Staff
With exceptional leadership by the staff and board members of the DMP, Downtown Missoula is an award-winning healthy, thriving, beautiful city center and the envy of many cities across the country.
Meet Our Team
Linda McCarthy has served as the Executive Director of the Downtown organization since 1999. Under her leadership, the Missoula Downtown Association (MDA) created the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) in 2005 and the Missoula Downtown Foundation (MDF) in 2010. The three organizations formalized their collaboration with the creation of the Downtown Missoula Partnership in 2014.
McCarthy is responsible for ensuring the organization is accomplishing its work plan across all spectrums. She works more specifically in strategic planning, board development, communications, public relations, advocacy and implementation of the Downtown Master Plan.
McCarthy served on the Board of Directors of Destination Missoula from 1999-2016 and was president of the board in 2011-12. She also served on the First Night Missoula Board of Directors from 1999-2001 and the Mountain West Track Club Board of Directors from 1994-2004. She currently serves on the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame Committee at UM.
McCarthy has a BA in Communication Studies and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Montana. She previously served as a Sports Information Director for Grizzly Athletics from 1989-99. She was honored as the UM Montana Alumni of the Year in 2008, the Missoula Tourism Person of the Year (Jay Award) in 2016, and she and her husband were honored as the UM Community Service Award Winners in 2022.
Linda is married to Tom Gallagher, and their daughter, Madelyn, is a student at Montana State University.
Brandon Dewey is the Downtown Missoula Partnership's Director of Giving. His primary responsibilities include fundraising strategies, donor development, grant writing, and community engagement. He works closely with the Missoula Downtown Foundation to assure a longtime investment into the greater Downtown Missoula area. Dewey coordinates communications for the organization, curating content for weekly e-news, newsletters, and more.
Prior to his role as the Director of Giving, Dewey was the DMP's Program Director where he spearheaded various initiatives, including the implementation of the Heritage Missoula Interpretive Plan and the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan, and oversaw the Unseen Missoula program.
Dewey comes to Missoula from the Bitterroot Valley, where he significantly contributed to the Town of Stevensville serving in several different roles over a 10-year period. His diverse responsibilities spanned multiple departments, encompassing parks & recreation, public safety, planning, community relations, finance, and human resource management. He was elected to public office and served as Mayor of Stevensville from 2018-2021. His community involvement included service in community organizations such as the Stevensville Main Street Association and Stevensville Civic Club.
Brandon has two small children Carter and Bryar. Embracing a love for community engagement and outdoor activities, they all eagerly participate in local events and seek opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Kristen is responsible for all of the marketing initiatives for Downtown Missoula as well as event director for Garden City BrewFest, Winter BrewFest, Downtown ToNight and River City Roots Festival. She originally joined the staff in 2014 and served as the Marketing & Events Director until March 2018; Kristen resumed her role in June 2020 after working for local marketing and advertising agency Windfall. Originally from Williamson, New York, she has a B.S. in Exercise Science and a M.S. in Sport Psychology from Ithaca College as well as a M.S. in Management of Sport Industries from the University of New Haven in Connecticut. She worked in college athletics at both Yale University and the University of Montana before working for the Downtown Missoula Partnership. She has been a resident of Missoula since 2013 and lives with her husband Cody and their dog Holly.
Missoula native Jack Hall is the Director of Finance at the Downtown Missoula Partnership. Hall started his new position with the DMP in early November 2021. He is primarily responsible for all the accounting functions of our three organizations, including budget management, payroll, investments, and reconciliations.
Hall is a 2020 graduate of the University of Connecticut, earning a B.S. in Business Management. He previously worked for the UConn Center for Career Development and the UConn Daily campus newspaper. Most recently he served as the Activities Supervisor for the Resort at Paws Up.
During his younger years, Hall was an Eagle Scout and President of the National Honor Society.
Hanna Reese is the Membership & Events Director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership, joining the team on August 15, 2022. Reese manages the Missoula Downtown Association membership programming and is responsible for several major community events and festivals, including the Out to Lunch Summer Series and the Holiday Parade of Lights.
Reese previously served as the General Manager of Dog & Bicycle Bakery & Café for almost three years. She also worked for Missoula Parks & Recreation for one season and Bozeman Parks & Recreation for close to five years. A native of the Flathead Valley, Reese has a B.S. in Community Health from Montana State University.
Amber Kukla comes to the Downtown Missoula Partnership from First Interstate Bank, where she served as a Financial Services Representative. Prior to that she was a manager at Scheels, moving from Bismarck, North Dakota in 2020 to open the Missoula store.
Kukla is responsible for the Unseen Missoula program, implementation of the Heritage Interpretive Plan and the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan. She also provides support for Missoula Downtown Foundation and Missoula Downtown Association initiatives.
Kukla is a native of Killdeer, North Dakota. She has a BS in Political Science from NDSU with a minor in Broadcast Journalism. She was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority in college and was the recipient of a Customer Service Award from Scheels in 2022.
Moore began his service to the DMP as a volunteer on the River City Roots Festival Committee in 2015 and most recently served as facilities staff for the organization. He previously served as Director of Development for the Boys & Girls Club and was the 2017 Professional of the Year for the organization. Originally from Livingston, Mont., Moore studied Cultural Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Montana. Moore manages all frontline duties for the DMP and assist with communications, marketing, management of Downtown Street Decor, membership and operations.
Read more...From the Desk of Bram Moore
Spencer Bryant joined the Downtown Missoula Partnership in June 2023 and works full-time in maintenance of Downtown’s common area spaces. Downtown maintenance includes garbage and recycling removal, snow removal, graffiti removal, hot-water power-washing, banner and holiday décor hanging, and repairs.
Bryant came to the DMP from ChildStart, where he provided maintenance services from 2008-23. He is a creative individual who provides music and art for students at ChildStart and the ZACC. He may even have a one-man band!
Originally from Great Falls, Mont., Spencer has a BA in Anthropology from UM.