. MWF adheres to a progressive and socially conscious agenda, advocates for critical issues and works to hold our government accountable for its actions. Contact us for more information or to be added to the mailing list.
In the years since our founding in 2004 we have marched in parades (see Gallery for photos), held weekly peace vigils, sponsored events and speakers (see Past Events for examples), and raised funds for local groups whose work we support. We are centered in Livingston, but we have members all over south central Montana and we sponsor and support events all over the area.
Our name reflects the positive nature of our approach. We are Montana women (and some men, too) for… too many things to list in a title: Peace, Justice, Equality, Environment, Arts, Tolerance, etc, etc. Our mission statement outlines the focus and our members and board supply the issues, and the ideas, and the passion.
Our blog is meant to inform, motivate and inspire our members and readers. It serves as a newsletter, op-ed page, and link to other blogs and newsletters. It also allows readers to post comments (subject to moderation) and join in the discussion. Click on the Blog tab at the top of the page to go to our blog.
Our Events Calendar allows you to get basic information on events by hovering over the date. If you want more information on the event, click on it and a popup with a full description, time, location, and contact information will appear.
If you would like to receive email notification of events and actions, go to the Meetings and Membership page and click on the link near the middle of the page to subscribe to the list.
If you would like to become a member, click on the link in the right hand column that says Download the Membership Form. Fill out the form and mail it to Montana Women For, PO Box 2196, Livingston, MT 59047. Membership costs $25 generally, but if you are “living lightly” you can use our special $10 rate. You can either include a check for membership dues with your membership form, or you can use the Pay Now button to pay online using PayPal.
Feel free to look around our website. Both the site and the organization are works in progress. We welcome your participation and suggestions.
Contact Us
Scroll to the very bottom of any page in our blog to find contact information. Go to the Meetings and Membership page to join us, make a donation to support our mission, or subscribe to our email list.
Board of Directors:
Traci Isaly, Co-Chair, is a native of Wyoming; however, she has called Montana her home for the past 26 years. Traci was one of the founding members of the MWF and is committed to bringing proactive educational opportunities that empower women in the west. She has a fondness for hard working people, clean air and water, environmental responsibility, good food, and any new and challenging experience. “We should never stop seeking to improve ourselves through experience and education. This is how we become conscious about the world we live in and our impact on it, both positively and negatively.”
Anita Varley, Treasurer, has a long history of activism for social justice and environmental stewardship. She joined the first anti-war demonstration at the University of Utah in 1964. She continued her passions while working 22 years for the National Park Service in Yellowstone. She served in several capacities: interpretation, visitor services, concessions, and as the parks Federal Women’s Program Manager. Her favorite post was as the supervisor for the park’s backcountry/wilderness management program. Now retired, she lives in Bozeman with her husband also retired from the National Park Service. She joined MWF in May when she worked on the Mothers’ Day March. Anita looks forward to working with our exceptional and dedicated members for the betterment of our society and our planet.
Renée Evanoff, former Webmaster. Growing up in the intermountain west and working for the National Park Service for 20 years, Renee and her husband (the environmental program’s manager for Yellowstone National Park) have always worked for sustainable living and environmental protection. She was the Federal Women’s Program Coordinator in Yellowstone and served as an advocate for battered women in Jackson Hole. She moved to Montana in 1988. Renée attended the very first MWF meeting and became a member that night. Inspired by the women who where present and touched by their commitment to issues she cared deeply about–MWF provided a way for her to make a difference. She is a full-time artist and graphic designer and she designed the MWF logo. Before we all became Webmasters, thanks to the blog format, Renee was our Webmaster.
Jeane-Marie Souvigney is a Livingston-based environmental consultant. Over the last twenty-five years has worked with various Montana nonprofit environmental and civic groups as an organizer, lobbyist and advocate to promote natural resource conservation and voter
Bonnie Hyatt-Murphy, Co-chair, lives in Livingston and has been an active MWF member since its beginning. She activated the MWF Peace committee and has been instrumental in establishing and maintaining its monthly peace vigils. She brings a wealth of activism and civic involvement experience to the board.
Susan Wicklund has been in the Bozeman/Livingston area for much of the past 16 years. Her passion and her work is centered around Reproductive Rights, being a physician and providing safe, legal abortions for over 20 years. Susan was a participant in the first Pot-luck meeting which took place shortly after the second Bush “non-election” and was also an estatic member of the Lady Liberties in the Livingston parade we all still talk about. Susan grew up in northern Wisconsin among strong women, but feels that Montana is the perfect place for her.
Joanie Kresich is a long time educator with many years in both general and special education, a community and peace activist, and a poet. Empowerment of all is the thread that runs through all aspects of her life work. She hails from Berkeley CA where the word citizen is a verb, so working with MWF is a perfect fit. She has been trained in restorative circles practice, and is working to bring a center to Livingston to make those practices available here. Living in Montana full time is exhilarating for a city girl used to the sounds of traffic; the sounds of geese flying low overhead is still occasion for celebration. Trips to an off the grid cabin in the Bridgers she shares with her husband, a Bozeman native, brings nature and its inhabitants up close.
Linda Kenoyer , Secretary, just moved to Livingston in 2008, but already feels like it is the home town she never knew she’d been looking for all her life. Linda recently retired from running a research lab at Boise State University. This is the third time she has retired and she thinks this time it will stick. The first time it was from a career as a Seattle Firefighter where she was one of the first four women in that exclusive boy’s club. The second time was from a career as a semiconductor engineer. In her checkered past she has been a cab driver, karate teacher, ski trail groomer, secretary,craft sales-hippie, housekeeper, school bus driver, engineering technician, physicist and lab rat, as well as serving on the board of several women’s organizations in Seattle. She has a sense of humor and a sense of direction, but no fashion sense and no common sense. She is happy to help with computer and website issues wherever she can. She is honored to be on the board of Montana Women For.
Our original web site design, and the setup and design customization of this blog and its theme, were done by Lynn Weaver of Sparkling Dawg Design. She congratulates Montana Women For on becoming masters of their Web site through blogging. Lynn’s the one holding the “Books Not Bombs” sign in the picture at the top of this page. And she means it.
