Meet Our Staff

Kailyn is a Montana State University alumna, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance and a Master of Health Administration. Kailyn serves on Montana’s statewide Nursing Action Coalition, is the Immediate Past President of the Montana American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Chapter, and is a National Rural Health Association Rural Health Fellow.  In her free time, Kailyn enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and golden retriever, traveling our beautiful state, and watching college football!

Natalie, as the Assistant Director of the Montana Office of Rural Health, brings nearly 15 years’ experience and working knowledge of rural health issues and has worked closely with rural communities and facilities to make a positive impact on rural health delivery. She provides overall grant management for the Montana Office of Rural Health and oversees implementation of hospital and clinic-based technical assistance programs and population health efforts. Natalie currently serves as President for the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH), was a National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Rural Health Fellow, and received the NOSORH Emerging Leader Award in 2011. Natalie earned her Bachelors of Science in Community Health Education from Montana State University and her Masters of Public Health from Oregon State University.

Cindra works extensively on Healthcare Workforce issues, serving as facilitator for the Montana Healthcare Workforce Advisory Committee. She is also focused on educating, recruiting and retaining the HIT workforce in Montana, assisting rural and frontier facilities to meet meaningful use requirements. Previously, Cindra was Hospital Services Manager and Data Analyst at New Mexico Donor Services, the organ procurement organization for the state. She has also worked in health policy at the New Mexico Health Policy Commission, and as a legislative analyst for the New Mexico Senate. Cindra has an MBA and MS in Audiology from the University of New Mexico. She enjoys travelling the state of Montana with her husband. They intend to visit every microbrewery at least once; then start all over again.

Rachel grew up in a rural community in Washington State. She moved to Bozeman to attend Montana State University. In May of 2013, she received a Bachelor of Science in Business, Accounting. Her main interest is in governmental and non-profit accounting.  At AHEC and ORH, Rachel’s role is to manage the numerous grants and contracts that flow through the office. Rachel loves living in Bozeman with her husband and 2 dogs, and spends as much time as she can in the outdoors. Some of her favorite activities include backpacking, mountain biking, and hunting.

Beth Ann is the Assistant Director for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training grant. She previously was the Project Coordinator for the Montana Rural Allied Health Professions Training Program, which focused on the training and then the recruitment and retention of a quality allied health workforce within the state.  She also worked as the Allied Health and Dental Recruitment Coordinator for the South Central Montana AHEC for four years prior to that. As a rural Montana native, she understands the struggles that many small communities face with access to quality healthcare. Beth Ann holds a BA from California State University, Sacramento in Education with a minor in Human Development. She enjoys fishing, hiking and traveling with her family.

Cheryl joined the staff of MT AHEC/Office of Rural Health as an Accounting Analyst in April 2015. She received her B.S. in Education from the University of Nebraska in 1993. Cheryl has many years’ experience in bookkeeping, and originally started working on campus in 2006.  Her responsibilities include reconciling multiple accounts and performing various administrative duties. A native of rural Nebraska; her hobbies include skiing, hiking, biking, golf and music.

Jake Kaminetzky grew up in Shoreline, WA and attended Montana State University, graduating with Full Honors in Political Science, Economics, and Liberal Studies with Minors in Mathematics and Statistics. He currently works as a data analyst and researcher for the office and enjoys hiking, reading, and making music.

Sara grew up in rural Montana and graduated from Montana State University with a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences in 2012. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, she took a brief hiatus from school and worked for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. It was here that she was immersed and fell in love with public health practice. In 2020, Sara completed her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Montana. Sara assists with the Office of Rural Health’s Community Health Service Development, which compliments her passion for improving access to quality health care in rural and frontier populations. Sara enjoys running, skiing, hiking, reading, and cooking with her family.

Grace grew up in Utah and graduated from Carroll College with a Bachelor’s in Public Health and Sociology. After graduating, Grace worked in disability advocacy throughout Southwestern Montana and grant evaluation in Colorado. She received a Master of Public Health – Health Systems, Management, and Policy from the Colorado School of Public Health with a focus on rural health and health equity. In her free time, you can find her hiking, fly fishing, or listening to a podcast.

Sydney is a Bozeman, Montana native and MSU alumna. She is a sixth generation Bobcat and earned her Bachelor of Science from MSU in Anthropology in 2014. She lived in Seattle, WA for several years where she earned her Master of Public Administration (MPA) in Health Policy and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management (CNM) from the University of Washington. Her previous healthcare experience ranges from clinical settings to nonprofits, both domestic and international. She is currently working on her Doctorate in Health Administration (DHA). In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her golden retriever, fly fishing, traveling, and spending time at her family cabin in rural Montana.

Josh grew up in Helena, MT and is a Montana State University alumnus. He completed his bachelor of science in cell biology and neuroscience and later graduated with a master’s of public health from the University of Arizona. Josh has previous public health experience in emergency preparedness and response, both at the county and state level. Josh currently operates as a workforce coordinator and assists in the Office of Rural Health’s Community Health Service Development. In his free time, Josh enjoys fishing, golfing, skiing, and traveling with family.

Greta, originally from North Carolina, graduated with her BS in Nutrition & Dietetics from Appalachian State University. After spending time working to build up and support the food system in rural NC, she moved to Denver to complete her MPH in Health Systems, Management & Policy at the Colorado School of Public Health. While in grad school Greta worked on Colorado’s Opioid Response grant, evaluating a number of the grant-funded projects. Now working at AHEC, she serves as the Workforce Coordinator, which allows her to continue to develop her knowledge and interest in supporting rural communities. In her free time, you can find Greta climbing, skiing, hiking, or hanging out with friends.

Natalee grew up in rural northwestern Montana and graduated from Montana State University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Community Health. As a student at MSU, she worked at the Office of Health Advancement to help improve student wellbeing. She has also worked for a Bozeman based therapy company that works to provide services to rural clients across the Pacific Northwest. Natalee is passionate about making healthcare more accessible and affordable to rural communities. She is dedicated to destigmatizing mental healthcare and increasing education opportunities for behavioral health employees in Montana. When she isn’t at the office, you can find her hiking, skiing, trail running, camping, or traveling somewhere new!