Co-op's public affairs specialist focuses on giving back

Courtney Stone sees her position as public affairs specialist at Flathead Electric Cooperative as a way of becoming more involved in her community.

Stone is no stranger to the Flathead Valley, having lived here for roughly two decades along with working in her previous position as marketing director at Glacier Guides and Montana Raft Company. She has many connections through her professional career and as a mom, but she’s excited about the new opportunities she sees in her position with FEC where she came aboard in November.

“Being able to communicate to the community really interests me,” Stone said. “I’m the community outreach person so that means immersing myself in the community and giving back to the community that I love.”

Stone grew up in Virginia and began visiting Glacier National Park at the age of 9, returning every summer. Later she worked on the east side of Glacier Park in the summers during college

before eventually going on to earn a law degree from Appalachian School of Law.

She worked for family law attorney Evonne Wells in Missoula before opening her own practice in Cut Bank where she worked with farmers on a variety of legal issues.

She was also the owner and operator of Glacier County Honey Co., in Babb before selling her interest in the company. She purchased a home in Columbia Falls, and along with partner Jim Deraleau they are raising their blended family of four children.

“I’m grateful to be back here,” she said. “Even though I moved away for a while, I really kept my hand in this community. It’s crazy to me how many people I met working in the park when I was 18 or on the ski hill that now I see at soccer and PTA meetings. Those connections have been amazing. I would not want to be a person who doesn’t give back to the community.”

IN HER position, Stone is the point person for the co-op’s Roundup for Safety program, which provides grants to nonprofits to fund safety projects. Funds for the program come from a voluntary program that allows co-op members to round up their electric bills to the next dollar with the money going to the safety program.

Stone says assisting with the program is one of the reasons she was interested in the job at FEC. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the program so far has given away a total of about $4.3 million in safety grants.

“Giving together has impact, and I think Roundup for Safety might be the oldest example of that in this county,” she said. “It costs the average member $6 per year.”

Funding has gone toward providing equipment for area volunteer fire departments, signs for school zones, school bus stop arms and much more.

“I love working with nonprofits,” she said. “We’re lucky in the Flathead to have the number that we do that do quite a bit of good. It’s my mission to reach out to those nonprofits to let them know about funding opportunities and assist them with the application process.”

She points out that 63% of co-op accounts participate in the program meaning that those who give likely know somebody who has benefited from the program.

“It’s our community that has given money for the good of the community,” she said. “This is not the co-op’s money, it’s just our job to administer it.”

Features editor Heidi Desch may be reached at 758-4421 or hdesch@dailyinterlake.com.