January 9, 2026

The Montana Hospital Association, Ventures, Inc., and Montana Health Research and Education Foundation welcome new board members, trustees

Montana Hospital Association (MHA) has welcomed new board members and trustees to the boards for the MHA, MHA Ventures, Inc. (MHA Ventures), and Montana Health Research and Education Foundation (MHREF). The new trustees and board members for 2026 are:

• MHA Board of Trustees:
  • Parker Powell, Chief Executive Officer at Glendive Medical Center (elected Board Chair)
  • David Trost, Chief Executive Officer of St. John’s United in Billings
  • Taylor Rose, Chief Executive Officer of Barrett Hospital and HealthCare in Dillon
• MHA Ventures, Inc. Board of Directors:
  • Julie Leonard, Chief Financial and Compliance Officer at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center in Libby
  • Abby Lotz, Chief Executive Officer at Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge
  • Donna Neste, Chief Executive Officer of Wheatland Memorial Healthcare in Harlowton
• MHREF Board of Directors:
  • Devin Huntley, MBA Chief Operating Officer at St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan
  • Thomas McGuire, Ph.D. Director, Strategic Advisor for Western Montana at Billings Clinic
    

Learn more about each member below.

Glendive’s Powell to Chair Montana Hospital Association Board of Trustees

Parker Powell is Chief Executive Officer at Glendive Medical Center

Parker Powell, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Glendive Medical Center, has been elected to serve as Chair of the Montana Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Trustees. His two-year term began Jan. 1.

The MHA Board of Trustees serves as the primary decision-making body of the association. As the MHA Board Chair elected by fellow members, Powell joins a group of dedicated hospital and healthcare leaders from across that state that guide MHA to meet its mission to advocate for the interests of members in their efforts to improve the health of the communities they serve.

Powell has spent much of his career leading hospitals in Eastern Montana. He began as CEO at Glendive Medical Center in 2013 and previously was CEO of the Prairie County Hospital District in Terry.

He earned a master’s degree in health administration and bachelor’s degree in health administration with a minor in marketing from Montana State University–Billings. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and Chairman of the Montana Health Network Board of Directors.

Powell also brings extensive knowledge and experience serving on the MHA Board, having completed terms as Vice Chair, Secretary Treasurer, and Region Trustee. He will continue to serve as the Board’s American Hospital Association Delegate through 2027.

Also elected to leadership roles are Dr. Kathryn Bertany, Chief Executive Officer of Bozeman Health, elected as Vice Chair, and Steve Todd, Chief Executive Officer of St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan, elected as Secretary-Treasurer.

Ed Buttrey, MHA President and CEO, welcomed and offered thanks to Parker as he begins his tenure as MHA Board Chair. Buttrey also thanked outgoing Board Chair Craig Aasved, CEO of Shodair Children’s Hospital in Helena, for overseeing a period of significant transition and success for MHA. Aasved will remain on the board as Immediate Past Chair for a period of two years.

To learn more about MHA’s Board of Trustees, click here.

Barrett Hospital & HealthCare CEO joins MHA Board of Trustees

Taylor Rose elected as Trustee for Region 4

Taylor Rose, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon, has been elected to the Montana Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Trustees. Rose will serve as Trustee for Region 4, covering Southwestern Montana and including Beaverhead County. His two-year term began Jan. 1.

Rose joined Barrett as CEO in 2022. Previously, he served as Administrator for Big Sky Medical Center in Big Sky. He earned his bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences and health, as well as master’s degrees in healthcare administration and business administration from the University of Utah.

With a focus on community connection and increased access, Rose oversaw the construction of Barrett’s new Specialty Clinic that opened in November to accommodate the growing number of providers and specialty care services offered there. Barrett has been named a National Rural Health Association Top 20 Critical Access Hospital three times during Rose’s tenure as CEO.

Serving on the MHA board is a win-win, Rose said, allowing Trustees like him to serve both local and statewide efforts to advance healthcare in Montana.

“The knowledge flows back and forth. I will learn from other communities across the state and bring that knowledge to the Board as well as the communities Barrett serves,” he said.

St. John’s United CEO joins MHA Board of Trustees

David Trost elected as LeadingAge Delegate

David Trost, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of St. John’s United in Billings, has been elected to the Montana Hospital Association (MHA) Board of Trustees. Trost will serve as the LeadingAge Delegate to the Board, representing post-acute care and senior services providers. His two-year term began Jan. 1.

Trost joined St. John’s in 1995, first serving as Long-Term Care Administrator. As CEO, he leads a team of 700 associates in a mission-driven organization serving children, adoptive families, parents, and seniors. With a focus on growth and innovation, Trost’s leadership during the past three decades has guided significant development at St. John’s, from expanding campuses in Laurel, Red Lodge, and Billings Heights to launching Mission Ridge and the Center for Generations workplace childcare center. David also oversees management agreements for Montana’s first Continuing Care Retirement Community, Missions United, and Sapphire Lutheran Homes in Hamilton.

