Montana School Services Foundation
CEO and Staff


MSSF Marketing Staff

MSSF Accounting, Administrative, and Enrollment Staff

Bob Robinson, Montana School Services Foundation CEO

Bob Robinson has more than 30 years’ experience in management and financial analysis in various positions with the State of Montana, Carroll College, and the private sector.

A Helena native, Bob received his BA from Carroll College before beginning a teaching career that included Fort Benton and Helena public schools. He earned his MST in economics from the University of Missouri before joining the Legislative Fiscal Analysts’ staff in 1974.

Bob has held several upper-level management positions in state government, including appointments as administrator of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Division and State Fund and director of the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences. After leaving state government in 1996, he directed the capital campaigns for the new Fortin Science Center and Nelson Stadium on the Carroll College campus.

Bob has been active in the Helena community, serving as chair of Westmont Home Health Care and participating in numerous community fundraising activities, including the United Way and Helena’s Old Glory Memorial. He currently serves as chair of the Westmont Foundation.

After leaving the teaching profession, Bob remained involved in education, serving on the Helena School District #1 Board of Trustees for six years. He is a member of the Carroll College President’s Council and has served on the boards of the Carroll College Athletic Association and the Helena High Booster Club.

MSSF Marketing Staff                      View marketing region map

Beverly Spoja, Marketing/Field Services Supervisor

Bev has 20 years’ experience in the insurance industry and holds several professional certifications, including Certified Professional Insurance Agent and Certified Professional Services Representative. She also is licensed in Montana for all lines of insurance.

Bev’s background includes 12 years as insurance manager for Bancserve, Inc. (a subsidiary of the Montana Bankers’ Association), four years as special accounts manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, and three years in the MSSF marketing department. Her marketing experience and leadership skills help to ensure that MUST plan members receive the highest quality service and support, personalized to meet their individual needs.

Bev lives near Helena with her husband, Jon. In her spare time she enjoys making pottery and spending time with children and grandchildren.

Shelly Batista, Marketing Assistant

Shelly Batista joined the MSSF team in December 2005 in the enrollment department.  Effective January 2008, Shelly takes on the position of marketing assistant.  In this capacity Shelly will manage the day to day operation of the department as well as manage renewal, new member group contracts, and assist in the development of marketing material.

Shelly grew up in Great Falls and attended college at Eastern Washington University, where she earned a degree in organizational and mass communications. She has previous experience in the insurance industry, as well as sales and management experience with the Montana Club in Helena. Her pleasant demeanor and customer service experience help her provide the level of service that participants have come to expect.

Shelly and her husband, Mike, live in Helena with their two sons.


Garth Cox, Marketing/Field Services Representative,Northwestern Montana    (Region 1)

Garth Cox joined the MSSF marketing team in June 2005, and obtained his Montana insurance license in December 2005. Garth makes his home in Polson and provides service to MUST member groups in communities ranging from Eureka to Darby.

Garth was raised in Shelby, Montana and attended the University of Montana, earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education.  He served in the U.S. Army at the close of the Vietnam era, and returned to Montana after completing his military service to teach fifth grade in Polson. He earned a master’s degree in school administration in 1982, and continued teaching in the Polson school system until retiring in spring of 2005.

Garth and his wife, Linda, have two children and two grandchildren. A Montana Grizzly fan, Garth also enjoys reading, gardening, golf, and spending time with his family.

Tamara Crowder, Marketing/Field Services Representative, Northeastern Montana (Region 4)

Tamara Crowder joined the MSSF marketing team in November 2004, and obtained her Montana insurance license in July 2005. Tamara provides service to MUST member groups in an area stretching all the way from Ekalaka in the south to Whitewater in the north.

A native of northeastern Montana, Tamara graduated from MSU-Billings with a degree in marketing.  Prior to joining MSSF, Tamara operated a daycare for nine years and also worked in the field of drug and alcohol prevention.

Tamara and her husband, Larry, live in Culbertson with their three children. Tamara is the president of the Culbertson Women’s Club and is actively involved in community fundraising activities. She has served on the board of her church, and also enjoys scrapbooking and officiating MOA volleyball.

