Executive Staff

 Rob Stutz

406-444-4399
Deputy Superintendent
Chief Legal Counsel

Work-Related Duties:

1. Manages the legal division
2. Counsels the agency on legal matters
3. Responds to public inquiries of a legal nature

Rob comes to OPI with legal experience in state and federal government, in private practice, and with a non-profit. His background includes 10+ years in education law, including as legal counsel for the Montana Board of Public Education, at the U.S. Department of Education headquarters, and with the Montana School Boards Association.

 Brian O'Leary

406-444-3559
Communications Director
 

Work-Related Duties:

1. Writes Press Releases
2. Liaising with members of the press
3. Communicating OPI's message to Montana schools

Brian is in charge of writing press releases, liaising with members of the press, and communicating OPI's message to our schools. Brian grew up in Butte and Helena. He and his wife live in Helena and are excited to have  had their first child arrive this summer.

Dustin Scott

406-438-2789
Communications Associate
 

 Anna Hoerner

406-444-3449
Executive Assistant/Deputy Communications Director

Work-Related Duties:

1. Manages the Superintendent's Schedule
2. Provides executive support for the agency
3. Assists in agency communications

Anna was raised in Colbert, WA, and came to Helena to attend Carroll College. She received her B.A. from Carroll in 2016 and an MBA from the University of Mary (ND) in 2022. Anna has spent the last 10+ years in Helena. She previously worked at Shodair Children’s Hospital for 5 years. She coaches students in speech and debate and volunteers for several local and national organizations. In her free time, Anna enjoys spending time outdoors and with friends and family.

 Tara Boulanger

406-444-2082
Legislative Liaison
 

Work-Related Duties:

1. Tracks education-related legislative bills and committee hearings
2. Coordinates legislative events
3. Oversees special projects throughout the agency

Tara moved to Helena for the 2019 Legislative session to work for the Montana State Senate. Tara has four amazing children and four beautiful grandchildren. In her free time, you can find Tara riding horses, hiking the trails with her Mini Aussie (Scooby doo) and puppy (Wheeler), and spending quality time with family. 

 Christy Mock-Stutz

406-444-5658
Assistant Superintendent
 

Work-Related Duties:

1. Coordinates instructional initiatives and projects
2. Aligns and monitors the Superintendent's priority instructional programs
3. Oversees agency legislative deadlines

Christy returns to the OPI with 20+ years experience in public education. She has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and adjunct professor in a variety of school types ranging from smaller rural schools to large urban school districts. Her work experience includes overseeing state-wide educational programs, teaching pre-service teachers at the college level, and providing professional development. In addition, she has spent time advising national organizations, such as the Smithsonian and National Endowment for the Arts, on supporting instruction in rural schools. Outside of work, Christy enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and taking photographs.

 Maie Lee Jones

406-444-0037
Project Manager

Work-Related Duties:

1. Creating marketing materials
2. Scheduling meetings with teams and stakeholders
3. Assisting in tracking legislation for the 68th legislative session

Maie is Cuban-Jamaican-American. She always challenges herself with her positive demeanor. Maie has a BSW, MSc, PhDBA, and several years of experience working alongside C-level executives in the fields of Social Work, Travel & Tourism, Finance, and Government. She is driven by her self-discipline, motivation, confidence, and creativity. Maie grew up in a polyglot household, so she became fluent in English, French, and Italian to bridge cultural gaps. Her husband is also a polyglot, and they both teach their children. Maie spends her free time with her family, exploring new places, socializing with friends, working as a food entrepreneur, and reading her favorite books.

Kiera Moog

406-594-7135
Family Engagement Specialist

Work-Related Duties:

1. Work with the Military and Family Support (MIC3 and Purple Up) programs.
2. Assist in organizing and preparing documentation for Negotiated Rulemaking Committees.
3. Assist the Assistant Superintendent in updating and maintaining Legislative work plan.

Kiera is the Family Engagement Specialist and will be working collaboratively with the Assistant Superintendent to ensure that the Superintendent’s objectives and goals are being addressed and achieved. She will be coordinating with vendors, event planners, and other stakeholders to fulfill the Superintendent’s expectations.

Kiera is married with 3 children living on the Hi-Line in rural Montana. She is very passionate about education in Montana and has enjoyed being a substitute teacher the last 3 years.

 Patrick H. Beddow Sr.

406-444-5643
Land Board Advisor

Work-Related Duties:

1. Attends meetings related to the Land Board.
2. Advises Superintendent Arntzen on land issues for her role on the Land Board.
3. Tracks issues related to land and timber sales.

Patrick is a consultant minerals landman from Billings and has been involved with oil, gas, hard minerals, coal, and land-title related issues for over 38 years. Using his decades of industry expertise, he advises Superintendent Arntzen in her capacity as Vice-Chair of the Montana Board of Land Commissioners.