Our mission.
About Us
Be Well Big Sky strengthens community well-being through grassroots, peer-to-peer solutions—We connect people to resources, remove barriers to care, and normalize the shared experience of being human.
Our Impact
Each year we publish an annual report to highlight our progress, partnerships, and impact in building a healthier, more connected community.
2024 Annual Report
Leadership Council
The Be Well Leadership Council brings together trusted community leaders rooted in Big Sky’s everyday realities. Nominated by navigators, members guide Be Well Big Sky’s evolution into a sustainable, standalone initiative—grounded in collaboration, care, and a shared vision for community wellness.
Andy Nagel
Andy Nagel
To come.
Ben Keefe
Ben Keefe
Ben moved to Big Sky in 2013 to make a childhood dream come true of living in a ski town out west. in 2020 he started Mountain and Canyon Cab Co. in order to help address the lack of transportation options in Big Sky and to help fill gaps in the community’s needs. He is deeply involved in the recovery community in Big Sky and is looking to further that involvement into the community as a whole. While not driving cabs you can find him volunteering at the food bank, snowboarding the day away or out on a walk or hike with his dog/life companion Korra.
Hana Mittelstaedt
Hana Mittelstaedt
To come
Jeremy Harder
Jeremy Harder
Formally, the 4th Grade Head Learner at Big Sky School District since 2000, he recently graduated from 4th grade and has taken on the role of MS/HS Lead Facilitator of Creativity and Innovation. When not in the classroom, he coaches various athletic teams, consults with local summer camps, and hopes to continue to advocate for Big Sky’s youth and the larger community through this platform.
Michelle Nierling
Michelle Nierling
Robert McCormick
Robert McCormick
Robert McCormick is the Culinary Director of the Yellowstone Club. Robert believes that community & human connection are keys to thriving in modern times. During the 30-year span of Robert’s professional journey, he found himself seeking resources to help make small improvements in all aspects of his life. The Navigator Network has proven to be a way to share these resources with the greater Big Sky community. Robert has been married for 10 years and has three children. Endurance sports, travel and family time are a few things that keep Robert grounded.
Ruthi Solari
Ruthi Solari
With 20+ years of experience leading social and environmental impact across nonprofit, private, and public sectors, Ruthi specializes in mobilizing resources and people to achieve transformative, measurable outcomes. As an advisor to Be Well Big Sky, Ruthi supports leadership development, coalition building and strategic planning.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead.
Sarah Gaither-Bivins
Sarah Gaither-Bivins
In October 2013, Sarah answered an ad in the Lone Peak Lookout and became the first and only employee of the Big Sky Community Food Bank. It was a part-time gig, so she supplemented by working for Big Sky Resort’s front desk and ski school, Wildwood Nursery, All Saints in Big Sky and a refugee support non-profit called USA Hello. Sarah also serves on several committees including the Big Sky Chamber, the Big Sky Housing Trust, the Big Sky Chapel, SNO, Navigator Network and Gallatin Refugee Connections. After 6 years in Big Sky condo hopping, Sarah now lives in Bozeman with her husband, Kurt. They love to travel, camp, float, stomp along to live music and play on the Smokey Bear Softball team.
Shannon Steele | Director
Shannon Steele
Shannon Steele has called Big Sky home for the past seven years. She runs her own collaborative social experiment of a business, focused on community organizing, innovative problem-solving, and doing things a little differently. She is the contracted director (and one of many co-creators) of Be Well Big Sky. Shannon finds grounding and play in the outdoors—usually with her griffon, Greta, and endless inspiration in nature’s lessons on regeneration, joy and resilience. She is also part of Big Sky’s search and rescue community.
History & Timeline
2019-2021
Est. Navigator Network Under YCCF
- 25+ members
- Diverse backgrounds, life experiences, & roles in the community
- Monthly meetings
Holistic Emotional First Aid (HEFA) Pilot
17 Navigators trained
2022
HEFA Train-the-Trainer 1st Cohort
- 17 diverse community members trained
Outreach Partnership with Arts Council of Big Sky at Music in the Mountains
2023
Coalition Partners & Navigators Launched bewellbigsky.org
- online mental behavioral health resource hub
HEFA Train-the-Trainer 2nd Cohort
- 20 diverse community members trained in Big Sky and surrounding area
Advanced HEFA Facilitator & Suicide Prevention Training
- 8 facilitators trained
Delivered 20 HEFA workshops reaching over 241 community members in Big Sky
Be Well Big Sky Forms as a Unified Initiative
Be Well Big Sky Leadership Council Forms & Establishes Shared Vision
2024
One Valley Community Foundation Fiscal Sponsorship Established
Community-Based Participatory Evaluation Project
- MSU partnership
- Lead navigators trained as researchers
- HEFA program evaluation
Launched First Edutainment Workshop
Hosted 1st Annual Live Storytelling Event
Co-Hosted Edutainment Event
- Paradise Paradox
Collaborated on Edutainment Event
- Hope in Climate Action
Delivered 26 HEFA workshops reaching 536 community members
Launched HEFA Labs & Held 25 Facilitator Development Sessions
Governance, Funding Streams, and Operational Frameworks
2025
Co-Hosted Edutainment Event
- State of Mind
Co-Founded Community First Aid
- Collective Action Project
Formalized Operational Systems, Policies, & Procedures
Looking Ahead…
- Research Be Well Sustainability Model & Implement
Contact Us
Questions about Be Well Big Sky, the Navigator Network or how to use this resource tool? We want to hear from you!
We are a small group of volunteers and strive to respond to emails within 24 hours. If you’re looking for more in-depth info about specific resources, call the Help Center at 2-1-1.