Big Sky Community Organization

After graduating from Davidson College in 1988, Whitney became the Headmaster of Ideleri Secondary School in western Kenya where he lived for nearly two years.  This experience launched a career of collaborative entrepreneurial leadership that brought him to Big Sky in March, 2021.

Soon after returning from Kenya, Whitney had a three-year stint as a grant writer before founding Just Fresh A Bakery Café, the southeast’s first quick-serve healthy food and beverage concept.  For 13 years, Whitney served as the CEO growing the company to 16 units including a franchise program.  He and his investors sold the company in 2006 to a strategic buyer.

Whitney served as the Executive Director of the North Carolina Outward Bound School (NCOBS) for the next 14 years.  During his tenure, he significantly diversified and grew NCOBS to be the largest and most financially successful Outward Bound school in the US, and one of the largest in the world.  While leading NCOBS he also founded and twice served as the Executive Director of the Outward Bound Services Group, a member driven marketing and sales organization.

Apart from his career, Whitney enjoys recreating in the mountains or on the water.  He is passionate about skiing, cycling, hiking, and paddling.  He loves live music too.  He and his wife, Lindsay, have five children living and thriving in different parts of the US.

Whitney moved to Big Sky from Asheville, NC.  

  Ashley grew up in Michigan and its there that she obtained her degree in business. She made the move to Montana after making several trips to Big Sky and discovering the beautiful mountains and endless recreational opportunities surrounding us. Her passion for the Big Sky community, love for the mountains and all things outdoors were the driving force in joining BSCO. “The sense of community in Big Sky is what makes it such a special place. There is this undeniable sense of something special here and, for me, it’s the people. The people are what makes this town so great and, working with BSCO gives me the opportunity to be involved in making this place even more special.”

Outside of work, Ashley serves as a Big Sky Biggie Crew Member, President for SWMMBA Big Sky Chapter and board member of the Gallatin River Taskforce. You can catch Ashley spending her free time with her husband, Drew and their husky, Juneau enjoying all the recreational opportunities that surround us either mountain biking, camping, skiing, hiking, or on the river.

Early in his career Scott worked as a high school physics teacher, an outdoor educator, and spent several seasons river guiding, ski patrolling (at Mammoth and Big Sky) and leading wilderness trips for the National Outdoor Leadership School. He went on to co-found and serve as Executive Director at Ecology Project International, a Missoula based nonprofit that has engaged over 40,000 high school and college students in conservation research from Yellowstone to the Galapagos.
His passion stems from a desire to offer experiences that renew one’s relationship with self, community, and the natural world. Scott was a Fellow at the Academy for Systems Change, and previously served on the boards of the Montana Nonprofit Association and the Montana Community Foundation. When not building community at BSCO, you can find Scott with his two kids and wife on the trails, mountains, and rivers of Western Montana.

Originally from Minnesota, Jeff moved to Montana in 2003 to attend school at the University of Montana. He moved to Big Sky in 2008 to fulfill his skiing addiction. After working as a raft guide, ski patroller, and park ranger, Jeff joined the BSCO in 2018. He enjoys spending time with his wife and son, playing in the mountains, being on the river, and living life.

Cassie grew up in Connecticut and relocated to West Virginia in 2013 where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies from West Virginia University with a focus in Business, Communication, Event Planning, and Sociology. Following graduation Cassie made the move to Big Sky in 2017. She began her career in hospitality at Big Sky Resort and joined the Big Sky Community Organization in October 2021. Outside of work, Cassie enjoys all things outdoors. Whether she is snowboarding in the winter or mountain biking in the summer her dog, Kipper, is never far behind.

Sara comes to BSCO with 17 years of non-profit experience in Membership and Development for the conservation organization, Montana Environmental Information Center. Sara and her husband, son and dog have been visiting Big Sky for many years to ski, hike and bike, and made the move official in the Winter of 2018. She is excited to be a part of the Big Sky community and helping people connect with the amazing recreational opportunities this special place has to offer.

After graduating with a master’s degree in mathematics in Poland, Ewa (pronounced EH-va) found her way to London, and what was supposed to be a summer of practicing English turned into a seven-year career in high-end hospitality and as a brand ambassador for Diageo.

In 2011, Ewa embarked on an adventure through India, Thailand, and Niseko, Japan. On that trip, she first heard about Big Sky from a fellow traveler (and now husband) and visited for the first time in 2012. A decade later, Ewa is thrilled to now be working with the Big Sky Community Organization after many years as a community banker, a role in which she centered her presence in Big Sky by serving the people and hard-working businesses in town. An active community member, Ewa sits on the Board of the Arts Council of Big Sky, and when she isn’t out supporting Music in the Mountains and productions at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, Ewa loves cross-country skiing and snowboarding, hiking, biking, taking dance and yoga classes, and fun-filled game nights with her Big Sky family and friends.

Carly hails from Grand Rapids, MI but has spent the last 13 years working with youth in Florida, Colorado, California, and now Big Sky, MT. Her previous roles as a nursery manager, pre-school teacher and camp manager have all prepared her to excel in her role as Youth Development Manager at BASE. She has a commitment to fostering positive environments and understanding the various needs of youth–Carly shines when kids are around. She creates a safe space where youth feel comfortable expressing their unique selves. When she’s not chasing kids at BASE or at Camp Big Sky, Carly enjoys her time with her husband rock climbing, the mountains and rivers with her puppy Sazi, painting, and cooking the yummiest of vegan dishes while jamming to some Dean Martin. She is excited to continue making childcare accessible for our growing Big Sky community.