The Haven team is made up of individuals from diverse backgrounds with unique skillsets, collaborating creatively for the benefit of our community. Our work is wholehearted, as well as strategic.
Due to the nature of our work, not all of our staff are listed here or are listed here with their full names.
Erica has worked in the field of intimate partner violence intervention and prevention for nearly a decade and has served in the executive role at Haven since 2014. She holds a master’s in public administration and has bachelor’s degrees in English and Spanish. Erica serves on the board of the Montana Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, providing resources and support to domestic and sexual violence organizations statewide, while also advocating for legislation that best serves survivors.
Under her leadership, and in partnership with the larger Haven team, Haven’s staff size has tripled, and the number of programs offered has doubled. With this growth, Haven has been able to increase the quality of its services as well as expand the number of services available to survivors. Additionally, during Erica's term, Haven has increased its focus on mobilizing the greater Gallatin Valley with the education and resources needed to support survivors and create community-wide change.
In addition to her work at Haven, Erica loves spending time with her husband and their two children, traveling, and exploring Montana in their camper.
Kareena began her career at Haven as Survivor Advocate in 2016. In her time here, she has had the privilege of empowering survivors, supporting direct service staff, and building collaborative relationships with our community partners. She is excited for the opportunity to maintain and expand our programs to meet the needs of survivors in our community.
Kareena graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in applied psychology. She loves Bozeman and how our community shows their compassion for survivors. In her free time, Kareena enjoys games of all varieties, reading, quilting, and spending time with her partner and their three fur babies.
Leisha joined Haven in February 2022 after serving as the finance and operations director for Big Sky Community Organization. Prior to that, she worked in corporate accounting at Exclusive Resorts. Leisha has a passion for various not-for-profits and tries to volunteer as much as she can. Haven’s mission and values are what drew her to join the team. She is thrilled to bring her experience and to be part of such an amazing organization.
Leisha graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. When not at work she enjoys being outdoors, cross-country skiing, cooking, and traveling.
Beth joined Haven in 2021 with 20+ years of experience in communications, writing, PR, journalism, and communications strategy related to advocacy and fundraising. Of note is her strategic communications work that helped pass a bill to protect Yellowstone National Park from gold mining, national television and print media placements for organizations, and more than a decade of work as a freelance foreign correspondent for national newspapers and magazines. Beth was part of a cross-border team of journalists who won the 2011 Daniel Pearl Global Investigative Journalism Award.
Beth attended the University of Montana and Lawrence University. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and cross-country skiing with her husband/dog/friends, live music, and traveling.
Gen joined Haven in January 2017. She has a background in social work having worked at Partnership for Children in Missoula, and at Sally’s House Emergency Foster Care in Spokane, Wash. She also spent four years in the Air Force. Gen was drawn to Haven because she believes in its mission and admires the quality of support Haven provides to survivors. As an advocate, her goals are to provide empathy, to be non-judgmental, and to empower survivors in meaningful ways. She has gained experience from Haven that has changed her own life in positive ways and has made her a stronger advocate.
Gen holds a bachelor’s degree in social work. Outside of Haven, ultimate frisbee takes up a lot of her time. She travels for a club team and coaches a women’s/nonbinary club team at the university. If she is not playing frisbee, you can find her on the river fly fishing, exploring the wilderness with her dog Kingsley, crafting, or hanging out with friends.
Katie joined Haven in 2022 after 12 years in healthcare administration as the Bozeman Medical Clinic Director at Community Health Partners. Her background includes delivering hundreds of babies in the Flathead as a midwife, raising her own great kids, providing peer support to new moms through the Gallatin City-County Health Department’s WIC program. Katie has served on the board of Bridgercare and is a past president of Bozeman Sunrise Rotary.
When not at work you can find Katie in her kitchen cooking up comfort food for the folks she loves or chasing her rowdy dogs and remarkable daughters through the mountains of this glorious state.
Sarah joined Haven in August 2020. She brings with her a background in recruitment and higher education, specifically supporting people on their career development journeys and helping them discover meaningful ways to engage the world through service. She is excited to bring these experiences to her role at Haven and to be part of such a vital community resource.
Sarah holds a master’s in educational leadership from Miami University and a bachelor’s in sociology and management from Luther College. Outside of Haven, you may find her spending time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, reading, connecting with friends, or attempting a DIY project.
Isabel joined the Haven team in February 2023.