Trost is deeply committed to giving back to his community, especially through board service. He is a past Chair of the Big Sky Economic Development Board. Along with serving on the MHA Board, Trost is also a member of the Montana Health Network Board of Directors and currently serves as Board Chair for Lutheran Services in America.

Trost holds a master’s degree in health administration from Montana State University–Billings and a bachelor’s degree in health care administration and psychology from Concordia College–Moorhead. He and his wife, Michelle, a nurse practitioner, are proud parents of three adult children.

Montana Hospital Association Ventures, Inc. welcomes new Board members

Julie Leonard, Abby Lotz, Donna Neste elected to serve beginning in January

Montana Hospital Association Ventures, Inc. (MHA Ventures) Board of Directors has appointed Julie Leonard, Chief Financial and Compliance Officer (CFO/COO) at Cabinet Peaks Medical Center in Libby, Abby Lotz, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge, and Donna Neste, CEO of Wheatland Memorial Healthcare in Harlowton, to its Board. Both terms began Jan. 1.

Leonard has worked in finance for more than 25 years, and has experience working in both for-profit and not-for-profit hospital finance. She joined Cabinet Peaks in 2025 as its CFO and CCO, after serving as CFO at St. Mary’s Medical Center near Kansas City, Missouri, overseeing financial operations for a 186-bed hospital. Leonard holds a bachelor’s degree with an emphasis in Accounting from Lewis-Clark State College, as well as master’s degrees in business and finance and in health care administration from Salem University.

Lotz has more than 23 years of experience in healthcare leadership and began as CEO at Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge in 2021. Previously, she served in various nursing leadership positions with OSF Healthcare including nursing director, vice president, and Chief Nursing Officer. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Saint Francis College of Nursing and a master’s degree in business administration from Strayer University–Jack Welch School of Management. Her strong healthcare background and lifelong commitment to service combine clinical insight with strategic vision to guide rural communities forward.

A longtime healthcare administrator and leader, Neste is CEO of Wheatland Memorial Healthcare in Harlowton. She is leading the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility there that is scheduled to open in early 2026. The new building will offer expanded services and modern amenities, reinforcing the hospital’s mission to deliver advanced, accessible, and personal healthcare.

The for-profit subsidiary of the MHA, MHA Ventures was founded in 1987. MHA Ventures currently manages more than 400 contracts across 40 endorsed partners, helping Montana hospitals access vetted, Montana-aligned solutions that improve care, reduce costs, and streamline operations. The 7-person MHA Ventures Board of Directors is currently chaired by Jennfier Doty, CEO of Sidney Health Care. MHA Ventures Vice President of Shared Services Sean Becker shared his gratitude to the entire board for its services, along with thanking outgoing board members David Trost, Chief Executive Officer of St. John’s United in Billings, and Taylor Rose, Chief Executive Officer of Barrett Hospital and HealthCare in Dillon, for their work.

To learn more about MHA Ventures, click here.

MHREF welcomes new Board members

Devin Huntley and Thomas McGuire began terms on Jan. 1

Montana Health Research and Education Foundation (MHREF) Board of Directors has elected Devin Huntley, MBA and Thomas McGuire, Ph.D. to its Board.

Huntley is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) at St. Luke Community Healthcare in Ronan. With nearly 25 years of experience working in healthcare, his background spans military service as a U.S. Army combat medic, consulting with Deloitte, and several leadership roles in Western Montana hospitals. Huntley is a University of Arizona graduate and native Montanan. He is grateful to help lead a team dedicated to caring for the community he calls home.

“This most remarkable critical access hospital continues to amaze me with the high-quality, compassionate care its dedicated team provides to the residents of this beautiful valley,” Huntley said. “I am blessed to work here.”

McGuire is Director, Strategic Advisor for Western Montana at Billings Clinic where he focuses on strategy and service line development. A Great Falls native, McGuire has almost 40 years of experience as a healthcare administrator and previously worked at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. He has earned several advanced degrees, including a Ph.D. in Healthcare Administration.

McGuire not only has extensive experience in healthcare administration but also considerable board service experience. Along with his role on the MHREF Board, he currently serves as a Board member for Aware.

“My focus late in my career is giving back as much as I can to my profession and my home state of Montana,” he said.

Established in 1973 by the MHA, MHREF is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) delivering education, technical assistance, and program development to support healthcare facilities, emergency medical services, and educational institutions, including high schools and postsecondary healthcare programs. In 2024, MHREF administered more than $2.8 million in grants and delivered programs benefitting all Montana hospitals.

The 9-person MHREF Board of Directors is currently chaired by Kristi Gatrell, Chief Executive Officer of Big Horn Hospital. To learn more about MHREF, click here.