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Paul Travis, Executive Director Paul Travis joined FLT in July, 2014, as Executive Director. Paul has over 20 years of nonprofit conservation and leadership experience and holds a strong commitment to preserving our natural heritage, open space, and “way of life” in the Flathead for generations to come. Paul and his wife, Samantha Travis live in Kalispell with their three children: daughter Neve, Landon, and Astrid. Paul and his family have deep roots in the Flathead Valley and spend as much time as possible outdoors hiking, boating, skiing and enjoying everything this beautiful area has to offer. He continues to enjoy sharing this with his family while building upon the important conservation goals of the Flathead Land Trust. |
Ryan Hunter, Land Protection Specialist
Ryan Hunter became a Land Protection Specialist in July, 2009. He earned a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning, with an emphasis on environmental and community development planning, from Portland State University in 2004. Prior to moving to Montana, Ryan worked as an Assistant Planner for Jefferson County in Port Townsend, Washington. Ryan has also previously worked for environmental non-profits, including forest conservation and salmon recovery organizations. He enjoys backpacking and kayaking the great wild places of Northwest Montana with his family.
Laura Katzman, Land Protection Specialist
Laura Katzman joined Flathead Land Trust in 2010, as a Land Protection Specialist. She earned a Master’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University, Bozeman in 1998, and had over twelve years’ experience in the natural resource field prior to working with Flathead Land Trust including working as a fisheries biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks serving as the Aquatic Program Leader for a large-scale hydropower mitigation program in the lower Clark Fork. She took a few years off from her career to raise her two children, Michael and Sarah, and moved with her family to the Flathead in 2008 when her husband Chris Downs began working for Glacier Park. Laura loves to hike, climb peaks, bird watch, kayak, ski, and enjoy the outdoors with her family.
Eryn O’Brien, Land Protection Specialist
Eryn serves as a Land Protection Specialist with the Flathead Land Trust, combining her expertise in organizational development with a deep passion for conservation. Originally from Minnesota, she earned a BA and MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the University of Minnesota, and built a 20+-year career with Fortune 500 companies before transitioning to a career in natural resources. Her passion for conservation was ignited during a transformative sabbatical doing wildlife conservation research internship on a South African game reserve, monitoring native species while contributing to critical habitat protection efforts. She went on to earn a degree in Wildlife Conservation from Unity Environmental University and gained field expertise as a Chronic Wasting Disease Technician with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and as an AmeriCorps Interpretive Program Specialist at Lone Pine State Park. Eryn is dedicated to protecting the unique landscapes of Northwestern Montana, where she enjoys hiking and lives with her husband, Jeff.
Jen Guse, Communications, Outreach and Special Projects Coordinator
After 20 years as a seasonal botanist in Glacier National Park, Jen Guse joined our team in 2022. Working in Glacier, where she fell in love with the local flora, fostered an appreciation for the natural resources of Montana. Living in the Flathead Valley for the past several decades fostered a deep desire to preserve the natural beauty and heritage of Montana.
As a boots-on-the-ground consultant, she helped prepare baseline reports for many of FLT’s conservation easements prior to joining the staff. Jen is enthusiastic about merging her artistic and scientific passions since earning an associate degree in Graphic Design from Flathead Valley Community College in 2021 and a Master’s degree in Zoology from the University of South Florida in 1993. She enjoys sharing her heart-place in the foothills of Whitefish with her husband, Scott, her dog, horses and chickens, and hiking with any or all of them as much as possible.