Board of Directors

Jim Axelson

Jim is a very proud Butte native and feels incredibly lucky to be married to the former Janet Stolz for over 46 years.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

John Burns

John Burns is a lifelong Butte resident with deep roots in the community and a long history of financial and civic leadership.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Ron Davis

Ron is President of Butte Broadcasting Inc. and General Manager of KBOW, KOPR, KQRV and KGLM radio stations.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Shelly Davis

Shelly Davis is a CPA with expertise in federal grants and contracts, she enjoys consulting for small businesses.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Pam Haxby-Cote

Pam has devoted nearly 30 years of her career to community and economic development, with a focus on job creation and strengthening local economies across Montana.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Mike O’Neill

Mike has been very involved on Boards and as an officer of in many local community, state wide and national non-profit organizations including The Butte Silver Bow Community Foundation.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Linda Rogers, MD

Linda Rogers is a retired pediatrician and native Montanan.
I’ve lived in Butte since 1979, so I’ve been here long enough to almost be considered a native!

Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

John Sesso

John Sesso has a long history of Board service and community projects; currently, Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana, Butte Natural Resources Damage Restoration Council, Montana Folk Festival, and Headframe Lighting Project.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Josh Thompson

Growing up in Butte, Montana instilled in me a deep appreciation for community and service. Today, I am proud to serve on several boards within Butte–Silver Bow, working to strengthen and support the place I call home.
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Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Scott Thompson

Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation, Inc.

Jim Axelson

Jim is a very proud Butte native and feels incredibly lucky to be married to the former Janet Stolz for over 46 years. They have two amazing sons, Cameron and Adam and their beautiful wives Serena and Lynae. Jim and Janet’s grandchildren Brayden, Parker, Allison and Ilia are the light of their lives.

“I’ve been blessed to be able to serve the Butte community for over 50 years as a funeral director and am now semi-retired.”

John Burns

John Burns is a lifelong Butte resident with deep roots in the community and a long history of financial and civic leadership. John is the Treasurer of the Butte Silver Bow Community Foundation (BSBCF).

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Montana and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is the retired President and Shareholder of Newland & Co., CPAs, where he provided accounting and advisory services to individuals and businesses throughout the region.Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in community service, previously serving as Treasurer of the Butte Rescue Mission and the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce.

He has also served on the boards of the Butte Arts Chateau, the Butte Girl’s Home, and the AAA Mountain West Board of Directors. Born and raised in Butte, he remains committed to strengthening the community that shaped him. He is married to Barbara Sanderson and is the proud father of two sons and grandfather to five grandchildren.

Ron Davis

Ron began his broadcast career at age 17, as a weekend announcer and worked his way to General Manager over the next 16 years. In 1990, he and his wife Shelly purchased the stations. Ron remains a familiar voice on KOPR 94 as morning announcer, Partyline host, and play-by-play sports commentator.

With over 45 years in broadcasting, he has twice served on the Montana Broadcasters Association Board and completed two terms on the National Association of Broadcasters Radio Board from 1998 to 2012. Ron is deeply committed to his family, community and proudly serves as a voice for southwest Montana, blending leadership, community service, and a lifelong passion for radio. Ron is the proud father of two children and 3 grandchildren.

Shelly Davis

Shelly has lived in Butte for over 40 years and built a career in financial and accounting services across both non-profit and for-profit sectors. Shelly has served on many local boards and worked as the CFO for two organizations. As a CPA with expertise in federal grants and contracts, she enjoys consulting for small businesses.

Shelly holds an MBA from the University of Montana and a bachelor’s degree from the Montana Tech. Now, semi-retired, she enjoys family life with her husband Ron Davis. Shelly is a proud mother to two children, and cherishes time with her three grandchildren.

Mike O’Neill

Mike O’Neill is a Butte native. He was educated at St. Ann’s grade school, South Central Jr. High, Butte Central High School, and the University of Montana. Mike and his wife Karen Walker O’Neill (Anaconda native) have a grown daughter, Katie, who lives in Missoula with her family (Jack and Riley). Mike worked for Montana Power / NorthWestern Energy for 37 years in a variety of roles, retiring as Director a Labor Relations.

