Leadership webpage header with people’s hands pointing at paperwork on a desk.

A portrait of Michelle Belknap, the CEO of Easterseals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain.

Our Retiring President/CEO – Michelle Belknap

After 35 years of service with Easterseals-Goodwill and 23 years as President/CEO, Michelle announced her retirement effective March 8, 2024. During her time leading our organization we added the state of Utah to our Easterseals and Goodwill territories, served tens of thousands of individuals in our employment, clinical and disability programs for adults and children, opened 17 new Goodwill retail locations, and grew in size from $15.8 million to nearly $94 million in annual revenue.

Michelle served as vice president of operations, chief operating officer and chief financial officer prior to becoming President/CEO in December 2000. She also has served the local community in Great Falls, Montana as a board member of the Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce from 2003-2009 and was board chairperson in 2009. She received the Athena Award for Leadership in 2008 from Great Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

Nationally, Michelle served as a member of Easterseals Inc. Affiliate Leaders Network, providing peer leadership support to large Easterseals affiliates, and as a member of the short- and long-term Advisory group to Easterseals’ national board of directors. She also served on the Easterseals national board of directors as one of the first CEOs of an affiliate to serve as a full member. In 2009, she received Easterseals’ Medders Award for Leadership Excellence. Michelle served on the Goodwill Industries International (GII) board of directors from 2011-2017, and as board treasurer and chair of finance committee from 2013-2015. She has also served as chair of the GII Conference of Executives and chair of the Executive Council for GII. In 2019, she received the Distinguished Career Award from GII.

Man wearing a blazer in front of a tree smiling.

Welcome to Our New President/CEO – Mark Sherman

Easterseals-Goodwill’s Board of Directors recently named Mark Sherman our organization’s new President/CEO, effective March 9, 2024. Mark is the current chief financial officer (CFO) and vice president of fiscal and program operations at Easterseals-Goodwill.

Mark’s current leadership and management responsibilities include oversight of our organization’s financial operations and its five program service lines: disability, clinical, children’s, employment and job training, and behavioral health.

Mark joined Easterseals-Goodwill in 2013 as director of finance and was promoted to vice president of finance in 2018, followed by promotion to CFO in 2019. Shortly after, Mark took on the added responsibility of program operations, which he maintained through 2023.

Before joining Easterseals-Goodwill, Mark served as the senior manager of resource accounting with Plum Creek Timber Company, Inc. and a senior associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He holds an MBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame, is a CPA, and earned a bachelor of science degree in business-accounting from Montana State University-Bozeman.

About our Board of Directors

Easterseals-Goodwill Northern Rocky Mountain Inc. is a private, 501c3 non-profit organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, drawn from our four-state territory of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. Our board members represent a variety of backgrounds and expertise. Our board of directors’ mission is to set policy, provide advice and leadership, and to seek community input and financial support for the organization.

Fiscal Year 2024 Board of Directors

  • Cara Piccono, Board Chair
  • Stella Ossello Burke, 1st Vice Chair
  • Tausha Stoll, 2nd Vice Chair and Treasurer
  • Steve Baggerly
  • John Burke
  • Wayne Davis
  • DJ Fuller
  • Erin Furr
  • Bruce Garber
  • Greg Goins
  • Laura Goldhahn
  • Whitney Hayden
  • Scott Knutson
  • Deb Porcarelli
  • Niki Swan
  • Mark Sherman, President/CEO
  • John Martin, Secretary