Meet the Bannack Association Board of Directors

 

The Bannack Association is controlled by a all-volunteer Board of Directors. Otis Anderson currently serves as President of the Board

 

Otis Anderson, President

Mike Blinn, Vice President

Jeanette Larson, Secretary

Shannon Gilbert, Treasurer

Lisa Green, Newsletter

Jeanette Vaccaro, Membership

Arlis Vannett, Facebook

Dawn Tyler, Grants

Mitch Staley, Web page

Judy Vaccaro

Perry Shank

 

Board Bios: 

 

Otis Anderson:

Otis Anderson is a retired educator who has been a Bannack Association member since 2004 and a board member since 2011. He has served the board as treasurer, vice president and is currently president of the board.He has been actively involved in Bannack Days activities and events as an association member. The Bannack Days Sunday church service and the annual May clean- up day are two activities that he is especially involved with.Like all members of the association he recognizes the uniqueness and value of Bannack State Park to our cultural heritage and its value as a tourist destination. And it is for these reasons that he is grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve on the board and to be able to contribute to maintaining this wonderful historic site.

 

Mike Blinn:

Mike was born in Butte, Montana in 1947 and has lived in western Montana his entire life.  He first visited Bannack during his high school days and has enjoyed the town site since that time.  Mike and his wife, Laurie, were married in the Bannack Church in 2002.  Mike retired from the U. S. Forest Service in 2007 and became a Bannack State Park volunteer on the maintenance crew in 2012.  He joined the Bannack Association Board in 2013, and is still an active volunteer at the Park. Bannack is a family favorite.  Mike has family in Ireland, Africa, and all across the United States.  All enjoy a visit to the Park when they come home.  "Bannack,like Montana, is unique in its past history of political intrigue, early mining industry, and socially diverse populations. It is the birthplace of our state. It is a priveledge to be involved in the preservation of this wonderful peice of history." - Mike Blinn 

 

Shannon Gilbert: 

Shannon Gilbert is currently enjoying her fifth year of serving on the Board for the Bannack Association. For the past two years she has served as the Treasurer and prior to that she served as Membership Coordinator. She is passionate about the preservation of Bannack State Park and feels it’s important to preserve the past for current and future generations so they can learn first-hand about history.

 

Lisa Green: 

Lisa came to Bannack in 2011 hired to work as a seasonal employee in the Visitor Center.  She is a native Montanan born in Missoula, raising her family in western Montana before moving to Dillon. Lisa's heart is in Montana and she truly believes that our rich history in Bannack is a story worth telling and it is a place to teach our children and visitors what is important. 

 

Jeanette Vaccaro:

Bannack has been a big part of my life for a long time. I've been working at the park with my family for 17 years. I've been on the board for many of those years as the membership chairman and was vice-president for a time. Clean-Up Day, Victorian Tea, and Bannack Days are among the events at which I have participated. During Bannack Days you can find me in the Bannack General Store demonstrating soap-making. I also help serve the volunteer dinner on Saturday nights. I'm happy for the opportunity to be serving on the board.

 

Judy Vaccaro:

My family and I have really enjoyed participating in Bannack events since 1997 and have received the Volunteer of the Year award. My youngest was five years old, raking leaves, when we first helped at Clean-Up Day. My daughters have helped me with the Bannack General Store that we started in 2006, and my sons have participated in the 2nd Cavalry at Bannack Days. Now even my grandchildren are helping in the store. Actually, Bannack is the closest town to my home, and whenever we have guests, the park is the first place we visit. It has been my privilege to serve on the board for many years.

 

Mitch Staley

Mitch is a fifth-generation Southwest Montanan with three generations of family currently living in Dillon, Mont. Mitch joined the Bannack Association Board of Directors in January 2014 after getting "officially" involved with the Bannack Association in the summer of 2013 when Bannack underwent the flash-flood of 2013 that closed the park for the majority of the 2013 summer season. Mitch worked with Bannack Association Board Members and volunteers to raise $1,000 via previously non-existing online channels. Mitch is a graduate of Brigham Young University and is a small-business owner in Dillon. Mitch loves the rich history of Bannack and Southwest Montana and wants to serve on the Board as a steward for Bannack to engage Millennials with the history in our backyard.

 

Perry Shank:

Perry is eagerly serving his first-term on the Bannack Association Board. As a resident of Dillon, he has been involved with the Bannack Ghost Walk and Bannack Days as a reinactor since he moved to Dillon to attend the University of Montana Western in 2005. Perry brings a unique and invaluable enthusiasm for the history and heritage of Montana to the Board.