Isabel went to college in upstate New York, where she majored in environmental studies and sociology and minored in public health and outdoor studies. She then spent two years working remotely for COVID-19 response teams to provide support and resources to people affected by the pandemic. Isabel knew she wanted to continue working in a role that allowed her to positively impact the community, and she was thrilled when the opportunity to work with Haven presented itself.
When not at Haven, Isabel can be found outside (mountain biking, backpacking, running, skiing), reading, playing with dogs, and attempting to perfect her baking recipes. She also values spending time with her partner and connecting with friends through various activities, from camping to playing basketball.
Bailey joined Haven in August 2023.
Before working at Haven, Bailey worked as an education specialist in Uganda for the Peace Corps, as a COVID-19 contact tracer for the State of Michigan, and most recently, as the program coordinator for the Montana Science Center.
Outside of work, Bailey enjoys watching the show “What We Do In The Shadows,” playing soccer, sharing meals with friends, and traveling whenever she can.
Julie joined Haven in March 2021. Prior to Haven, Julie served as executive director for a charitable non-profit in Dallas that provided about $2 million in financial assistance each year. She discovered that she loved the operations aspect of her job and decided to pursue a career in administration and office management. Joining the team at Haven feels like a fulfillment of what she has been called to do with her life.
Julie holds a bachelor’s in communication arts with a minor in business. She was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and spent most of her childhood in the deep south. She lived in Texas and Virginia before moving to Bozeman in 2015. For fun, Julie’s favorite pastime is making dinner with her partner and dancing to music while they wait for the meal to be ready. You can also find her hiking during the summer and cross-country skiing and ice skating in the winter.
Cara grew up in the small town of Noxon, MT, and found herself in Bozeman to study psychology. She holds her bachelor's in psychology and joined Haven in May 2017 as a Weekend Advocate. In addition to her part-time work at Haven, Cara worked full-time as a Behavioral Specialist at Ridgeview Elementary School for six years. She started full-time with Haven as the Sexual Assault Survivor Advocate in January 2023. Cara loves being a part of Haven's organization, supporting survivors through crisis intervention, emotional support, and connecting individuals to other local resources.
When she isn't working, Cara enjoys hiking, fishing, and watercolor painting; she even has her own watercolor painting business.
Tricia finished her internship with Haven in December of 2022 and joined our team in February 2023. She graduated from Montana State University in December 2022 with a bachelor's in clinical psychology and a minor in women, gender, and sexuality studies. Before Haven, Tricia held various jobs ranging from ski instructor to waitress. She is excited to continue working with Haven to empower and support survivors in the local community through an advocacy role. She is grateful to be able to support her community through direct service at Haven.
Tricia spends most of her time outdoors with her friends while not at work. During the summer, she can be found fly fishing, hiking, and backpacking. She also tries to get as many days on skis as possible in the winter (or whenever there is enough snow cover). And every so often, she enjoys a lazy day at home.
Meilyn joined Haven in August 2021. As the Prevention Coordinator, they have the privilege of increasing outreach to surrounding areas, providing education for the community, and providing our volunteers with educational training. As a long-time advocate of education for all, this position is a dream come true for Meilyn.
Meilyn has a bachelor’s in social work from a small university in southern California. They relocated to Montana in 2017 and have not looked back. Meilyn enjoys spending their free time at the gym, camping, or doing anything with their dog.
Rebecca joined Haven in March 2023. She lives in Bozeman, and comes to Haven from the environmental non-profit world. She has an undergraduate degree in anthropology and a master’s degree in environmental science, and has worked at the intersection of conservation and human rights around the world for the past two decades.
Outside of work, Rebecca reads, writes, draws, skis, trains for marathons, backpacks, studies languages, and travels. She enjoys doing art and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
Bailey joined Haven at the start of 2022. She’s excited to help her community in the beautiful Gallatin Valley. Before this position, Bailey served in the Peace Corps as a Youth Development Specialist in Morocco and worked at MSU’s Student Success Center. Bailey holds an associate’s in science, a bachelor’s in early childhood education and child services, and a master’s in executive leadership.
Bailey loves anything outdoors. She is an avid mountain biker, races motorcycles on weekends, and her goal this year is to go camping every weekend when the weather permits.
Justice completed an internship with Haven in spring 2021, and joined our staff in December of that same year.
Justice graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences, and wanted to be part of an empowering profession. She has a passion for assisting people and providing support when and where it is needed. Justice wanted to join Haven’s team because she could do just that with empowering survivors. She admires the work Haven does for the community and wanted to be part of their great work.
Outside of Haven, she enjoys spending time with her husband, being a mom, immersing herself in any outdoor activity, connecting with friends and oddly enough, cleaning and organizing anything she can get her hands on.
