Jerry Meerkatz, credited with boosting Kalispell redevelopment, dies at 63

Jerry Meerkatz, a longtime businessman who recently retired after leading two Kalispell-based economic development agencies, died after a motorcycle crash in Wyoming on Friday. He was 63.

Until early last month, Meerkatz served as president and CEO of Montana West Economic Development and the Flathead County Economic Development Authority, sister organizations that work to improve the local business environment. The Kalispell native took the helm of the agencies in 2016, with 35 years of experience managing large and small tech companies across North America.

"Jerry Meerkatz was an extraordinary leader who returned to Montana, after a successful career in the high-tech world, to help his family and community," said Glacier Bank Executive Vice President Dennis Beams, who sits on the board of MWED. "His contributions and legacy will serve our community well for decades to come. He'll be missed as a leader and friend."

Beams and Turner Askew, a former Whitefish City Council member and longtime FCEDA board member, said Meerkatz was instrumental in the creation of the Glacier Rail Park, which made it possible to relocate downtown Kalispell businesses that rely on rail service and allowed for the development of the Parkline Trail, which is being constructed on the railroad bed that traverses the downtown core.

"Jerry was an incredible man, and we would not have been as successful as we are, had he not been negotiating with buyers and tenants" of the Glacier Rail Park, Askew said. "He had the patience of Job, and it took that to get the job done.

"He brought leadership to the table," Askew added. "He brought a team together that is remarkable. He did the hiring knowing he was going to retire."

Meerkatz's career started and ended in the Flathead Valley. A 1976 graduate of Flathead High School, he worked for a time at automotive shops in Kalispell and spent a summer with the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. before heading off to college and a career in the business world.

"More important than anything he did professionally, he was just a genuinely good human," said Christy Cummings Dawson, who worked under Meerkatz for about two years before succeeding him as president of MWED and FCEDA.

"I could not ask for a better supporter and cheerleader," she said. "He was always trying to support people, to encourage them and help them expand and grow. He was a big proponent of me taking over after he retired; I could not ask for a better person to have in my corner."

Cummings Dawson said Meerkatz enjoyed spending time with his wife and two children, riding his motorcycle, and welding and fabricating various projects in his garage at home. He was on a road trip with his family when he died, she said.

Kristen Heck, president and owner of LC Staffing in Kalispell, knew Meerkatz for about 15 years as they both served on the boards of Hope Ministries and the Stillwater Christian School. Heck, who also served on the board of MWED, said Meerkatz was "a tremendous asset to our community" who had "a big heart for God and family" and "an achiever work ethic."

Meerkatz also had a natural talent for facilitating collaboration and negotiation among stakeholders in various projects, Heck said.

"Jerry could ask great questions," she said. "And he could keep people talking; Jerry was quite the talker himself, so he just kept the conversation and the relationships moving forward."

Assistant editor Chad Sokol may be reached at 406-758-4439 or csokol@dailyinterlake.com. News editor Lynnette Hintze contributed to this article.