Rural Summit
June 10, 2026 in Townsend MT
Join us for a celebration of rural Montana andan opportunity to explore innovative and effective ways tosupport the success of our small towns.
Registration is Closed
We’re excited to announcea full house of around 150 people, all dedicated to our rural communities across Montana.
If you would like to be added to the waitlist for this event, please email Tember
at tember.dykgreve@montana.edu, with your name, email, and phone number. If a seat opens, you will be contacted from
the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. To be fair to our registered attendees,
please do not show up to the venue unless you have been contacted.
Agenda
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8:30 a.m. |
Registration Opens Sign in, Stakeholder mapping, demographics at the door, collecting and distributing event and organization materials, and coffee and refreshments |
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9:00 a.m. |
Welcome and Introductions
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9:30 a.m. |
State of Rural Report Presentation Julia Haggerty, Department Head of Earth Sciences at Montana State University, and Kristen Smith, Headwaters Economics. |
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10:45 a.m. |
Break |
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11:00 a.m. |
Reimagining Rural Community Stories of Success Facilitated by Jennifer Anderson, MSU Extension Community Vitality Associate Specialist and lead for the Reimagining Rural Program
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12:30 p.m. |
Taco Bar Lunch Buffet Panel Discussion with Montana Rural Legislators Facilitated by Ashley Kent, MSU Extension Local Government Center Associate Director
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1:30 p.m. |
Unlocking Local Leadership: Why Rural People Step Forward to Help their Communities. Daniel Read,Research Analyst, LOR Foundation. Presentation on recent research by LOR Foundation and Gallup. |
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2:00 p.m. |
Break |
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2:20 p.m. |
Rural Stakeholder Map: Who is doing what, where? Where are the gaps? Facilitated by Kristen Smith, Headwaters Economics |
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2:50 p.m. |
What have we learned? What does it mean? Next steps Facilitated by Melissa Weddell, Director and Research Faculty of the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at University of Montana |
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4:00 p.m. |
Adjourn |
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4:30 p.m. |
Taste of Townsend tour Optional Taste of Townsend. Meet in front of The Lodge of Townsend at 131 S Spruce Rachael Brug, Montana Nonprofit Association Rural Ambassador will lead a behind‑the‑scenes look at downtown Townsend, for a look at the unique projects, community‑minded leaders, and the creative energy shaping downtown Townsend. The tour includes a “Taste of Townsend” sampling along Broadway. Tour ends at Canyon Ferry Brewery (on the same block as The Lodge).
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Event Sponsors
This event has been made possible through support from the Wells Fargo Foundation, the LOR Foundation, AARP Montana and the Montana Community Foundation.