Mike has been very involved on Boards and as an officer of in many local community, state wide and national non-profit organizations including: The Butte Silver Bow Community Foundation, The Foundation for Montanan History, Leadership Montana, Butte Exchange Club, State Board of Personnel Appeals, State Workforce investment Board, American Gas Association, Labor and Management Public Affairs Committee, Junior Achievement, University of Montana Alumni Association, University of Montana Foundation, Grizzly Scholarship Association, Butte Griz Cat Golf Tournament, Patsy O’Neill Charity Golf Tournament, Montana State Golf Association, Butte Silver Bow URA Board, and the Butte Country Club.

John Sesso

John served as Butte’s Planning Director from 1991 until 2020, managing all aspects of land use policy and development. He also coordinated the City-County’s role in Superfund/environmental cleanup actions. He was a Butte legislator from 2004 through 2012 and as representative in the Montana senate from 2012 through 2020 (Minority Leader entire tenure). His primary focus and expertise was state budgeting, long-range planning, and securing funding for capital improvement projects in Butte.

John started his career in Butte (1978) at the National Center for Appropriate Technology. He has a long history of Board service and community projects; currently, Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Montana, Butte Natural Resources Damage Restoration Council, Montana Folk Festival, and Headframe Lighting Project.

Josh Thompson

Growing up in Butte, Montana instilled in me a deep appreciation for community and service. I attended Montana Tech and later graduated from Montana State University. Today, I am proud to serve on several boards within Butte-Silver Bow, working to strengthen and support the place I call home. With a strong background in sales, I bring a results-driven mindset to my role on the board, with a focus on helping the Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation expand its reach and impact. My goal is to help grow the Foundation so it can better serve individuals and families throughout our community.

Family is at the center of everything I do. I stay actively involved in my children’s lives and have enjoyed coaching several of their teams over the years. Ultimately, I want to see Butte continue to grow and thrive as a place where families, like mine, can build a bright future.

Scott Thompson

Scott is a lifelong Montanan, born in Great Falls and raised in Butte. He is a graduate of Butte High School and Montana State University and brings decades of business and leadership experience to the board. Scott’s professional background includes work in sales with Nabisco, ownership of an Anheuser-Busch distributorship and support center, and the launch of a wine and micro-beer distributorship. He currently serves as a real estate broker and is a co-owner of one of Montana’s largest commercial properties, a repurposed Safeway Distribution Center.

Deeply committed to community service, Scott and his wife Mary have made Butte their home for more than 30 years. Together with their family, they have organized the Thompson Family Citywide Food Drive for 29 consecutive years in support of the Butte Emergency Food Bank. Scott has served as past president of the Montana Beer and Wine Distributors Association and currently serves on the Butte-Silver Bow Retail Food Advisory Board and the Butte-Silver Bow Community Foundation. He and Mary are proud parents of two sons and grandparents to four grandchildren.

Pam Haxby-Cote

Pam Haxby-Cote is a lifelong Montanan, born and raised in Butte. She is the proud mother of three adult children and grandmother to two grandchildren. Pam has devoted nearly 30 years of her career to community and economic development, with a focus on job creation and strengthening local economies across Montana. Most recently, she served as State Director for U.S. Senator Jon Tester. She previously served as Director of the Montana Department of Commerce under Governor Steve Bullock and as Executive Director of the Butte Local Development Corporation.

Pam’s career began at the Butte Local Development Corporation, where she served as Deputy Director and Loan Officer. She went on to hold a number of leadership roles in local and state government, including Community Development Director and Urban Renewal Director for Butte, Senior Economic Development Specialist for Governor Brian Schweitzer, and Butte Regional Director and Economic Development Director for Senator Jon Tester. In addition, she served as Regional Director for the Montana Blackstone LaunchPad program.

Throughout her career, Pam has been actively engaged in civic leadership, serving on numerous boards and commissions, including the Highlands College Advisory Board and the Governor’s Equal Pay Taskforce. Pam is deeply committed to continuing to serve and strengthen the Butte community, working to ensure that future generations have the opportunity to live, work, and prosper in the place she proudly calls home.

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