Biography

In college, Chris enjoyed studying Political Science and History, but once he joined the workforce he found that historical research couldn’t hold his interest for long. Realizing that he was much happier when working with people and when able to exercise some creativity on the job, he eventually accepted a Utility Billing Customer Support Specialist position at Black Mountain Software in Helena. This also helped satisfy his longtime interest in computer programming, which Chris says allows for plenty of creativity. More recently, when Black Mountain’s Accounting team grew to need an Engineering Support Specialist, Chris accepted the job and a move to Polson. Chris and his wife think that the perfect vacation includes backpacking in foreign countries, but they’re pretty happy with the many backpacking opportunities in Montana as well. Also a big fan of snowboarding, this Georgia native has found a perfect place to call home: Montana.

Small Town Story

Hailing from one of America’s largest cities, Chris has a different perspective on “small city” than most of the people he meets in Montana. Chris grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but moved to the “small city” of Macon for college. Macon, Georgia has a population of around 90,000, so it is nearly as big as the largest city in Montana – but Macon was Chris’ first glimpse into small town life, and he loved it. He explains, “Life is simpler when you don’t have to worry about traffic. It’s nice to recognize your neighbors and colleagues when you’re out in town. Moving from Georgia to Montana was a big change, but I’ve found small town life to be really exciting in its own way. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to living in a large city.”

Community Service

• Georgia War Veterans Home: Light construction and what you might call “veteran support” (Just talking with the veterans really brightened their day – and Chris’ as well.)
• Habitat for Humanity: Supporter & construction volunteer
• Baldwin County Elementary School: Reading tutor

Education

• BA in Political Science, Georgia College State University
• MA in History, Georgia College State University