Panelist | Bridging Sectors, Building Futures

Matt Bugni joined AWARE in January of 2011, performing various leadership and business development roles prior to becoming AWARE’s Chief Executive Officer in November of 2018.

He pursued his undergraduate education at St. John’s University in Minnesota before returning to Montana. Prior to his time at AWARE, Matt worked as a direct support professional for a psychiatric hospital; he also performed budgeting and finance roles for the State of Montana in the Governor’s Budget Office and Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Matt is a passionate advocate for community-based disability services. Matt and his wife, Katy, have four adult sons of whom they are immensely proud. Matt and Katy’s family has diverse ethnicities and disabilities which drives their passions to be constant learners and active participants in our communities.

Matt is a Montana native. He enjoys daily hikes with his wife, hunting, mountain biking, listening to and playing music, and traveling around the world.

Matt Bugni’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Matt Bugni will join the Bridging Sectors, Building Futures panel, where he’ll share his expertise in public-private partnerships for sustainable change.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Bridging Sectors, Building Futures

Erika Purington is a dynamic leader, coach, and changemaker whose career spans nonprofit leadership, executive coaching, and community transformation. Based in Billings, she currently serves as CEO of Allies in Aging: Senior Services, Lifelong Support, where she led the bold merger of two senior service agencies into a unified, future-focused organization.

With a master’s in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from Montana State University Billings, Erika has held executive roles across youth, family, and senior service organizations—including Tumbleweed, STEP, and Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming. She also founded SheLeads and EW Coaching & Consulting, helping leaders and teams thrive.

A certified Presence-Based Leadership Coach, Erika is known for blending empathy and accountability—her “superpower”—to inspire transformation. She is a sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator, offering audiences fresh perspectives, humor, and practical tools for leading through complexity and change.

Erika Purington’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Erika Purington will join the Bridging Sectors, Building Futures panel, where she’ll share her expertise in public-private partnerships for sustainable change.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Bridging Sectors, Building Futures

Sierra Riesberg has over 10 years of experience in the social services field, working in both rural and urban communities, as well as within behavioral health, intellectual/developmental, and aging populations.

She is a systems-level thinker and wants to break down barriers for anyone who needs to access services, as well as barriers for service providers to be able to deliver the services that community members need.

Additionally, she believes that complex problems cannot be solved by one person or one agency alone; unique perspectives and collaboration are key to the progression and development of our social services system.

Sierra Riesberg’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Sierra Riesberg will join the Bridging Sectors, Building Futures panel, where she’ll share her expertise in public-private partnerships for sustainable change.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Moderator | Bridging Sectors, Building Futures

Mike Chavers joined YBGR in August of 2016 as the Chief Executive Officer. Born and raised in Idaho, Chavers pursued his education and career in Illinois. Before moving to Montana, he worked at Indian Oaks Academy, Nexus, for 22 years. Most recently, he served as the Executive Director of the organization.

Chavers holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Olivet Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the Moody Bible Institute. He is a fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.

Mike is married to Michelle. They have three daughters—Caroline, Olivia, and Chloe. Besides spending time with his family, Mike enjoys fishing, the outdoors, and supporting the arts, particularly live music.

Mike Chavers’ Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At this year’s Yellowstone Conference, Mike Chavers will moderate the “Bridging Sectors, Building Futures” panel, where he’ll lead a discussion on public-private partnerships for sustainable change.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Mission-Driven Collaboration

Sarah Music is the Director of Coordinated School Health at the Montana Office of Public Instruction. With a decade of experience in public health, her work has focused on crucial areas like mental health, suicide prevention, youth resiliency, and substance misuse.

In her current role, she advances initiatives in school safety, mental health, tobacco prevention, and high-quality afterschool programs.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, golfing, hiking, and playing board games.

Sarah Music’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Sarah Music will join the Mission-Driven Collaboration panel, where she’ll share her expertise in uniting youth-serving organizations for greater reach.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Mission-Driven Collaboration

Dennis Sulser recently retired after more than four decades of service in education and healthcare. He spent 27 years as a high school teacher and administrator before moving into healthcare leadership, serving as a pediatric clinic administrator, CEO of a development office, and ultimately CEO of Youth Dynamics, where he guided the organization through its partnership with Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

Dennis earned his undergraduate degree in education from Dickinson State University, a master’s degree in education from the University of Montana, and an Educational Doctorate from Montana State University.