Lexi began volunteering at Haven in May of 2023 and officially joined the team in July. She’ll graduate with a bachelor’s in human development and family science later this year and hopes to attend graduate school for family and marriage therapy.
Lexi grew up in Washington where most of her time was spent caring for numerous animals, specifically her horses. She has previously held positions at small feed stores where there is a strong sense of community.
Outside of work, Lexi enjoys exploring with her pup, a good laugh, and great food.
Kaylee completed her internship with Haven in spring 2021, and joined the legal advocacy team in September 2023.
Kaylee graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor's degree in community health. Her background includes working in mental health and housing, and that background is an advantage when it comes to connecting people to resources. Kaylee wanted to return to Haven to serve survivors using the empowerment model.
Outside of Haven, Kaylee enjoys connecting with her partner and dog, reading, and eating good food. As well as a good nap and all the laughing she can squeeze into one day.
Marisa is from a small town in Montana and graduated from Montana State University with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and services. Her background is in working with children with autism, both one-on-one and as a clinical coordinator. Marisa wanted to join the Haven team because she wanted to connect with people on a deeper level while empowering survivors.
Outside of Haven, Marisa enjoys being outside (trail running, hiking, skiing, camping), reading, playing cards, hanging with her dogs, and learning new things. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family doing various activities, from board games to camping or hiking.
Savannah is from Washington state and has a background in volunteer advocacy. Her past jobs include preschool teacher and jobs in retail. Savannah is pursuing a bachelor's degree from Montana State University and will graduate in fall 2023.
When she isn’t cracking the books or working at Haven, Savannah enjoys outdoor activities, like hiking with her dog. She also likes sewing clothes and being a plant mom to a lot of leafy friends.
Sarah joined Haven in December of 2023. Her background in survivor advocacy in her home state of Wyoming inspired her to apply for a position at Haven.
Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and a master’s in anthropology (as well as a graduate certificate in gender and sexuality studies) from the University of Chicago. Her interests lie in the intersection of mental health, survivor advocacy, and the power of storytelling.
Aside from her work at Haven, Sarah is involved in her family’s third-generation business and engages in research projects at MSU. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking, long bike rides, and skiing with her partner and friends.
Before coming to Haven in spring 2023, Sha (pronounced “SHAY”) worked with survivors at the Law & Justice Center in Bozeman, and in New Mexico, did a legal internship and worked as a legal advocate.
Sha’s education includes studies in domestic violence involving all genders, sexual assault, elder abuse, and stalking, and she earned her bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University. She was drawn to Haven because of the empowerment model that the organization uses when working with survivors. Sha also understands that there’s a gap in resources for survivors trying to navigate civil law procedures, and she’s pleased to be able to offer support in this area.
Outside of Haven, Sha likes cooking, reading, listening to podcasts, and being outside.
Kate started as a Haven intern in 2019 and joined the team in 2023. After graduating from Montana State University with a psychology and human development degree, Kate worked with refugee youth in Nashville, building a social-emotional learning curriculum to aid them in working through generational trauma. When Kate moved back to Montana, she knew Haven would be a good fit, because the work involves advocating for survivors with compassion and empathy.
In her spare time, Kate enjoys all things live music, farmers’ markets, trivia, and camping. If she's not home making her signature breakfast-for-dinner delicacies, you can find her up on her paddleboard at Hyalite.
Ciarra joined the Haven team in June 2023. Her experience includes working with elementary-school children at summer camp, overseeing intramurals at Montana State University, and working at local Bozeman restaurants. Ciarra received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from MSU in 2022. She joined Haven to give back to her community by helping empower survivors.
In her free time, Ciarra prioritizes hanging out with friends, including playing tennis with them and hosting game nights for them. She grew up in a very close family, so you can usually find her on Facetime with her favorite people in the world — her nieces. Ciarra loves to travel and tries to visit her nieces (and the rest of her family) in California every chance she gets.
Destany started as a legal-advocacy intern, and joined the Haven team in spring 2023. She’s on track to graduate from Montana State University later this year with a dual bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology.
Outside of work, Destany finds solace in various forms, including crocheting, drawing, rollerblading, and ice skating. She spends as much time with friends and family as possible while juggling her school and work schedules.
“The staff and volunteers helped me to learn that no one deserves to be controlled by another person and that abuse is not my fault. It was through both the tangible resources and the compassionate support of the Haven staff and volunteers that I have moved forward.”
– Anonymous survivor
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