Greg Disney, Marketing/Field Services Representative, Southcentral Montana (Region 3)

Greg Disney joined the MSSF marketing team in November 2004, and obtained his Montana insurance license in 2005. He provides service to MUST member groups in a large region that extends from White Sulphur Springs and Gardiner to Miles City and Broadus.

After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business technology from MSU-Northern, Greg worked in the automotive industry for 20 years as a sales consultant and finance manager, and brings a wealth of business and customer service experience to his current position.
 
Greg has served on the board for Educational Opportunities for Central Montana and is a judge for the Ford Motor Company Rural Scholarship Fund. Greg lives in Columbus and enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife, Debbie, and their two children.

Marcia Ellermeyer, Marketing/Field Services Representative, Southwestern Montana (Region 2)

Marcia joined MSSF in November 2004 as the marketing assistant, and earned her Montana insurance license in August 2005. Effective January 2008, Marcia takes over the marketing representative position for the southwest region, serving from Lincoln to Lima and across to West Yellowstone.  Her experience in the marketing department prepares her well for this new position and she looks forward to the opportunity to serve MUST groups in this new capacity.

Marcia is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, she remains an avid sports fan, with football being her favorite. She currently serves as chair of the East Helena School Board, and lives in East Helena with her husband, John, and their two children.

Dawn Smith-Sullivan, Marketing/Field Services Representative, Northcentral Montana (Region 5)

Dawn Smith-Sullivan joined the MSSF Marketing team in October of 2007 and is the representative for the Northcentral region. Dawn’s mother was a school teacher in a one room schoolhouse in Craig, and it is there that Dawn started first grade with six students in the entire school – all were girls. 

Dawn graduated from Cascade High School and the University of Great Falls. She brings extensive experience in the insurance industry as an independent agent selling and servicing both property/casualty insurance and health and disability insurance.  She has also served as the Deputy Clerk and Recorder in Teton County.

Dawn and Joe currently reside in Choteau with daughter Lexie. They make frequent visits to Missoula where daughter Lindsay resides after graduating from the University of Montana.  Dawn is an organizational leader in Teton County 4-H and enjoys the activities that 4-H provides. Dawn and Joe also enjoy outdoor recreation, especially pheasant hunting with dogs Jake & Molly.

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MSSF Administrative, Enrollment, and Accounting Staff

Dena Gormely, Chief Financial Officer

Dena Gormely joined the MSSF team in July 2002. She is a CPA and earned a bachelor’s degree from Carroll College, majoring in accounting, business administration and finance. Dena brings over 20 years’ accounting experience to her position with MSSF, helping to ensure the business is run as efficiently as possible.

Dena and her husband, Glen, live in Helena and enjoy boating, camping, hiking and other family activities with their two children.

Joan Fabricius, Administrative Officer

Joan Fabricius joined MSSF in October 2005. In her role as administrative officer, Joan ensures that MSSF is operating in full compliance with federal HIPAA laws and other regulations governing the administration of health benefit plans. She also manages the content of and amendments to all MSSF plan documents, and serves as the contact person for second-level participant claims appeals.

Joan has worked in the health insurance industry for over 15 years as a certified medical case manager, self-funded client consultant, and medical review department manager. She is a registered nurse licensed in both Montana and Wyoming, and she also holds a professional certification in health care management. Joan’s knowledge of health insurance practices and her customer-oriented approach help ensure the MUST plans offer the best value for the dollar.

Judy Rios-Sanchez, Enrollment/Eligibility Lead

Judy Rios-Sanchez has been with MSSF since 2003, where she serves as the lead enrollment and eligibility specialist. In this role she supervises the enrollment/eligibility team, provides customer service to member groups and participants, and serves as the contact person for users of the MUST website.

Before coming to MSSF, Judy worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (Helena branch) and for Hydrometrics, Inc. in the accounting department. Since joining MSSF, Judy has completed numerous insurance education programs, including HIPAA compliance classes and Health Insurance Association of America courses. In 2005 she earned the professional Health Care Customer Service designation. She believes that developing ongoing relationships with our member groups and participants is the reason for MSSF’s success.

Judy lives in Helena with her husband, Chris, and their two daughters.


Kerry Cuchine, Enrollment/Eligibility Specialist

Kerry has been part of the MSSF family since 2004, when she began working as a temp. In the summer of 2006 she joined the staff permanently as a part-time administrative support clerk.  Kerry continues to grow and in January 2008 moved into the enrollment department.  When she is not attending class at Carroll College as a business administration major, Kerry brings her cheerful attitude to the office to assist our customers and staff with their needs.

