Lester Bracey was selected in 2025 to serve as interim auditor for Missoula County, filling the remainder of the term for outgoing Auditor Dave Wall through Nov. 3, 2026.
Lester has served as assistant auditor for Missoula County since 2021. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Montana and has more than 30 years of experience in process management, budget control, service delivery and quality assurance.
Tyler Gernant is a fourth generation Montanan and third generation Missoulian. The proud father of two young children, Tyler’s Montana roots are helping him pass along the values of hard work, responsibility and accountability.
Tyler’s first job was working at a Taco Bell when he was 15 years old. He took that work ethic with him to college, attending Georgetown University. During college he worked in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Upon graduation, Tyler worked on the presidential campaign for Sen. John Edwards, forging relationships that continue to serve the people of Missoula County.
Prior to attending law school at the University of Montana, Tyler spent a short stint as a substitute teacher, teaching high school and middle school. During law school he focused his studies primarily on taxation and business law. He spent the next seven years representing small businesses and individuals with tax, business and real estate matters. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Homeword, a Missoula based nonprofit organization focused on affordable housing.
Tyler has a commitment to helping Missoulians navigate the complex world of property taxes and real estate transactions. As a firm believer in quality customer service, he has worked tirelessly to improve Missoula County’s Motor Vehicle Division, decreasing wait times and consistently receiving positive customer reviews. As a leader on legislative issues, Tyler has helped develop innovative solutions to the problems that have nagged Montana’s clerks and treasurers for decades.
Tyler and his wife, Katie, live with their two children in central Missoula. When they’re not chasing kids around the house, they enjoy fly-fishing and cheering on the Montana Grizzlies. With any luck, their kids will enjoy those things too.
Juanita Vero is a fourth-generation partner of the E Bar L Ranch in Greenough. In addition to running her family business, she has served on numerous community conservation-focused boards and committees, including as chair of Montana Conservation Voters, Missoula County Open Lands Committee, Big Blackfoot Chapter Trout Unlimited, Swan Valley Connections and Sunset School Board.
Juanita has a bachelor’s degree in English from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She enjoys horses, snowboarding, and backcountry wandering after game with her husband and his llamas. She used to play lacrosse, rugby and ultimate frisbee but is now relegated to spending more time on her yoga mat.
In June 2019, Juanita was appointed to fill the remainder of Nicole Rowley’s term, which ran through December 31, 2020. Juanita was elected for the open seat in the November 2020 election, and is serving her first six-year term.
In Sept. 2024, County commissioners from across the state elected Vero as the organization’s second vice president at its annual conference in Missoula. Being elected to this position means Vero will move up MACo’s leadership ranks each year, serving as president of the organization in 2027. In that role, she will lead MACo’s efforts advocating for all Montana counties during the 2027 legislative session.
Vero will be the first commissioner from Missoula County to serve in a MACo leadership role since the 1980s, and one of only a handful of women to serve in the upper ranks in the organization’s 115-year history.
Dave Strohmaier and his wife, Gretchen, have called Missoula home since 1997. From 2006 to 2013, Dave represented Ward 1 on the Missoula City Council. Prior to his time in elected office, Dave spent 18 years with the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in a variety of roles, and also worked 13 years in the private sector as a public historian with Historical Research Associates, Inc., where he specialized in environmental and Native American history.
Dave holds an undergraduate degree from Seattle Pacific University in religion-philosophy and graduate degrees from Yale Divinity School (M.A.R., 1995, philosophy of religion) and the University of Montana (M.S., 1999, environmental studies). He is a published author, having written two books on the subject of fire—The Seasons of Fire: Reflections on Fire in the West (2001, University of Nevada Press) and Drift Smoke: Loss and Renewal in a Land of Fire (2005, University of Nevada Press).
