Executive Staff

Dylan Klapmeier is serving as the Director of Communications and Federal Relations.

Dylan has undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Latin American Studies from the University of Montana, and a Master of Public Administration Degree from the University of Montana Graduate School.  Prior to joining the Office of Public Instruction, Dylan worked in Missoula as a field representative, constituent caseworker, and education liaison for U.S. Senator Steve Daines. He is originally from Forsyth, Montana.

Contact Dylan, 406-444-3559.

Phoebe Williams is serving as the Executive Office Administrator.

Phoebe has a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Montana State University and has a diverse professional background in office management.  She has over 20 years of experience working in state agencies and private businesses in the Helena-area.

Contact Phoebe, 406-444-3160.

Julia Swingley is serving as Chief Legal Counsel

Julia W. Swingley was previously in private practice for the last eleven years, primarily as a litigator practicing insurance defense, commercial collection and family law.  Ms. Swingley has presented courses on civil practice, collection law and family law to attorneys at continuing legal education (CLE) conferences and to professional associations.  Ms. Swingley’s civil litigation experience also includes a clerkship with District Court Judge Honzel, serving as a deputy county attorney in both Lewis and Clark and Jefferson Counties, working as an Assistant Attorney General with the Montana Department of Labor, working as an associate for the insurance defense firm of Drake Law Firm, and managing the law firm of Hull & Swingley.  Ms. Swingley was raised in Helena, earned her B.A. from Oberlin College, Ohio and her J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 1997. 

Contact Julia, 406-444-4399

Sharyl Allen is serving as Deputy Superintendent.

Sharyl is a native Montanan raised in an entrepreneurial environment with ranching as the backbone of her family. Community involvement and pride were firmly instilled by parents who valued work ethic, family, music, and God. Western Montana College provided an exceptional foundation to become an effective teacher. Her MBA was completed at Northern Arizona University, where she also completed post-master’s work in Educational Leadership. Georgetown University’s Urban Educational Leadership certificate was completed in 2015. With 38-years in public education, she has been with the OPI for just over a year first as the Transformational Learning and Montana Advanced Opportunities program manager, and since April 2020 as the Deputy Superintendent.

Contact Sharyl, 406-444-5658.

Tim Johnson is serving as Deputy Superintendent.

Tim has an associates degree in law enforcement, bachelors degree in elementary education, master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and educational specialist degree in K-12 principalship, and has finished all but the dissertation for a doctorate in educational leadership at the University of Montana. Tim has been an educator since 1997 serving as a teacher in MN for 13 years in grades 5-8 math/science. In 2010, Tim accepted the position as principal at Potomac Elementary in Potomac, MT (2010-2014). In 2014, Tim accepted the position as superintendent of Corvallis School District in Corvallis, MT for six years (2014-2020). Tim has been a sworn reserve deputy in Ravalli County since June of 2017. Tim is an instructor and coordinator for active threat resistance training for schools and businesses in Ravalli County, a certified National School Shield safety assessor, and trained in Incident Command Systems (ICS).

Contact Tim, 406-444-3449.

Virginia Diaz is serving as the Administrative Clerk.

Contact Virginia, 406-444-5643