Kate Hampton and Jim Jenks Pursue New Opportunities
All of us at MPA are sad to report that two beloved MPA staffers, Kate Hampton and Jim Jenks, are leaving our post in Reeder’s Alley to pursue new opportunities. Kate, our Most Endangered Places Program Director, will head back to the Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in her new job as Community Preservation Coordinator. From 2000 to 2008 Kate was National Register Coordinator at the SHPO. In her new position, Kate will assist communities in identification, evaluation and treatment of historic properties, conduct public outreach and technical assistance, and run the Certified Local Government program.
In just two short years at MPA, Kate changed the fate of St. Wenceslaus Church at Danvers, Target Range School in Missoula, the Northern Pacific Depot in Miles City, and the Big Arm School, to name a few. Kate’s masterly grant writing skills raised over $150,000 for endangered properties, which will directly benefit these heritage properties. Although we will truly miss her many amazing abilities, we will still work closely with her at SHPO and look forward to partnering with her on many future efforts.
Jim Jenks, our Senior Staff Historian for the past five years, will be leaving at the beginning of November to pursue his interest in opening a pie company in Moscow, Idaho. Jim will be sorely missed as our key go-to man on all of our documentation projects, such as the Tongue River Digital Archive project and the Nez Perce Trail project. His fearless quest for information took him on many harrowing trips through icy snowstorms, rutted gumbo roads, and many snake-infested trails, and yet he still had time to whip up a Lemon Meringue pie at the end of the day. While we will deeply miss Jim’s many intellectual and culinary abilities, we wish him all the best in his future as the Pie King of the West.
Patty Dean Joins MPA To meet the demand for preservation assistance, the MPA Board of Directors moved quickly to hire Patty Dean of Helena, as our new director of field services, replacing Kate Hampton. Patty comes to MPA with more than 30 years of experience as a curator, writer, and advocate working to save, protect, and promote history. We at MPA are so excited to have Patty on staff, and know that her experience combined with her bubbly personality, love for architectural history, and commitment to preserving Montana’s heritage will go far in helping people and communities transform beloved historic places into preservation success stories. Welcome Patty!
All of us at MPA are sad to report that two beloved MPA staffers, Kate Hampton and Jim Jenks, are leaving our post in Reeder’s Alley to pursue new opportunities. Kate, our Most Endangered Places Program Director, will head back to the Montana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in her new job as Community Preservation Coordinator. From 2000 to 2008 Kate was National Register Coordinator at the SHPO. In her new position, Kate will assist communities in identification, evaluation and treatment of historic properties, conduct public outreach and technical assistance, and run the Certified Local Government program. 
Jim Jenks, our Senior Staff Historian for the past five years, will be leaving at the beginning of November to pursue his interest in opening a pie company in Moscow, Idaho. Jim will be sorely missed as our key go-to man on all of our documentation projects, such as the Tongue River Digital Archive project and the Nez Perce Trail project. His fearless quest for information took him on many harrowing trips through icy snowstorms, rutted gumbo roads, and many snake-infested trails, and yet he still had time to whip up a Lemon Meringue pie at the end of the day. While we will deeply miss Jim’s many intellectual and culinary abilities, we wish him all the best in his future as the Pie King of the West. 
To meet the demand for preservation assistance, the MPA Board of Directors moved quickly to hire Patty Dean of Helena, as our new director of field services, replacing Kate Hampton. Patty comes to MPA with more than 30 years of experience as a curator, writer, and advocate working to save, protect, and promote history. We at MPA are so excited to have Patty on staff, and know that her experience combined with her bubbly personality, love for architectural history, and commitment to preserving Montana’s heritage will go far in helping people and communities transform beloved historic places into preservation success stories. Welcome Patty!