News Release

Governor-Elect Judy Martz
State Capitol, Helena, Montana 59620 Phone 406-444-3111

For immediate release: December 14, 2000
For more information: Betti Christie Hill, 444-3111

Martz names five new team members

Today Governor-Elect Judy Martz named five new members to her team. They include:

• Kurt Alme as Director of the Department of Revenue
• Barbara Ranf as the Director of the Department of Administration
• Jan Sensibaugh as the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality
• Jeff Hindoien as the Education and Human Services Policy Aid in the Governor's Office
• Steve Snezek as Chief Policy Aid to the Lieutenant Governor

"Today we are announcing three more of our twelve department directors plus two members of our personal staff," Martz said. "We feel confident that all five of these people will serve the State of Montana admirably."

Kurt Alme is a native of Miles City and a graduate of the University of Colorado with a Bachelors of Science degree in business and a Juris Doctorate degree from Harvard Law School. For the past six years, he's been a tax attorney and partner for the law firm of Crowley, Haughey, Hanson, Toole, and Dietrich in Billings. During this time, he has also worked as a high school student motivational speaker in a nine-state area. Before joining the Crowley Law Firm, he served as a law clerk for U. S. District Court Judge Charles Lovell.

Barbara Ranf joins us with both a Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees in journalism from the University of Kansas. For the past 20 years, she has worked for U S West, now Qwest, where she has most recently served as the Director of Policy and Law. Barbara has worked with the Montana Legislature and various state agencies for many years and is well acquainted with the workings of the Department of Administration. She has been active in a variety of programs - such as the Montana Telecommunications Access Program, Montana Business Week, the Montana Taxpayers Association, the Montana Liability Coalition, and many others.

Jan Sensibaugh has worked at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality for over 20 years. For the past four years, she has served as the Division Administrator for the DEQ Permitting and Compliance Division. She has also served in the Air Quality Division and the Environmental Sciences Division, so she thoroughly understands the different functions of the department. Jan holds a Bachelors Degree in Anthropology from the University of San Diego.

Jeff Hindoien, a graduate of C. M. Russell High School in Great Falls, holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wyoming School of Law and a Bachelors of Arts Degree in political science from Montana State University Bozeman. Jeff has been employed as a lawyer and partner at the law firm of Gough, Shanahan, Johnson and Waterman in Helena for the past four years. Jeff has specialized in educational law and will be helpful as an education, human services and legal policy advisor.

Steve Snezak is returning to Montana to join our staff as an advisor to the Lieutenant Governor. For the past year, Steve has worked for the National Association of Realtors in their western region office in Salt Lake City. Before that time, he served the Montana Association of Realtors for three years as their governmental affairs person in Helena. "Steve will advise Karl and I on a variety of issues and will be a great addition to the office," Governor-Elect Martz said.