In January 2023, Dave began his second six-year term on the Missoula Board of County Commissioners. As an outspoken advocate of public transportation, Dave spearheaded an effort to establish a regional rail authority through the southern tier of Montana in 2019. This culminated with the establishment of the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority in the fall of 2020. He currently serves as chairman of the Authority—now the largest transportation district in the state of Montana.
Beyond public service, Dave enjoys big game hunting, fishing, writing, and spending time in the backcountry with his wife, son and daughter, and Labrador retriever.
Josh Slotnick moved to Missoula from Grand Forks, N.D., when he was 18 to attend the University of Montana, where he earned a philosophy degree. He then served in the Peace Corps in Thailand before furthering his education, first with a certificate in ecological horticulture from the University of California-Santa Cruz, and then by earning a master’s degree in agricultural extension from Cornell University.
Josh has been farming in Missoula with his wife on their family farm since 1992. In 1996, he co-founded Garden City Harvest and the PEAS Program in the Environmental Studies Program at UM. These entities have grown considerably since, and Josh's work, with many partners, has been well recognized. Josh also lectured at UM and received three awards from the university for service to students.
He has served on many voluntary boards of directors in Missoula, including the Missoula County Weed Control Board, the Missoula Consolidated Planning Board, Homeword, AERO and the Missoula Farmers Market. He has written articles, essays, book chapters and one book.
Josh’s family is his greatest source of pride: his wife, Kim who runs their family farm, Clark Fork Organics in the Orchard Homes area, and their kids, Quinn, Sophie and Tasha.
Matt Jennings was appointed by the Missoula County commissioners as interim county attorney on March 14, 2024 in advance of the retirement of Kirsten Pabst at the end of March. He ran in the general election in November 2024 and will continue serving the remainder of Pabst’s term, which runs through 2026.
Jennings has worked in the County Attorney’s Office since 2014 and served as the chief criminal deputy attorney from 2019 to his appointment as interim county attorney. He previously clerked for retired District Court Judge Karen Townsend and worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in Washington, D.C. He earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Montana. Prior to starting law school, Jennings worked as a vice president of government affairs for a renewable energy company.
Amy was born in Choteau, Montana, and spent her youth split between Great Falls and Washington’s Puget Sound. She moved to Missoula after she graduated from Great Falls High School and quickly fell in love with the city.
After starting a family and becoming a mom to three wonderful boys, Amy went back to college and in 2014 graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in business management. Soon after graduating, Amy started her incredible career with Missoula County as a temporary employee in Human Resources. She then transferred to the County Attorney’s Office, where she quickly rose through the ranks to become a criminal paralegal.
In 2019, Amy was hired to be the newly created Justice Court administrator, a position she held until August 2020, when she became the chief deputy clerk of District Court. In December 2022, the Missoula Board of County Commissioners appointed her as the interim clerk of District Court.
Amy’s previous roles have given her a unique perspective on how cases work through the system, which allows her to ensure her division of the justice system runs smoothly. She has a passion for great customer service and strives to be a friendly and empathetic face for those struggling to navigate the more difficult aspects of the legal system.
When Amy is not raising her boys to be the best humans they can be, you can find her on the open road riding her beloved Harley Davidson.
Amy will be up for re-election in 2028.
Gov. Steve Bullock appointed Hon. Leslie Halligan in May 2015 as a new interim judge to the Fourth Judicial District Court to replace Judge Ed McLean, who retired on April 30. Halligan serves as the new judge that will preside over cases in Missoula and Mineral counties.
Since 2012, Halligan has been one of the standing masters of district court, presiding over cases referred to her by McLean and district court judge Karen Townsend that related to domestic relations, family law and parenting plans, as well as some of those involving intervention in neglect and abuse of children.
Judge Halligan is up for re-election in 2024.
District Judge Tara J. Elliott was elected to the Fourth Judicial District, Department 2, in November 2024. Prior to assuming the bench, Judge Elliott spent 16 years at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana prosecuting primarily narcotics and violent crime cases. She’s argued cases before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and has tried cases in every Federal Courthouse in the State of Montana.
