About Our
Board of Directors & Staff

KEVIN GERMAIN | Chair | Elected 2024 Third Term
(current term 2024-2028)

Kevin has worked in planning and development in Big Sky for two decades, the majority of the time for Moonlight Basin, and most recently for Lone Mountain Land Company. His family became full-time Big Sky residents in 2014 when they moved from Ennis, MT. His three children have been grown up in the Big Sky School District. Kevin is an avid outdoorsman who loves skiing, hunting, fly fishing, trail running and mountain biking.

SARAH BLECHTA | Vice Chair | Elected 2022 Second Term
(current term 2022-2026)

Sarah moved to Big Sky as an elementary school child in 1991 and spent her childhood calling Big Sky home. After earning her B.A. from the College of St. Benedict in Minnesota in 2007 she returned to Big Sky to begin her career and her family. Sarah worked in the hospitality and property management industry with Big Sky Resort and is now the Director of Property Owners Associations for Yellowstone Club. Sarah and her family enjoy spending time at the lake, biking to town center activities, and hitting the slopes. She looks forward to helping continue to shape Big Sky as a sustainable community for all who make it home and the visitors who seek it out.

MICHELLE KENDZIORSKI | Director | Appointed 2024
(current term 2024-2026)

Michelle is a strategic relationship builder and community advocate who has called Big Sky home since 2018. With a passion for fostering meaningful connections and driving positive change, and extensive experience in philanthropy management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement, she is excited to bring these skills to the Big Sky Resort Area Tax Board. Her collaborative approach and deep understanding of community development have been instrumental in various local initiatives, including her service on the Wellness in Action Board.

When not working, Michelle can be found enjoying the mountain with her family, cheering on her boys at their sporting events, or exploring local trails with her dog Biggie. She remains committed to ensuring Big Sky continues to thrive as a livable, vibrant community.

Grace Young | Secretary & Treasurer | Elected 2024 Second Term
(current term 2024-2028)

Originally from Virginia, Grace moved to Big Sky with her husband in 2002. Throughout her tenure in Big Sky, Grace has worn many hats; she has worked in childcare, in the retail and service industries, as a licensed real estate assistant and an office manager/bookkeeper. Recently Grace transitioned to a full-time role helping to run Mt. Everest Snow Removal, a business her husband started in 2017. Grace has always sought out community engagement and is a supporter of several local nonprofits including Morningstar Learning Center, Ophir School and BSCO. She was a founding board member of Women In Action (now Wellness In Action) and served 9 years on the board. As a Big Sky resident for over 20 years, Grace has developed a keen sense of the community, the nonprofit organizations and the people who are fortunate enough to call Big Sky home. This serves as a solid foundation for decision making on the Resort Tax Board. She looks forward to serving this community more in the future.

John Zirkle | Director | Elected 2024 First Term
(current term 2024-2028)

John has lived full-time in Big Sky since 2009, and he has been on the ground as a community builder in Big Sky through different arts and educational initiatives ever since. Currently, he is a teacher at the Big Sky School District and he is the founding director of the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center. After having helped launch several successful organizations in Big Sky, working with hundreds of youth over the years, and serving on many regional, state-wide and national boards, John is thrilled to be focusing his volunteer efforts through service on the BSRAD Board. He is a closet math geek, and loves spreadsheets almost as much as he loves the Big Sky community. Fun fact: John and his wife Ewa got married on top of Lone Peak on Valentine’s Day in 2015, skied down from the top, and then put on a show together at WMPAC that evening.

Former Board of Advisors Appointed by the County Commissions in 1992:

• Michael Richards
• Carol Collins
• Richard Wambsgans
• Becky Pape
• Taylor Middleton
• Dave Traylor
• Lindy Adelmann
• Bob Biggerstaff

Daniel Bierschwale, Executive Director

daniel@resorttax.org

With over a decade of partnership experience, Daniel has fostered public, private, and nonprofit collaborations in communities throughout Greater Yellowstone. He decided to make Big Sky country home during a season working in Yellowstone National Park and moved to Montana in 2007 after earning his M.A. in Organizational Management from Concordia. Daniel has a proven track record of stewarding community impact that ranges from grassroots efforts to nationally recognized projects. At the heart of these efforts he hopes to leave a lasting impact in preserving the heritage of Montana and it’s communities. If he isn’t fishing one of Montana’s famed blue ribbon streams you can find him in the mountains with friends and family or on the porch pickin’ bluegrass.

Jenny Christensen, Deputy Director

jenny@resorttax.org

Jenny is a Big Sky native and is passionate about the community she grew up in. After completing a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montana in 2013 she moved back to Big Sky to be closer to her family. Her career in Big Sky started in the hospitality industry, and then in 2019, Jenny joined the BSRAD team. Her favorite part of being on the team is learning more about all the great work partners are doing to make Big Sky a better place. In her free time, she enjoys exploring and adventuring in the surrounding areas, hiking the local trails, fishing on a nearby lake, or bird hunting in the fall with her dogs Huck and Frankie.

Kristin Drain, Finance & Compliance Manager

kristin@resorttax.org

Kristin is a native of Woodinville, Washington. After working in the San Juan Islands for nearly a decade, she moved to Big Sky in 2010.  Following seven years in the banking industry, Kristin accepted the first full time position for the District in November 2017. She is passionate about giving back, volunteering her time for the Alzheimer’s Association and Alliance of Therapy Dogs, alongside her dog Birdie. In her free time Kristin enjoys traveling with her husband Tim, playing golf, and spending time with her dogs Birdie & Trixie. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Board of Directors and the community as a whole.

Tammy Estensen, Communications and Community Engagement Manager

tammy@resorttax.org

With roots in the Midwest, Tammy moved to Montana in 2007 with her husband JC and sons Christian and Gunnar. Although she is the worst alpine skier in the Estensen family, she is passionate about Big Sky and the many things the area has to offer. She has been involved with various local organizations throughout the years. Tammy spent the majority of her career working at Minneapolis advertising agencies on national accounts in the hospitality, airlines and packaged goods industries. After years in media and account management, she transitioned into communications for nonprofit organizations. From golfing to gardening to hiking, her time outside the office is diverse but mostly focused on family.

Jackie Haines, Director of Economic and Strategic Development

jackie@resorttax.org

Jackie has an extensive background in economics and building resilient communities. A self-professed data geek, she earned her M.S. in Applied Economics from Montana State University. Her professional journey includes the Human Resources Development Council (HRDC), where she founded a homeless youth shelter in Bozeman and facilitated a volunteer income tax assistance program, as well as the Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District, where she led economic planning and development at a regional level. A proven collaborator, Jackie will leverage her expertise to align funding at the local, county, state and federal levels to support local initiatives. Outside of the office, Jackie enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors of Montana, and hiking with her goldendoodle, June.