Photo Gallery

Jeanne Christopher has worked with and for children during her 44 years with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Early Childhood Services. She is the mother of three and the grandmother of 9.  Jeanne gained personal experience advocating for children as her youngest son suffered a brain injury at age 2. Her son, Jim, is now 43. He has taught her and others invaluable lessons about what is important in life. 

 Shawna Hanson is the mother of a son with severe autism. Her family’s struggle to find help and support to meet his needs was prolonged and intense. Deeply thankful for her son’s eventual placement in a safe home with an experienced team, she is keenly aware of the needs of other Montana families waiting on a 1000+ waiting list for safe placement for their own high-need adult children. Shawna is proud to be part of the team working to make the Proactive Living Facility a reality. Shawna has a B.A. in journalism and English, and is currently outreach coordinator for MonTECH in Missoula. The center of her world is her family of two beloved, ornery sons, a hard-core Celtics-fan husband, bulldog Lu, and  basset Mookie.

 Jason Adams is the Executive Director for the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority and has served in various capacities representing the Northern Plains tribes on the National American Indian Housing Council (NAIHC) Board since 1996 and Amerind Risk Insurance Board.  Currently, Mr. Adams serves as the Chairman of the United Native American Housing Association (UNAHA). Mr. Adams served for several years on the board of elders for the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Ronan. Mr. Adams was born and raised on the Flathead Nation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Montana.  Mr. Adams lives in Ronan, MT with his wife, Autumn, they have six kids and two granddaughters.

Teena Hoshor has worked in the medical field in several different positions in the past 35 years. She started out working as a CNA for some number of years and taking some nursing classes. I worked in a hospital for the first few years and then became interested in geriatrics and mental health. I did some on the job training in social work and helping patients applying for Medicaid. I worked closely with state ombudsmen and did nursing home admissions. I am honored to be asked to be on this board of directors and hope that my experiences along with the rest of the members will help in this great endeavor. 

Richard Janssen, Jr. has worked in the field of forestry and natural resources for over 25 years. He is currently the head of Natural Resources for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Rich has a Bachelors of Science in Forest Management from the Univeristy of Montana (Missoula) and Masters of Business Degree from Gonzaga University.   He has two children: Jake, a 23-year old with autism, and Jenna, a 21-year old college junior at Salish Kootenai College. He continues to be a strong advocate for all people with developmental disabilities.

 Julie Janssen is a 4th grade teacher at K. William Harvey Elementary in Ronan, Montana.  Julie has a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from the University of Montana  (Missoula) and a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education from Salish Kootenai College in Pablo, MT.  Along with husband Rich and their children they reside in Ronan, Montana. She dedicates much of her time to finding exceptional opportunities in housing, employment, and quality of life for people with disabilities as they transition to adulthood.