Kerry graduated from Helena High School in 2005, and in her free time she enjoys attending Carroll College football and basketball games, downhill skiing,and spending time with family and friends.


Cheryl Perry, Enrollment/Eligibility Specialist

Cheryl has 7 years combined experience with 4 years’ experience in the insurance industry, and 3 years as an Enrollment and Eligibility Specialist.  Her background includes 4 years as a customer service representative for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana.  Prior to that she worked as an Enrollment and Eligibility Specialist with Child Care Partnerships for 3 years.  Her customer service experience and leadership skills help to ensure that MUST plan members receive the highest quality service and support, personalized to meet their individual needs.

Cheryl resides in Helena with her two daughters Sarah and Crystal.  In her spare time Cheryl enjoys scrapbooking, and spending time with her family. 

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Patricia Cooper, Accounting Specialist

Pat Cooper joined MSSF in 2001, after moving to Montana from her native Michigan. Her previous experience included working for two different HMO’s in enrollment, and she has transferred those skills to her role as an accounting specialist with MSSF.

Pat works hard to uphold the MSSF tradition of great service while managing the billing for member groups and retirees. In her time with MSSF, Pat has learned that customer service sets us apart from the competition.

Pat and her husband, Jim, have one daughter and live in Whitehall.

Kelli Hargreaves, Accounting Specialist

Kelli Hargreaves joined MSSF in April 2006. She has over eight years experience in accounting in State government, including three years with the Teachers' Retirement System. She earned an associate's degree in accounting from the University of Montana - Helena College of Technology in May of 2000, and she is currently working toward a medical coding certificate from the Great Falls College of Technology.

Kelli is a native of Helena, and she enjoys golfing, camping, and boating in her spare time.

Pam Tudor, Executive Assistant

Pam Tudor has worked for MSSF since 1987 – longer than anyone else on staff – and has helped the organization grow and succeed in carrying out its mission. When MUST plan participants call the administration office, Pam is usually the first person they talk to. Her experience and dedication to MSSF ensure that customers receive the assistance they need.

Pam attended college in her native Iowa, majoring in business administration and secondary education. She then worked for Iowa State University and for two major utility companies before moving to Montana, where she worked for various organizations including the School Administrators of Montana. In these positions she developed the customer service, public relations, and office administration skills that make her an indispensable part of the MSSF team.

Pam and her husband have lived and worked in several locations throughout Montana, including a working ranch in Bridger. They also own a Helena business, Tudor Machine, Inc. They have two grown children.

Pam Chappell, Administrative Support

Pam joined the MSSF team as a part-time administrative support clerk in the fall of 2006 and works closely with Pam Tudor to keep the office running smoothly. She brings a wealth of experience to MSSF, having worked for several years as a health paraprofessional in the Helena School District and six years as a medical coding and billing specialist at the Women's Health Care Center.

Pam, a graduate of the Big Sky Somatic Institute, also specializes in massage therapy and owns Golden Light Massage in Helena. Pam and her husband, Kevin, have four children.

Nina Herrera, Administrative Support

Nina joined MSSF in January 2008, taking on the afternoon part- time administrative support clerk position.  She works closely with Pam Tudor and Pam Chappell assuring that MUST plan participants receive the care and assistance they need.

Nina is a native of Butte, Montana and has a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Montana, Western.  She owned and operated Early Movement Preschool and has taught in the Helena community for over 10 years.

Nina lives in Helena with her husband Ron and her two children, Riley and Lexi. 

Jeanne Cannon, Wellness Development

Jeanne joined the staff at MSSF in January of 2008.

Jeanne graduated from Carroll College in 1997 with majors in Health Information Management and in Health Education with an emphasis on Community Health.  Prior to her college graduation, Jeanne worked for 14 years in pharmacy, including retail, hospital, and administrative pharmacy work, and maintains her national certification as a pharmacy technician.  Since college, Jeanne earned her credential as a Registered Health Information Administrator, (RHIA), and has worked in various coordinator, analyst, and management positions at health-related entities.

Jeanne and her husband Frank live in Helena.  They have three adult children and one grand-daughter.

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