Ray Rasker, PhD. - Executive Director  406.570.7044
	Ray Rasker has written extensively on wildlife economics, rural development, and the interaction between environmental quality and economic prosperity. In his former position as Senior Economist for the Sonoran Institute, Ray was the lead author of Prosperity in the 21st Century West: The Role of Protected Public Lands. Ray is well known throughout the U.S. and Canadian West, and in nation-wide policy circles. He has a Ph.D. in economics from the College of Forestry, Oregon State University, a Masters of Agriculture from Colorado State University, and a Bachelors of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Washington. Ray also holds an affiliate position at Montana State University in the Department of Ecology.

Ben Alexander - Associate Director  406.599.7423
	Ben has extensive experience working with land management agencies, ranchers, county commissioners, conservation groups and land use planners in the West. He has published in the areas of ranch economics, collaborative land management, and community development. Ben started the Working Landscapes Program at the Sonoran Institute, and most recently was Director of the Sonoran Institute's SocioEconomics Program. He holds a B.A. in History from Tufts University and an M.A. and M.Phil. in American Studies from Yale University.

Mark Haggerty  406.570.5626
	Mark’s interest and work is focused on assisting individuals and decision-makers to apply scientific, economic and fiscal data to real-world development and land use challenges in their communities. He has experience as a researcher, trainer and facilitator in western communities and internationally, with a focus on land use and community planning. Mark holds a B.A. in economics and M.A. in geography from the University of Colorado.

Patricia Gude  406.599.7425
	Patty specializes in sustainable development, land use planning, and the design of growth management decision-support tools. She is the principal programmer of software for mapping and exploring socio-economic and geographic relationships. Patty holds a Master's degree in Ecology from Montana State University and a Bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Florida. Prior to her work at Headwaters, Patty conducted research at the Sonoran Institute, the Landscape Biodiversity Lab at Montana State University, and the GeoPlan Center at the University of Florida.

Julia Haggerty, PhD.  406.600.1766
	Julia has worked as a field biologist in rural New Mexico and a web developer in central Colorado - experiences that piqued her passion for understanding the growing pains and environmental conflicts of the changing West. These interests have since led to graduate study, applied research and scholarly publications primarily focused on rural governance, land tenure and wildlife management. Julia holds a B.A. from Colorado College and a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, and recently completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the University of Otago’s Centre for the Study of Agriculture Food and Environment in New Zealand.

Jeff van den Noort  406.599.1653

Jeff's career has focused on bridging research and technology in order to increase the quality and scope of analysis. At his former position with the Sonoran Institute, Jeff built the Economic Profile System (EPS) which provides automated economic profiles to researchers and communities throughout the United States. Prior to his work at the Sonoran Institute, Jeff served as an economic advisor and consultant to major Fortune 50 corporations and financial institutions, specializing in business analysis, econometric modeling, and the automation of report and modeling systems. Jeff received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Yang-Yang Chen  406.570.8937

Yang-Yang is pursuing an MBA at the University of California, Berkeley with a focus on social entrepreneurship. She is interested in alternative energy and is working with Headwaters Economics this summer to develop a number of biomass-to-energy initiatives in Southeast Alaska. Prior to graduate school, she consulted on public policy issues to state government agencies and nonprofits, and has also worked for the San Bernardino and Los Padres National Forests.

Headwaters Economics
Mail: P.O. Box 7059, Bozeman MT 59771
Deliveries: 810 N. Wallace Avenue, Suite D, Bozeman MT 59715
Ray Rasker Ph.D. 406.570.7044 | Ben Alexander 406.599.7423 | Patty Gude 406.599.7425 | Jeff van den Noort 406.599.1653
Mark Haggerty 406.570.5626 | Julia Haggerty Ph.D. 406.600.1766 | Yang-Yang Chen 406.570.8937

Banner photo has been generously provided by Kestrel Aerial Services, Inc.