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.
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 her first stint with the Downtown Missoula Partnership. She has been a resident of Missoula since 2013 and lives with her fiancé Cody and their dog Holly.
Brandon Dewey is the Program Director for the Downtown Missoula Partnership, joining the team in February 2022. He is primarily responsible for managing projects such as implementation of the Heritage Missoula Interpretive Plan and the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan. He oversees the Unseen Missoula program and provides support for fundraising and more.
Dewey comes to Missoula from the Bitterroot Valley, where he served in several different staff roles for the Town of Stevensville over a 10-year period. His cross-departmental tenure included 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 includes service in community organizations like the Stevensville Main Street Association where he has served as a board member since 2012.
Brandon and his wife, Tasha, have two small children Carter and Bryar. Together they enjoy community events and opportunities for outdoor recreation. He is a true public servant who is passionate about community development and placemaking.
Read more...From the Desk of Brandon Dewey
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.
Denise Higgins is the Downtown Missoula Partnership's Director of Giving. Her primary responsibilities include fundraising strategies, donor development, grant writing, and community engagement. She works closely with the Missoula Downtown Foundation to assure a longtime investment into the greater Downtown Missoula area.
A native of Northern Illinois, Higgins holds a BS in Medical Technology. Her background in medical laboratory science launched her into a career in developing health services and programs for Montana women, children and families. Prior to joining the DMP, she held leadership positions at Community Medical Center and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.
As a Montana resident for the last 30 years, Higgins is passionate about community service. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Montana, where she teaches hematology and clinical diagnostics for the Montana Medical Laboratory Science Program. She has been involved with the Missoula Mavericks American Legion Baseball Program since 2018.
Along with her partner, Sean, Denise and her two children, Nora and Eamon, call Missoula home with their two dogs. In her free time, she can be found on the Missoula bike trails, taking in a baseball game, or enjoying the local music scene.
Higgins excited to apply her professional skills and passion for Missoula to enhance the culture, infrastructure, and beautification projects that will support Downtown Missoula for generations to come.
Read more...From the Desk of Denise Higgins
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.
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
Officer Amanda Hardin is the new Downtown Missoula Police Officer. She has served with the Missoula Police Department since 2019 and started her Law Enforcement career in 2012 in the Dallas, Texas area. She is certified in Crisis Intervention (CIT -Crisis Intervention Team) in both Montana and Texas. Throughout her career she has served in the patrol division, detectives’ division (Texas), and is a composite artist who assists with identifying suspects through facial composite sketches.
Officer Hardin lives in the Missoula area with her husband, David. They enjoy spending their time outdoors camping, skiing, and hiking. Officer Hardin is also a local artist and photographer.
The Downtown Policing Program is a partnership with the City of Missoula Police Department and is funded primarily by the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) with support from the Missoula Parking Commission and Mountain Line.