Judge Elliott graduated law school in 2000 from Hofstra University School of Law and upon graduation worked at the New York County District Attorney’s Office where she spent eight years as an Assistant District Attorney prior to moving to Montana. She prosecuted a wide array of cases involving domestic violence, sex trafficking, narcotics and homicides.
District Judge John W. Larson has served on the Montana state trial bench since 1993. He is the longest serving trial judge in Montana’s District Courts.
He has presided over more than 500 civil and criminal jury trials. In 1996 he established Montana’s first drug treatment court. This Court has served as a model for other similar courts around the country. He currently is a member of the Montana Supreme Court Drug Court Advisory Committee.
Judge Larson graduated in 1972 from Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota. He graduated with distinction from the University of Pudget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law. Following graduation Judge Larson was a Law clerk to the Montana Supreme Court and then practiced for 17 years prior to his judicial service. He was the last part-time Federal Magistrate Judge in Missoula serving from 1989-1992.
Judge Larson has been an active member of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), serving two terms on its National Board of Trustees. He has also served as President of the Montana Judge’s Association. Judge Larson has served on the Board of Directors of the Montana Legal Services since 2000.
Judge Larson received national recognition for Judge of the Year for the National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program.
Gov. Steven Bullock appointed Hon. Jason Marks as judge to the Fourth Judicial District, Department 4, to replace Judge Karen S. Townsend who retired Aug. 2019. In addition to presiding over regular cases in Missoula and Mineral Counties, Judge Marks also presides over the Veteran’s Treatment Court and Co-Occurring Treatment in Missoula County.
Judge Marks was born and raised in Missoula. He received his J.D. from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA in 2005. After returning to Missoula he served in both the Public Defender’s Office and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. He was recognized as the Public Servant of the Year in 2009 by the Missoula Family Violence Counsel for his work on domestic violence cases. He was promoted in 2012 to supervise the prosecution of sexual assault and domestic violence cases in the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. In 2015 he was appointed to Chief Deputy County Attorney where he supervised both the criminal and civil divisions of the Missoula County Attorney’s Office until he was appointed to the bench by Gov. Bullock.
On a more personal level, Judge Marks is married and has three children that he feels lucky to be able to raise in the community where he grew up. He is an active member of the Missoula Kiwanis organization and has been a regular guest lecturer at the University of Montana Law School.
Judge Marks will be up for re-election in 2028.
Governor Steve Bullock appointed the Hon. Shane A. Vannatta as district court judge to the newly-created Department 5 of the Fourth Judicial District in Feb. 2019. Judge Vannatta took the oath of office on February 22, 2019, and was unanimously confirmed by the Montana State Senate on March 8, 2019. Judge Vannatta will stand for election to his position in 2020.
Prior to assuming the bench, Judge Vannatta practiced law for 25+ years with the law firm of Worden Thane P.C. His legal practice focused principally in business law, and included advice for copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, employment, business acquisitions, real property, and contract drafting. He maintained both a transactional and litigation practice.
Judge Vannatta graduated in 1993 from The University of Montana Law School (J.D. with Honors). He served as President of the State Bar of Montana (September 2011-2012), and currently serves as the ABA Delegate from the State Bar of Montana, and on various ABA committees and commissions.
As a private practitioner, Judge Vannatta was recognized on numerous peer-reviewed lists, including Mountain States Super Lawyers®, Best Lawyers in America®, and Martindale-Hubbell. He was recognized in 2019 & 2016 as “Lawyer of the Year” for work in Corporate Law in Missoula, MT, and in 2014 as “Lawyer of the Year” for work in Litigation - Labor & Employment in Missoula, MT.
Judge Vannatta will be up for re-election in 2026.
Alex graduated from the University of Montana in 2000 with a degree in economics and from the UM School of Law in 2005. Alex worked as a prosecutor, public defender and as an attorney in private practice, primarily in the areas of real estate and criminal law.
