Our Staff
Alliance for Youth is grateful to have a Team of dedicated, compassionate and goal-oriented staff who work tirelessly to provide effective prevention, intervention and treatment services to youth and families in our community!
Kristy Pontet-Stroop
Executive Director
406.952.0018
A native of Belt, Montana, Kristy fell in love with working with children when she was a teenager. Kristy joined the Alliance for Youth team in September of 2006. Motivated by the work at Alliance for Youth Kristy obtained a BA in Community Leadership from MSU-Northern. It's very fitting Kristy was a Northern Lights Graduate, because all she desires is to be is a LIGHT of hope and peace in this world. She brings energy, dedication and passion for improving the lives of youth in her community. When Kristy's not working or enjoying the great outdoors, you will find her spending time with her incredible husband and chasing her two sons to multiple sporting events.
Beth Price Morrison
Prevention Specialist
406.952.0468
Originally from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Beth decided to take her life down a different path and returned to school in 2013 to study graphic design. She has a degree in Journalism from the University of Montana. (Go Griz!) Combining her love of writing and design with her desire to do more for her community, Beth has found a home at Alliance for Youth. Beth’s favorite part of working for AFY is being a part of the collective impact community members have when working together. She serves on the Cascade County Substance Abuse Prevention Alliance, Human Trafficking Task Force, and Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force. When Beth is not at work, you will find her spending time with her family and travelling every chance she gets. She loves an adventure, a good belly laugh with friends and searching for treasures wherever she goes.
Thomas Risberg
Development Director
406.590.7114
Thomas Risberg is from St. Louis, Missouri. He is a lawyer by training and prior to moving to Great Falls in 2017 he worked in a variety of positions including: teaching 5th Grade in Memphis, Tennessee, as part of the Teach for America program, clerking on the Missouri Supreme Court and working on economic mobility and poverty issues at a nonprofit in Washington, DC. Thomas’ older brother, David, struggled with mental illness and addiction issues throughout his life and died in 2017. Thomas struggled with alcoholism for many years himself and now has devoted his life to helping provide purpose, connection and compassion to people in recovery from addiction and alcoholism. In his free time, Thomas loves to read, play volleyball, hike and cheer on his hometown St. Louis Cardinals.
Lisa A. Beavers
Peer Recovery Coach and Care Coordinator
406.203.0935
Lisa joined the AFY team this year after working for seven years in southern California as a Substance Abuse Counselor at several startup treatment centers. Being a Montanan at heart, she returned home after ten years to Great Falls and joined the Alliance for Youth staff wanting to move into an “upstream” position of prevention to help change the startling growing statistics that afflict the youth of today. She's crazy about her “gkids,” British gardening shows on Netflix, White Chocolate Lattes and exploring new ways to exercise without sweating.
Dean Snow
Sober Life Program Director
406.203.0935
Dean is a proud Native American who grew up on a farm in northcentral Montana, the heart of Sugarbeeter Nation. His journey to become Program Manager of the Sober Life was certainly not a direct path. He spent 35 years in active addiction. During this time he has done just about everything you could possibly imagine, from working on the family farm to being the Programming Director of a radio station. On June 10, 2017, Dean dedicated himself to getting his life back on track and has not looked back since. He became very active in the recovery community and joined the team at Gateway as a Peer Support Specialist before making his way to Alliance for Youth. He is currently studying to be a Licensed Addictions Counselor and living his best life.
Logan Wren
Youth Advocate
406.952.0136
Born and raised in Great Falls. Went to Dawson Community College then transferred to MSU Northern and got my bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Community Leadership. My original goal was to work with child protective services but after doing my internship at the Alliance for Youth I knew that I wanted to stay here. When I am not at work, you can find me with my family, reading a book, playing softball or out camping.
Chris Hensley
Youth Advocate
406.899.9545
Originally born in Oklahoma, Chris’s family first moved to Montana in the late 1980’s and he fell in love with the mountains. He has lived in Great Falls since 1992. He loves living in Great Falls with its great community and central location to so many great outdoor Montana locations. Chris’s first job was in the US Army and he later worked in Food & Beverage management. In later years, he developed an addiction to alcohol. After attending treatment and becoming active in the recovery community, Chris has found his calling in helping others struggling with addiction. Chris loves spending time outdoors enjoying the beautiful scenery Montana has to offer and going to movies with family and friends.
