Our Staff
Cliff Montagne, Director
On BOD, overall direction for BioRegions International, fund raising in collaboration with BOD
Mugi (Munkhtsetseg Dorjjantsan), Mongolian Education Program
Mongolian Coordinator for Projects and Trips
Lora Soderquist, Home Bioregion Coordinator
Office organization, legal updates/filings, financial accounting, communications on website, blogs
Loren Barber Franklin, Communications Coordinator
Website, liaison for student projects, social media
Sunjee (Sunjidmaa Tsagaan), Ulaan Baatar Coordinator
Help organize trip and project logistics, provide communication between project areas and BioRegions, oversee projects on-site and at field stations
Mishig (Mishig Jigjidsuren), Darhad Coordinator
Help organize trip and project logistics, provide communication between project areas and BioRegions, oversee projects on-site and at field stations
Turbat (Turbat Gochoo), Orkhon Coordinator
Help organize trip and project logistics, provide communication between project areas and BioRegions, oversee projects on-site and at field stations
Board of Directors
Cliff Montagne, Ph.D
Cliff is a Professor Emeritus and Adjunct Instructor for the Land Resources and Environmental Science Department at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. As a Holistic Management Certified Associate Educator, Director and co-founder of the BioRegions Programs, and emeritus professor, Dr. Montagne works to actualize the application of systems thinking and holistic management in various settings in North America, Japan, Mongolia, and Russia, with emphasis on Mongolia and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Joan Montagne
As a founding board member of BioRegions International, Joan has traveled to Mongolia since 1998. She serves as the secretary/treasurer of the board. Joan is an environmental, community and social justice activist.
Erich Pessl, M.D.
Erich is a family physician who lives in Bozeman, Montana. He has worked on international health projects throughout his career, including working with BioRegions in Mongolia since 2013. His work has included a vaccination project in Paraguay, research on traditional medicine in the Peruvian Andes, an eye health project in Kenya with Engineers without Borders, and more recently work with a mobile surgical vehicle project in Ecuador. His is drawn to the traditional, mountain culture of the Mongolian people and their interest in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and preserving their breath-taking natural environment.
Deborah Hines
Deborah is a specialist in natural resource management and adaptation to climate change (MF; PhD level work, Natural Resource Economics, Duke University) with over thirty years of experience in policy and strategy development as well as project design, implementation, and evaluation. She has had the opportunity to work with the WFP, World Bank (Adaptation Fund and the Global Environment Facility), Canadian Government, USAID, and assignments with FAO and other bilateral and nongovernmental institutions in Africa, Latin American, the Middle East, and Asia. Working with civil society, host governments and the United Nations she has highlighted the importance of addressing climate change, sharing technical expertise on climate risks, and calling attention to those whose food security and livelihoods are increasingly being undermined by extreme weather events. Deborah has worked extensively to promote climate-smart agriculture solutions, combining sustainable resource management with gender empowerment and social justice and is the co-founder and co-executive director of South North Nexus.
William Harjo, Ph.D.
William is the President American Native Services, and a member of the Muskogee (Creek) Nation. William consults with First Nation non profits throughout the USA to ensure that grants are culturally appropriate. William also serves as instructor at Montana State University in Native Food Systems.
Mark Johnstad, JD
Mark has over 30 years of experience supporting a variety of conservation and development activities across Mongolia including establishment of Mongolia’s modern system of protected areas. Mark is an international environmental consultant, and founder of Mongolia River Outfitters.