Downtown Missoula Partnership Staff

Who Runs the Downtown Missoula Partnership (DMP)?

The Downtown Missoula Partnership (DMP) is powered by a team of nine full-time and four seasonal staff members. This small but mighty group manages all programming, events, and operations for the DMP and its three sub-organizations, working closely with four boards and eight committees.

Driven by a shared mission, the DMP team works every day to uplift and enhance Downtown Missoula, helping it thrive as a healthy, vibrant, award-winning city center admired by communities across the country.

Meet the people who make it all happen below.

Linda McCarthy

Executive Director

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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 Sackett

Marketing & Events Director

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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.

Jack Hall

Finance Director

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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

Membership & Events Director

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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 Gagen

Program Director

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Amber Gagen 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. Gagen 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. She 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.

Jacob Treece

Operations Coordinator

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Jake is the Operations Coordinator for the Downtown Missoula Partnership. He is responsible for managing the DMP office, Caras Park operations, and the Downtown Gift Card Program. He additionally contributes to the Downtown Street Decor Program and the multiple events facilitated by the DMP team. Jake grew up in Missoula, Montana, which he considers his true home. He is a graduate of the University of Montana and the Davidson Honors College, holding degrees in Marketing and Spanish, along with a Digital Marketing Certificate. Jake has held positions with several Missoula-based entities, including Pathlabs, the Blackstone LaunchPad at Accelerate Montana, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance, and the Davidson Honors College. In 2023, he was named to the University of Montana Alumni Association's 25 Under 25 list.

Carrie Harper

Director of Giving

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Carrie Harper joined the Downtown Missoula Partnership as Director of Giving in March 2025. With a background in education, nonprofit leadership, and fundraising, she leads donor development, capital campaigns, and fundraising efforts for the organization. Originally from a military family that moved frequently throughout the Midwest and South, Harper earned a degree in Communication Studies and French from Hanover College before serving in the Peace Corps in Côte d'Ivoire. She moved to Montana in 2003 to pursue a Master of Science in Environmental Studies at the University of Montana, focusing on community education.

For 17 years, Harper worked in local educational nonprofits as an educator and program director, co-founding the Montana Folk School and running Sentinel Grant Services to support grant funding and strategy. Outside of work, she enjoys trail running, gardening, crafting, and exploring Montana with her partner, Willis, her two sons, Isaac and Gabriel, and their two furry friends.

Ray Kroenke

Downtown Maintenance Manager

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Spencer Bryant

Weekend Downtown Maintenance Manager

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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.