Meet the GEAR UP Staff! |
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Jan Lombardi, GEAR UP Director (406)444-0317 Jan Lombardi is the Director for GEAR UP, grant program funded by the Department of Education to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. She started her career in banking and finance on the east coast before returning home to the Big Sky state in 1988. Jan has more than 30 years of experience in government, nonprofits and the business sector. Lombardi was named the Governor’s Education Policy Advisor in 2005, focusing on early childhood, K-12, higher education and workforce education and training. Governor Brian Schweitzer appointed Jan Lombardi as Director of the Governor’s Office of Community Service, in 2009, overseeing volunteer and national service programs, such as AmeriCorps, across the state. Jan previously was an appointee for the State Superintendent in the Office of Public Instruction supporting K-12 initiatives. Jan serves on the leadership team for the Montana Girls STEM Collaborative and is active with numerous local organizations. Her work in Montana’s nonprofit and public sectors has resulted in lasting change in public health services delivery and education policy for families. Jan received her B.A. from Newcomb College of Tulane University. |
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Andrea Rankin, GEAR UP Program Manager (406)444-0674 Andrea Rankin has over 19 years of policy, research, program administration, and evaluation experience at the federal, state, and local levels working with disadvantaged populations including low-income and at-risk youth, American Indian students, immigrants, and persons with mental health issues. Ms. Rankin has been a program manager with Montana GEAR UP since 2002 coordinating the program’s evaluation and reporting efforts. She has an B.A. in English from Oberlin College in Ohio, and an M.S. in Social Work and an M.P.A. from Columbia University in New York. |
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Sara Berg, GEAR UP Senior Project Manager (406)444-0646 Sara Berg has been a school grant manager with Montana GEAR UP for five years and oversees the first implementation of AVID in Montana, serving as director. She will now serve in a leadership, consultative and technical assistance role to the state team in the planning, designing, implementation, operation, and evaluation of programs and services funded under GEAR UP such as ACT, STEM, common core state standards, and remediation. She will research and disseminate best practices as well as determine need and deliver professional development. She has 16 years experience working in secondary education as a career counselor, transition coordinator, teacher, and mental health professional. She has developed and managed multiple programs to promote high school graduation and postsecondary education enrollment for diverse student populations, including those with special needs, low socioeconomic backgrounds, and American Indian students. Ms. Berg has a B.A. in Psychology from Minnesota State University-Moorhead and is pursuing an M.Ed. in school counseling at Montana State University-Northern. |
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Zach Hawkins, School Grant Manager - Eastern GEAR UP Schools (406)444-0598 Zach Hawkins is the School Grant Manager overseeing our schools in the eastern part of the state (Lincoln, Box Elder, Rocky Boy, Harlem, Wolf Point, Hardin, Pryor, Lame Deer, and Lodge Grass). He brings to GEAR UP a strong experience as a classroom teacher working with K-12 schools in Hays Lodge Pole, Heart Butte and Helena. Most recently, Zach served as the Upward Bound Associate Director/Coordinator with Montana Tech, serving schools in Helena, Butte and Anaconda. Additionally, he worked with students from 13 western Montana high schools in the Upward Bound Summer Academy. Zach attended a one room school in northwest Montana through 8th grade and graduated from high school in Troy. He attended Montana State University and earned a degree in History and Government teaching. Zach enjoys sharing a meal, telling stories, and getting to know new people. He enjoys the outdoors and is especially fond of camping, hunting and taking walks with his family. He wants you all to know that he will always have time to hear your thoughts and concerns and is dedicated to ensuring that GEAR UP is working in your school. |
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Jacque Boyd, School Grant Manager - Western GEAR UP Schools (406) 444-0848 Jacque Boyd is the School Grant Manager overseeing GEAR UP school districts in the western part of the state. (Eureka, Troy, Libby, St. Regis, Thompson Falls, St. Ignatius, Arlee, Browning and Heart Butte.) As the School Grant Manager, Jacque will serve in a leadership, consultative and technical assistance role to school district personnel and the state team in the planning, designing, implementation, operation, and evaluation of programs and services funded under GEAR UP. Previously, Jacque was an English teacher in Three Forks and Eureka, MT. She worked with the GEAR UP program in Washington State as a Student Achievement Specialist in the Tri-Cities and deeply understands the challenges of first generation students. Most recently she was employed with One on One Learning as the Central Montana Coordinator overseeing student support services provided in public schools. Jacque moved from Eureka to Helena this past summer with her husband, Jim, who works for the US Fish and Wildlife and Service and her children, Hatch and Harper. |
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Paula Roe, College Access Manager (406) 444-0350 Paula is our new College Access Manager, overseeing college preparation and financial options outreach and programming for staff, students and families served by 18 designated GEAR UP school districts. Paula will also be managing the GEAR UP Pathways scholarship and the GEAR UP Achievement Grant programs and will take the lead on the design and delivery of a new education savings account program in partnership with the Montana Credit Unions. Paula has moved north, having recently served in multiple director positions with Project GRAD, a national non-profit and GEAR UP partnership program located in Houston, Texas. She brings an extensive background of developing a college bound culture with students, parents, and communities as well as for staff and administration within both K-12 and higher education. In addition, she managed a scholarship program and developed summer college institutes with both university and business partners. A first-generation college graduate, Paula is the mother of 2 college graduates and the owner of 3 obedience school dropouts. |
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Sapphire Carter, GEAR UP Intern (406)444-0328 Sapphire Carter is an enrolled member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe of Rocky Boy’s Reservation. In high school Sapphire served on Montana Superintendent Denise Juneau’s Student Advisory Board. She traveled in 2011 as a People to People ambassador to Italy, Austria, Switzerland, and France. Sapphire was also a Girls State delegate and participated in mock court trial. Sapphire is a GEAR UP Alumnus, having graduated from Rocky Boy High School in 2012 as Class President and Valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA. Sapphire is a recipient of the Gates Millennium Scholarship and is attending Carroll College double majoring in History and Political Science. She was recently accepted to attend a Public Policy and Leadership Conference at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. |
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Aspen Herndon, GEAR UP Program Coordinator (406)444-0056 Aspen Herndon is the Program Coordinator for the Montana GEAR UP Grant funded by the Department of Education. Aspen is a recent graduate from Helena College of the University of Montana with an A.S. degree in Mental Health Direct Care. Aspen will be continuing her education in the fall of 2013 in Psychology. Aspen also worked for 3 years as the work study under the Assistant to the Dean/CEO at Helena College University of Montana. Aspen has 2 daughters ages 8 and 5 who are the motivation behind finishing her degree. |
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Miranda Severns, GEAR UP VISTA Miranda Severns is the AmeriCorps VISTA for Montana GEAR UP. She has moved to Helena, MT from her hometown Tacoma, WA for her year of service. She recently graduated from Tacoma Community College with her Associates of Arts and Sciences. At TCC she served as Vice President of Scholarship with the Chi Gamma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. She worked in the Student Life Department, programming events for students in the areas of service, multicultural awareness, and education. |
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Jackie Forba, GEAR UP Special Projects We are most fortunate to have Jackie Forba step out of retirement to assist GEAR UP. Jackie worked for the Department of Public Health and Human Services for 21 years. She worked with the Women’s Health Program and the Children’s Health Insurance Program/Healthy Montana Kids Program. Jackie has extensive experience with managing public services for Montana children and families, health policy, federal grants management, budgeting and data analysis. She is assisting GEAR UP with a research project. Jackie and her husband, Russ, are both retired and building a log cabin together in the Elkhorn Mountains. They have three grown children, John, Matt and Katie. |
