Amy Verlanic
Executive Director
Amy’s full time career is as the Executive Director of the Institute for Educational Opportunities at Montana Tech where she works to provide teachers and students with college-based programs that enrich statewide science, engineering, and technology education.
Amy L. Verlanic is the sole proprietor of ALV Consulting. She founded her consulting business after 15 years of a successful career in higher education and community service. ALV Consulting offers project management, strategic planning, and grant writing services to nonprofit associations and educational institutions. Her educational grant-writing skills have garnered over $80 Million in public and private funding
Amy has held elected office at the local, state, regional and national level. She was the Board Chair for the Council for Opportunity in Education in 2013, where she was charged to represent the needs of 2,900 federally funded TRIO programs serving 840,000 Americans. Ms. Verlanic is a sought after lecturer on educational access issues, grant writing, funding, management and leadership and data management; her work has been shared at the European Access Network and across the US. Ms. Verlanic served seven years on the Anaconda School Board, is the Governor’s Appointee on the Montana Board of Personnel Appeals and was most recently made a legislative appointee to the Office of Public Instruction’s K-12 Data Task Force.
The things she is most proud of are her four beautiful daughters and being acknowledged by ASPIRE as the Art Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Callin LaFever
Institute Administrative Assistant III
My name is Callin. I am a native Montanan, an MSU-Northern graduate, and have enjoyed calling Butte home for going on five years. I previously worked for the State of Montana in the Department of Health and Human Services before joining Tech‘s admissions team and now finding my place within the Institute for Educational Opportunities.
Montana Tech is already a wonderful place to work and being able to support the many programs that help students get here is even better.
When not cheering on the Orediggers and my coworkers, you can find me enjoying Montana’s great outdoors with my husband and our two rescue pups.
Michael Torpey
Volunteer Extraordinaire
Michael Torpey, all 98 pounds of him, mightily shreds paper in his volunteer service to the Montana Tech TRIO program. It is his job, which he takes quite seriously. His jolly, friendly attitude rubs co-workers and supervisors the right way, every day.
“Michael serves as a phenomenal example to students that academic achievement and good citizenry is not a result of birth intelligence, but more so of the effort and energy one puts into nurturing themselves,” Amy Verlanic noted. “Like I tell students when I am recruiting, ‘If you have a high want-to, then I want you.’”
Everybody on campus knows him and loves him as he makes his daily rounds. “He’s always so happy,” said Sally Rasmussen, Coffee Mill cashier in the Mill Building. “He always has his Pepsi and a cookie.”
Theresa Rader
Program Director – TRIO Student Support Services
Theresa is a proud Butte native. She has been Director of TRIO Student Support at Montana Tech in Butte, MT since 2015. The previous six years she served as TRIO Coordinator for Upward Bound and Talent Search.
As a first-generation student, she received BA’s in English and Communications from the University of Jamestown. She is a former Montana ASPIRE President and currently serves as the Past President of the ASPIRE Region and as The Council for Opportunities in Education Board Secretary.
In addition to TRIO, Theresa co-founded the Montana Tech STEM Academy, assisted in creating an endowed scholarship for first-generation students, serves on the Veterans Task Force and is a member of Indigenous Mentoring Program at Montana Tech.
Outside of her professional commitments you will find her serving on several community boards.
Tom Reget
Digital Content Creator & Student Advisor
Tom, a First Generation Montana Tech Grad, began working with the TRIO SSS program in 2018. He comes to the Institute after 16 years in broadcast television, and another 16 years travelling the highways and byways of this great land producing safety training and reclamation videos at his company Reget Video Productions.
Working with members of the TRIO programs housed within the Institute allows Tom to give something back to students and his Alma Mater. Tom spends his days mainly assisting students navigate the college experience through to graduation and is also SSS’s Digital Content Creator promoting our programs at MTU and beyond through campus & community outreach, maintains the Institute’s website, and is the Montana Tech Regional Science & Engineering Fair Director, but enjoys interacting with our students the most, students whose talents continue to amaze.
When not at work, you can find Tom on the golf course, working on remodeling projects at home, maybe golfing or probably golfing.
Ricardo Sanon
Program Director – TRIO Upward Bound
Ricardo Sanon began working as the Director of TRIO Upward Bound and Upward Bound Math and Science with the Institute for Educational Opportunities in 2020.
Ricardo, a Brockton, Mass. native, is a proud first-generation college graduate and has called Butte his home for seven years.
When he is not getting involved with the community, Ricardo enjoys being with his family and supporting the Diggers!
Brandon McLean
TRIO Upward Bound/Talent Search
Anaconda Program Coordinator
Brandon began working at the Institute of Educational Opportunities in 2006, where has served several target schools.
He is now in his hometown of Anaconda where he helps students in grades 7 to 12.
In his free time he likes to travel, ski and spend time with family and friends. He really enjoys watching sports and is a die hard Notre Dame fan ! GO IRISH !
Adam Maes
TRIO Upward Bound/Talent Search
Helena Program Coordinator
Adam is the Coordinator for the TRIO programs in Helena and Capital High Schools.
