Board Members

LeRoy is the Vice President of the CARD Board. He has been a resident of Libby for the past 50 years and has been very involved with the relief for victims of asbestos related disease. He is a former W.R. Grace employee, where he worked for 17 years. He is a member of the Libby Community Advisory Group and attends Asbestos Related Disease Network meetings regularly. LeRoy is also the Treasurer of the Lincoln County Asbestos Victim’s Relief Organization. LeRoy is also a local business owner of Montana Machine and Fabrication. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, golf, softball, bow-hunting, and is an active bowler. He is married with three children and 5 grandchildren.

Kylie Bland was born in Grand Junction, Colorado and raised in Libby, Montana. After graduating from Libby High School, she was accepted into the Dental Hygiene program in Great Falls, MT and graduated in 2011. Kylie married her husband in 2015 and lived and worked as a dental hygienist in Missoula, Montana for almost 6 years. Her husband, also raised in Libby, was offered a job with Tungsten Holdings Inc., and it brought them back to Libby to raise their son in the summer of 2018. Kylie is currently working part-time at Kootenai Family Dentistry and enjoys being a health advocate for oral health. On her days off, she chases her busy toddler around! Kylie looks forward to establishing roots within her hometown community again and is proud to now be a part of the CARD Board.

Gary was raised in Libby and graduated from Libby High School in 1960. He worked one summer in the Dry Mill while attending college and does have pleural plaque. In 1976 Gary returned to Libby and joined his father in their retail clothing business. His father Don Robert died in 1981 and Gary closed the business in 1989. Having lived in Libby most of his life, Gary decided to become a Medical Insurance Agent and has done that for 14 years. He enjoys visiting people in their homes and providing Medicare related plans to them. Gary’s interest in medical care and his concern for the people in Libby lead to his involvement on the CARD Board.

Jackson was born in Libby, raised in Troy, and attended college at the University of Montana in Missoula, where he graduated with a business and marketing degree. After guiding for a fly fishing company in Alaska and working as a lender in Coeur d'Alene, ID he was able to return to his roots in Lincoln County, as Market President of the Libby and Troy branches of First Montana Bank. His career with the bank allows him to be a part of the Libby community, and he enjoys working with local business, helping them to achieve their financial goals. Jackson has been happily married to his wife, Nicole, for 12 years, and they have three children together. Jackson is grateful to be back in the area he grew up in, raising his three sons in the great outdoors and regularly takes them fishing, shooting, hiking, camping, and everyone’s favorite, swimming in the pristine rivers and lakes of Northwest Montana.

Brittany L. Vinson was born and raised in Libby. After graduating from Libby High School, she attended Flathead Community College, Lincoln County Campus, while working for her parents at the MK Steak House. She transferred to the University of Montana where she majored in Sociology with an Emphasis in Criminology. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with high honors, she pursued a Juris Doctorate at the University of Montana School of Law. Brittany has returned to Libby and recently opened her own law firm – Vinson Law. Brittany’s interest in law and CARD stems from her many family members, friends and fellow community members that have been diagnosed with Asbestos Related Disease.

Michael was born and raised here in Libby and is a proud member of the community. After attending Libby public schools, Michael worked at W.R. Grace for over 20 years as an electrician. Following his time there, he started Noble Excavating. Michael also worked at St. John’s Lutheran Hospital for three years as a Maintenance Supervisor, after which time he started Noble Electric, Inc. Michael is the Chair of the Libby Area Technical Assistance Group (LATAG); the Libby Community Advisory Group – CAG and the Knights of Columbus. He is also active in his church. Today, Michael is retired and enjoys volunteer activities, fishing, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Gene was born in 1954 and raised in San Diego, California, while also spending many life-changing summers in Yosemite National Park. He began his study of biology at San Diego State University in 1972 and then moved to Montana in 1974 to complete a double degree in Wildlife Biology and Botany at the University of Montana in Missoula. There he met and married his wife, Lenora Spencer, a Libby native, and they settled in Libby in 1979, where they raised their two daughters. Gene has taught science in Libby Public Schools for 32 years, currently teaching junior and senior level biology, chemistry, and research. He has special interest in the ongoing research projects at CARD and has involved his students in their own respiratory health-related research projects at Libby High School, focusing on teaching students the lessons of scientific inquiry through real world problems in their own community. Gene spends as much of his “spare time” as possible in a canoe or in his hiking boots.

Dave retired after 34 years in the education business from Libby Public Schools. While employed with Libby Public Schools, he served as Administrator. In addition to being involved with the CARD, he is active in the Libby Masons group and was involved in the initial grant procedure for the Community Health Center. Dave was born and raised here in Libby and is the second generation of his family to be so. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, golf, making log furniture, and playing basketball.

Garrey is a Libby, Montana resident, and although he is not native to the area he loves the town. He volunteered to give back by joining the CARD board in 2022. He is also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hunting and fishing, and even though he lives in an area surrounded by beautiful mountains and rivers, he also enjoys roughing it and camping outdoors. He is married and has a blended family of eight children and 14 grandchildren. Garrey has served on several boards of directors from schools and clubs to city councils. He is also actively involved in volunteering with Kiwanis International and Key Club. In addition to volunteering, his passions include God, gourmet cooking, and good friends. Garrey believes that everyone should find a way to be part of impacting their community in a positive way.