In retirement, he enjoys small construction projects, riding his motorcycle, and reading. He and his wife, Valerie, are parents of three adult children: Maisie, Randi, and Sydney.

Dennis Sulser’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Dennis Sulser will join the Mission-Driven Collaboration panel, where he’ll share his expertise in uniting youth-serving organizations for greater reach.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Mission-Driven Collaboration

Nina Hernandez’s background is in philanthropy, business, and program development in the nonprofit sector. She campaigned for large nonprofits in Texas and Montana, such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in Dallas.

Her Montana roots brought her back to Billings after she and her husband adopted their first child. In Billings, she worked as the Executive Director for the American Heart Association, as the Development Director for Youth Dynamics, and as a consultant primarily working with nonprofit boards and executives.

She is the founding Executive Director of Friends of the Children – Eastern Montana chapter, the community’s first and only long-term, professional mentoring program for children.

Nina is an avid reader (with a degree in English from the University of North Texas) and enjoys skiing, hiking, bicycling, and front-porching with her kids, husband, and dogs.

Nina Hernandez’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Nina Hernandez will join the Mission-Driven Collaboration panel, where she’ll share her expertise in uniting youth-serving organizations for greater reach.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Mission-Driven Collaboration

Matt Leavenworth is a licensed mental health counselor and the founder of Pay Love Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to building compassionate communities for at-risk and underserved youth through a mentoring model. Based in Billings, Montana, he serves as vice chair of the Yellowstone County Suicide Prevention Coalition and chairs the county’s Mentoring Work Group, where he helps lead collaborative efforts across schools, nonprofits, and community organizations.

Matt holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and is a certified mentor-coach. He has spent more than a decade designing trauma-informed programs that bridge mental health, leadership, and community resilience. He is also an author and storyteller, with several published works, including To Leap off the Dock, a collection of poems rooted in the healing process of counseling.

Outside of his professional work, Matthew is a father, climber, fly fisherman, and advocate for creative leadership shaped by empathy, imagination, and interconnection.

Matt Leavenworth’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Matt Leavenworth will join the Mission-Driven Collaboration panel, where he’ll share his expertise in uniting youth-serving organizations for greater reach.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Moderator | Mission-Driven Collaboration

As Marketing and Communications Director at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR), Katie Gerten drives the organization’s voice, breathing life into its mission and amplifying its vision. She guided communications through the 2024 unification of YBGR and Youth Dynamics, working alongside a team of leaders to bring together two of Montana’s largest nonprofits to expand access to care and strengthen outcomes for kids.

Katie began her journey in children’s behavioral health in 2013 and has more than a decade of experience in the field, spanning leadership roles in marketing, communications, and program development.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Montana. Katie is passionate about sharing YBGR’s mission, Caring People, Preparing Youth for Life, and often says, “The work we do with kids will be carried with them for a lifetime, echoing through future generations.”

In her free time, Katie enjoys working outdoors and spending time with her family.

Katie Gerten’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At this year’s Yellowstone Conference, Katie Gerten will moderate the “Mission-Driven Collaboration” panel, where she’ll lead a discussion on uniting youth-serving organizations for greater reach.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.

Panelist | Empowering Excellence

Jen Chancellor, MBA, never imagined her dream of staying connected to college would become a lifelong calling—yet it did. With over 21 years of experience in higher education, including 14 years of dedicated service at Grand Canyon University, Jen has turned her passion into purpose.

Driven by a belief in the transformative power of education, Jen works tirelessly to help individuals unlock their potential. She understands that misconceptions about college can hold people back. Be it affordability, accessibility, or relevance, she and her team are committed to debunking myths and guiding individuals through the maze of academic options.

Whether someone has prior college credits or is starting from scratch, Jen’s team provides clear, personalized degree plans tailored to each person’s goals. With team members based in Missoula, Bozeman, Kalispell, Great Falls, and Billings, they offer one-on-one support to help individuals apply existing credits, navigate admissions, and build achievable educational pathways.

Jen’s mission is simple but powerful: to show that education isn’t just about earning a degree—it’s about changing lives.

Jen Chancellor’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference

At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Jen Chancellor will join the Empowering Excellence panel, where she’ll share her expertise in strengthening workforce development through higher education partnerships.

More About the Yellowstone Conference

Visit our Yellowstone Conference event page to learn more and register.