A graduate of Anaconda High School and Montana State University – Bozeman, Adam is also a former Montana Tech Talent Search and Upward Bound Scholar.
Adam’s passion is to motivate and empower students to reach their full potential. Without the help of TRIO Programs he wouldn’t be where he is today and strives to pay it forward.
Michelle Christianson
Program Director – TRIO Talent Search
Michelle’s TRIO Talent Search program serves 6th-12th grade students in Anaconda, Butte, Deer Lodge, Helena and East Helena and whose primary goal is to show them the path to post-secondary education.
Michelle began her career in 2007 with the IEO, and admits it is a place she calls her dream job.
Michelle has been married to Alan for 31 years and has 2 grown sons, Tyler and Nate. She also treasures her fur babies, cats Calamity and Halo, and her Australian Shepherd Aussie. She enjoys shopping and eating and shopping, not necessarily in that order!
Monica Glueckert
TRIO Talent Search Coach
(Helena Middle School – Helena)
My name is Monica Glueckert. I started my career in human services in Great Falls MT in 2012 working with youth in school based mental health programs. I earned my Master of Education in Counseling in 2016 from MSU- Northern, and am currently a school counselor as well as a private practice clinician (LCPC) in my personal small business.
I am a mom of two children whom my world revolves around. I love backpacking, mountain biking, swimming and have been participating in various triathlons across Montana over the last 3 years. I love everything Montana has to offer.
Michele Goyette
TRIO Talent Search Coach
(CR Anderson Middle School – Helena)
Michele is a happy wife of 33 years, mother of 3, and grandmother of 5. Her family is a source of pride and joy. Montana born and bred, the Great Falls native loves Montana and has lived and worked in several places under the Big Sky including Havre, Conrad, and as a K-12 counselor in Sunburst prior to moving to CR Anderson in Helena.
Michele felt drawn to the counseling side of education, moving from teacher to school counselor because she saw her students’ need to have someone they could trust and cared about them. Education is in Michele’s genes, her grandmother, mom, dad, and several other relatives have been teachers. Her one wish was that her dad lived long enough to see her get her master’s in counseling. In addition to her master’s degree, she has her BA in K-8 education, a minor in reading, and an endorsement in Special Education.
Kristy Dallasera
TRIO Talent Search Coach
(East Middle School – Butte)
Kristy is a S.T.E.M. Teacher and the TRIO Coach for East Middle School in Butte, MT. She was born and raised in Butte. She has been in the teaching field for the past 20 years and her passion is helping students feel successful in their educational path. She has been working with TRIO for the past 2 years and looks forward to many many more.
She has two high school students her daughter Kadance who is a senior and son Wiley who is a sophomore at Butte High School. She enjoys the outdoors, spending time with family and friends. She loves her fury babies Remi, Rue and Tink.
Lindsey Wolstein
TRIO Talent Search Coach
(Butte High School – Butte)
Lindsey is both a dual credit teacher and the TRIO Talent Search coach at Butte High School. Raised in Butte she earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the University of Montana and taught in California for 5 years while earning her master’s in Reading/Language Arts at Cal State San Bernardino.
She is currently in her 21st year of teaching. In 2000 she earned her second master’s degree in school counseling and is looking forward to using this degree in the future.
Lindsey has a 17 year old daughter and enjoys spending her free time with family and friends camping, floating, and boating on the rivers and lakes of Montana. During the school year she enjoys watching sporting events.
Kinsley Rafish
Montana College Attainment Network (MCAN) Network Manager
Kinsley is the MCAN Network Manager. Born and raised in Beautiful Butte, Montana, Kinsley graduated from the University of Montana Western in 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Small Business Management.
Kinsley has worked at MT Tech just a little over three years now and loves being a part of the Digger Family. Serving as the MCAN Network Manager allows others to attain their goals of furthering their education.
When not serving students in the high school or on campus you will find me enjoying the great outdoors.
Ethan Krenzer
AmeriCorps VISTA – Montana College Attainment Network MCAN/VISTA Volunteer
Passionate about serving his community, Ethan believes in giving back. Having graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2019 with a Master’s in Art History, he has worked with two nonprofit arts–based learning foundations helping underserved neighborhoods in Palm Springs, California and the south–side of Chicago, Illinois.
As a VISTA agent for the 2021–2022 term, Ethan is very excited to be a part of the Montana College Attainment Network Team and do whatever he can to continue the success of the organization.
Noah Aukerman
AmeriCorps Team Leader
Noah is an AmeriCorps Leader serving in Helena.
Noah was born in Northern Indiana, raised in Durrës, Albania, and moved back to Indiana for his post-secondary education at Indiana Wesleyan University where he graduated from prior to making the move to Montana.
Noah finds working with and mentoring youth to be fulfilling endeavors as well as prime opportunities for personal growth through continued learning in community with fellow learners who are at earlier stages in their journeys.
In his free time, Noah enjoys researching and writing on topics that pique his interest, visiting art museums, hiking, playing the piano, and traveling.