Commerce Employees Honored with Governor’s Awards for Excellence
On Oct. 27, eight Montana Department of Commerce employees were honored by Gov. Greg Gianforte with the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Performance. This annual award recognizes exceptional accomplishments and dedicated public service among State of Montana employees. Ceremony attendees gathered at the Great Northern Best Western Convention Center in Helena.
“Service is at the core of our Montana values, and it’s part of what makes our state the Last Best Place,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said in an Oct. 27 press release issued by his office. “When we see state employees providing Montanans with exceptional service, we want to recognize them, and that’s what this award is all about.”
Craig Woods, budget manager, was nominated for his leadership, guidance and organization in the 2025 legislative session which kept Commerce staff informed, up-to-date and ready to support their programs. Woods diligently monitored more than 1,200 bill drafts, provided real-time updates and created over 100 fiscal notes. Leveraging his experience from prior legislative sessions, he helped prepare Commerce staff for legislators’ questions, kept Commerce leadership informed and responded to information requests from the Governor’s Office and the Legislature.
The Fair Market Rent Reevaluation Study team — Cheryl Cohen, Housing Division administrator; Joe DeFilippis, operations manager; Ben Gill, research economist; and Kelly Shields, Section 8 Program manager — was honored for exemplary work on the 2024 FMR survey. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved new Fair Market Rents for Montana, based on the successful study launched by Commerce to gather information to better understand the actual amount of assistance low-income Montanans need to afford housing. The team not only saved our state nearly $700,000 on this endeavor, but more importantly, the increased FMRs are allowing public housing authorities across the state to provide higher levels of housing assistance to support Montanans struggling with housing stability and rising rents.
Additionally, the $316,000 expended under the up to $1 million authorized by Gov. Gianforte and the Behavioral Health for Future Generations Commission resulted in a 45% increase in budget authority for public housing authorities across Montana, equating to a near $20 million increase in Housing Choice Voucher funds.
The Community and Economic Vitality team — Jordan Conley, Community and Economic Vitality Program supervisor; Lauren Dean, Montana Historic Grant Program specialist; and Micky Zurcher, Montana Main Street Program coordinator — was awarded for its tireless work on the Montana Historic Grant Program, the Montana Main Street Program and the Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Program. The team built relationships with nonprofits, businesses, state agencies and other programs and divisions within Commerce to preserve Montana’s heritage and downtown districts.
The CEV team focuses on revitalization and historic preservation as tools for community and economic development, overseeing nearly 75 projects with grant awards ranging from less than $10,000 to over $500,000. During the last year, its members traveled more than 10,000 miles across Montana, visiting more than 25 communities to offer workshops, conduct site visits, monitor projects and meet with community partners. The team has helped build capacity with multiple organizations and has provided technical assistance to ensure the successful completion of many projects.
Gus Byrom, who retired as a planner from Commerce in June, was one of four honorees to receive the Governor’s Outstanding Service Award. In his 47 years of public service – 38 with Commerce – Byrom was recognized several times, including recent Lifetime Achievement awards from HUD and the Montana Association of Planners.
Congratulations to our award recipients for this well-deserved recognition!
For more information on the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Performance, including a full list of awardees, visit hr.mt.gov.
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