Missoula Downtown Association Board

Aimee McQuilkin is the creative entrepreneur behind the beloved Betty’s Divine on the Hip Strip. Originally from Portland, Ore., McQuilkin graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Psychology and a Minor in Women’s Studies in 2000. She started her retail career as a manager for Rainbow’s End and then took the leap to business owner when she opened Betty’s Divine in 2005. She then leaped again into property owner when she purchased the building next door to her original location and moved. Aimee is married to Matthew McQuilkin, co-owner of Black Coffee Roasting Company, and they have two daughters: Quinn and Macy. In her free time, she likes to watch birds, bake bread, fly down mountains on bikes and skis, camp in the woods, read voraciously, garden-eat-read about food, play kickball, and comb garage sales and junk stores for treasures.

Ellen Buchanan has served on the MDA Board of Directors since 2003 and stepped into leadership as a vice president in 2017. She chairs several committees and was the visionary behind the creation of River City Roots Festival. She came to Missoula in 2003 from Johnson City, Tenn., to oversee Missoula’s tax increment financing program. Under her direction, the Missoula Redevelopment Agency created several urban renewal districts and leveraged significant investments all across Missoula. Her priorities are community sustainability, Downtown vitality, and residential development in the heart of city. Buchanan chairs the Downtown Master Plan Implementation Team, as well as the committees that plan and produce Winter BrewFest, Garden City BrewFest, and River City Roots Festival. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Downtown Business Improvement District and the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. She has B.S. in Architecture from the Pratt Institute in New York City. She has worked in redevelopment in New York, California, Florida and Tennessee. Ellen is married to Michael Hornick. She has two grown children, Jason and Keenan, and a granddaughter, Tess. When not working, you will find her at live music events and festivals.

Following 10 years of sales and service for the daily newspaper in Missoula, Brooke Redpath started her own business – METTLE Marketing – in 2015. She has a lot of experience with small business development and marketing, and has served on the MDA Board since 2012. She will serve as President in 2018. Redpath has been involved with a variety of community organizations and projects including River City Roots Festival, Team Up Montana, Special Olympics, Graduation Matters, Providence St. Pat’s and the Missoula Art Museum. A native of Anaconda, Mont., Redpath has a B.S. in Business Marketing from the University of Montana, and she recently completed the intensive summer program at Rocky Mountain School of Photography. Brooke is married to Van Redpath, and they have one son. In her free time, she loves golf, yoga, snowboarding and hiking.

A native of Livingston, Mont., Bob Burns has served as the Missoula Market President for Stockman Bank since October of 2014. He earned his degree in Business Administration & Finance from The University of Montana in 1996 and has worked in finance for over 20 years.  Since its start in Missoula, Burns has grown the staff to 38 employees in the Missoula market, offering full service banking along with Stockman Wealth Management and Stockman Insurance. Burns is active in the Missoula community, serving as a State board officer for Make-A-Wish Montana as well as other various non-profit boards and committees and he served as a basketball referee for the Montana Officials’ Association for 20 years. Under his leadership, Stockman Bank just completed a $35 million dollar branch location at the corner of West Broadway and Orange Street. He and his team will begin construction on Stockman Bank’s second permanent location at the corner of Brooks and Dore in 2018.

Kim Klages-Johns is a lifelong retailer in Downtown Missoula and has served on the MDA Board since 2002. She owned and operated J. Elaine’s Boutique from 1997-2011. She has been the merchandise manager of MSO Hub since 2011 while also working in the front office of the Missoula Osprey baseball team. A native of Pittsburgh, she earned a B.S. in Marketing from Texas A&M in 1987. She worked in national retail in Florida before moving to Missoula in 1994. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her five children, cooking, and camping.

Matt Mellott is the owner and lead commercial real estate advisor with the Sterling Group, which includes Sterling Commercial Real Estate Advisors, Sterling Commercial Management Group and Sterling Capital Investment Group.  He is also a partner with Renewal Real Estate Services which builds modern, sustainable and affordable homes inside the city limits of Missoula.  Mellott specializes in commercial realty and affordable housing development.

Originally from Lancaster, Penn., Mellott has a B.A. in Real Estate from Penn State University.  After starting a career in commercial real estate in Atlanta, GA and Harrisburg, PA, he served with the United States Marine Corps.  He spent twelve years on active duty flying F/A-18 Hornets and then moved with his family to Missoula where he returned to the world of commercial real estate. 

Matt and his wife have five children. Together they have a deep appreciation for the Missoula lifestyle.

Zach Millar and his wife, Sarah, founded The Dram Shop – Montana’s first-ever, stand-alone growler fill station - in 2015. Prior to that, Millar was a member of the staff at Big Sky Brewing Company for 11 years, working his way up from tap room manager to distribution manager.

A native of Andover, New Hampshire, Millar earned his B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Montana in 1999. As a talented musician, he also played music professionally for 15 years.

Zach and his wife, Sarah - who works at the Montana Natural History Center - have two daughters.

Jeff Smith has been an attorney with Garlington, Lohn & Robinson since 2009 and became a partner in the firm in 2017. He specializes in general litigation, employment law, and workers’ compensation. A native of Lewistown, MT, Smith earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Hawaii, then earned his JD at the University of Montana School of Law. He is a former Board Member for the Western Montana Bar, the Grizzly Scholarship Association and the Missoula Manor Homes. Jeff and his wife, Jenna, opened Cloth & Crown women’s clothing boutique in 2011. They have three daughters: ages 6, 4 and 2.

Mimi Hall Gustafson is in her second stint as Director of Sales & Marketing at the Holiday Inn Downtown. She moved to Missoula for the same position in 2013 with Sage Hospitality and served in that role for four years. She worked for Destination Missoula and the Tourism BID as the Director of Sales and Services from 2017-19. Prior to her arrival in Missoula, Hall Gustafson was on the leadership team at Northern Quest Resort in Spokane for four years. She has spent the majority of her adult life in sales and marketing, specializing in destination resorts. With a breadth of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality and destination resort industry, Hall Gustafson has served in leadership roles with world-class destination resorts, an innovative full-service marketing firm, a successful destination marketing organization, and a unique, luxury resort representation firm. Hall Gustafson has a B.A. in Advertising & PR from the University of Idaho. Originally from Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., she and her husband, Frank, enjoy hiking, skiing and boating, as well as spend time exploring Montana with their three dogs.