In 2016, he was appointed an assistant Missoula Municipal Court Judge. In November 2018, he was elected Missoula County Justice of the Peace and was re-elected in 2022. Since 2022 he has run Montana's first specialized domestic violence docket--it involves rapid resolutions of intimate-partner violence cases and in-depth on-going review of cases.
Alex is a member of various boards and groups, including the Montana Pretrial Advisory Council; the Missoula Domestic Violence Task Force; the Montana Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission; and is a Trustee of the Missoula Public Library. He is the founder of MAP-IT (the Missoula Abusive Partner treatment Implementation Team). In years he is not on the ballot, he volunteers as an election judge, most recently serving as a polling place manager. Alex is a firm believer in sharing knowledge: he is a regular speaker at the law school and to associations of judges.
Alex previously served on the Montana State Bar Dispute Resolution Committee, the Lolo School District Board, the Missoula Mayor’s Downtown Advisory Commission, the Missoula County DUI Task Force, and the Justice Alliance for Behavioral Health (a local collaboration of mental health and judicial professionals).
He lives in Lolo with his wife, two sons, and two cats.
Judge Landee Holloway obtained a bachelor's degree in criminology, with a minor in psychology, from Southern Oregon State College before making Missoula her home in 1992. In Missoula, Judge Holloway started her career at the Missoula Pre-Release Center before working for the Montana Department of Corrections. In her 21 years with the DOC, she worked as a traditional probation and parole officer, intensive supervision officer, supervisor and re-entry probation and parole officer.
While at the DOC, Judge Holloway led the Office of Offender Re-entry, a statewide group tasked with improving the department’s re-entry efforts in conjunction with the Governor’s Re-entry Initiative. Judge Holloway also played a key role in developing Partners for Reintegration, a local grassroots coalition focused on education and advocacy to reduce barriers for those returning from incarceration.
Judge Holloway has been recognized as the Missoula Exchange Club’s Probation and Parole Officer of the Year and presented with the Montana Governor’s Award for Excellence in Performance. She served on the steering committee for the Missoula Jail Diversion Master Plan. The Missoula County Board of County Commissioners appointed her to fill the interim term as Missoula County Justice of the Peace in 2016. She was elected to her first full term in 2018.
As an engaged member of the Missoula community, Judge Holloway has volunteered with numerous organizations, including the Literacy Volunteers of America, the Missoula Marathon and Camp Mak-A-Dream and the Special Olympics. She served as Board Chair for Western Montana Addiction Services and on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Missoula.
Judge Holloway lives in Missoula with her husband, Nick, and their son, Jackson. She enjoys cooking and spending time with her family and friends in the great outdoors.
Judge Holloway will be up for re-election in 2026.
Dr. Erin Lipkind is the Missoula County Superintendent of Schools, serving as the elected official responsible for general supervision of the public schools and home schools within the county. The county superintendent has direct supervision over the three Class III schools in the county, assisting the trustees with budgeting and finance; recruitment; placement and supervision of teachers; curriculum development; teacher in-service training, reporting requirements and other school matters. The Class III schools are Sunset, Swan Valley, and Woodman Elementary Schools. Additionally, the superintendent assists Potomac school in the aforementioned matters by request of the principal or trustees.
Erin earned a doctoral degree in curriculum and instruction, and is licensed to teach K-8 curriculum, library media, reading and to serve as a K-12 principal and superintendent. After graduating from the University of Montana, she served as a school librarian for a year in Great Falls and seven and a half years at Lewis and Clark Elementary in Missoula before being elected to her current position.
Missoula County has 11 independently elected officials: Three commissioners, auditor, clerk and recorder/treasurer, clerk of district court, county attorney, two justices of the peace, sheriff and superintendent of schools. The four district court judges are elected locally but are state employees.
While the commissioners approve department budgets, they do not supervise the other elected officials. Elected officials ultimately report to you, the voters of Missoula County.