Governor-elect Gianforte names COVID-19 task force
U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, speaks at a Montana Republican Party campaign event at the Red Lion conference center in Kalispell on Monday. Gianforte is the Republican candidate for Montana governor. (Matt Baldwin/Daily Inter Lake)
HELENA (AP) — A week after winning the race to become Montana's next governor, Republican Greg Gianforte unveiled a 21-member coronavirus task force that will help him manage the COVID-19 crisis.
The team includes healthcare experts, business owners, school administrators, law enforcement and local and tribal leaders.
Gianforte said in a statement he will prioritize protecting the most vulnerable while also trying to safely and fully open the economy.
Gianforte, currently Montana's lone member of the U.S. House, defeated Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, a Democrat, in last week's election.
Two of the people Gianforte selected worked on COVID-related task forces created by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock: Montana National Guard Maj. Gen. Matthew Quinn and Montana Nonprofit Association Executive Director Liz Moore.
Members of Governor-elect Gianforte’s COVID-19 Task Force are below:
Kurt G. Alme – U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana (Billings)
Don Beeman – Member of the Bozeman Health Board of Directors; former VP of U.S. Commercial Operations for Merck’s Vaccine Division (Bozeman)
Father Patrick Beretta – Parish priest at St. Patrick and Immaculate Conception Churches in Butte; Chaplain at Montana Technological University; Member of spiritual team at St. James Healthcare (Butte)
Daniel Bierschwale – Executive Director of Big Sky Resort Area District (Big Sky)
Dax Cetraro – Owner of Village Inn Pizza, Grand Plaza Casino, Rialto Bar (Helena)
Greg Chilcott – Ravalli County Commissioner; Trustee for Montana Association of Counties (Hamilton)
Heidi M. Duncan, MD, FAAFP – Medical Director at the Billings Clinic (Billings)
Wayne Leiker – VP of Refining Operations at Calumet Refinery (Great Falls)
Liz Moore – Executive Director of the Montana Nonprofit Association (Helena)
Hannah Nieskins – Superintendent of Whitehall; 2018 Montana Principal of the Year & 2019 NASSP Principal of the Year finalist (Whitehall)
Rick Norby – President of Montana League of Cities and Towns; Mayor of Sidney (Sidney)
Todd O’Hair – President and CEO of the Montana Chamber of Commerce (Helena)
Adjutant General Matthew Quinn – Commander of Montana Air National Guard; currently leads Governor Bullock’s Coronavirus Task Force (Helena)
Sheryl Scheafer – President of Montana Parent Teachers Association (Billings)
Dan Schmidt – Superintendent of Poplar Schools (Poplar)
Jesse Slaughter – Cascade County Sheriff (Great Falls)
Karen Sullivan, MA – Butte-Silver Bow Public Health Officer (Butte)
Randy Swenson – Owner of TenderNest Assisted Living (Billings)
Cherie Taylor – CEO of Northern Rockies Medical Center (Cut Bank)
Steve Wahrlich – Owner of Best Western Plus Clocktower Inn & Stella’s Kitchen and Bakery (Billings)
Kaci Wallette – Ft. Peck Tribal Executive Board member and nurse (Ft. Peck)