Liz was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. She is attending Great Falls College MSU and is studying to be a licensed addiction counselor. Liz struggled with drug addiction for 7 years. She went in and out of treatment centers, and she learned a lot, but couldn’t stay sober. In September 2019, she hit her bottom and that is when her recovery journey began. She is happy to be working at Alliance for Youth as because of her life experience and knowledge she feels that she has a lot to give to people struggling with addiction and mental illness. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and pets. Some of her hobbies include traveling, MMA, and playing drums and guitar.
Lynda Vande Sandt
Prevention Specialist, Liberty County
406.952.0018
Born and raised in Chinook, Lynda attended Billings Vo-Tech. After starting her family, she struggled with an alcohol addiction. She attended treatment, and later returned to college at MSU-Northern earning her BA in Community Services with a minor in Communication. For 18 years she served as the Coordinator for the Liberty County Chamber of Commerce and the Tobacco Prevention Specialist for Liberty County. She looks forward to expanding prevention education in her community. Lynda enjoys spending time with her husband, kids, and grandkids, as well as being at home in the great metropolis of Inverness. Her daily goal is to make at least one person smile or laugh. Joy is contagious!
Isis Olson
Parent Program Manager
406.952.0035
Isis Olson is native to Montana and has lived here her whole life. She graduated from MSU-Northern with her bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. Isis has a strong drive to help better the community by helping children and parents succeed in having happy and healthy families. Through her own life experiences of foster care placements, struggles with abuse and trauma, Isis has found a way to be an inspiration and hope for others struggling by helping other parents be the best they can be. When Isis is not at work, she is spending time with her two children and her amazing husband or traveling the world.
Heidi was born and raised in Washington state. She attended Washington State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Horticulture. She has worked with children and families in different capacities for over 20 years.
She enjoys fishing, kayaking, camping and anything else she can do outdoors with my family. Heidi now lives in Choteau, Montana, with her husband, children and pups, and is dedicated to serving her community and all of Teton county.
Teresa grew up in Browning, Montana. An enrolled member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe, she is the youngest of 8 children. She has worked in the customer service and healthcare fields throughout her career and has always enjoyed helping people. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and granddaughter, visiting the mountains where she grew up, watching football, and hanging out with her dogs Karsen and Luna watching Netflix. Teresa loves helping youth and families in our community find hope with the Alliance for Youth.
Rich struggled with addiction and alcoholism for more than two decades, losing his family and nearly his life. In 2017, homeless and hopeless, Rich suffered a stroke and was expected to need convalescent care for the rest of his life. Miraculously, after a month in the hospital, through God’s grace, he was able to start the recovery program at the Great Falls Rescue Mission. After completing the program, he then spent 4 years working at Rocky Mountain Treatment Center, having the privilege of supporting people as they begin their life of recovery. Rich is now six years sober, is reunited with his family and is living his best life. Rich says, “Sobriety has taught me who I am, where I have been and where I never want to go again. Sobriety is a gift, and I am blessed to have the opportunity to pass on this gift to others.”
Anjie is from Ferndale, Washington. GO SEAHAWKS! She attended Skagit Valley College and Multnomah University and studied human services and youth ministry. Anjie has worked with kids for 26 years in many different capacities, including piano teacher, home daycare provider, special education paraeducator and behavior support specialist. The most important goal she has with kiddos is building relationships. She believes that each one has value and purpose, and she works to help them believe this. In her free time, Anjie enjoys spending time with her three adult kids. They are her joy.
Jeff Senft
Youth Advocate – Transport Specialist
406.952.0136
I was born in 1959 and raised in the Bay Area of California. I am a retired bottle maker and a widower with five daughters and seven grandchildren. In 2015, I developed a lung problem which forced me into early retirement. I moved to Montana in 2017, for the cooler climate and to escape some issues in California. I brought alcoholism and numerous previous DUI’s with me. I got another DUI here in 2019 and was offered Adult Treatment Court with the opportunity of expungement and it changed my life. Peer Support was a huge part of getting sober and staying sober since June 7, 2019. I have been involved with Sober Life since the summer of 2019 and the opportunity to give back to youth is what led me to join Alliance for Youth as a Youth Advocate-Transport Specialist. I’m very excited to part of the Alliance for Youth and Youth Resource Center team. In my free time, I read, do crosswords and puzzles, watch Jeopardy nightly and root for my Bay Area sports teams.
Shannan was born in Redding, California and adopted at 3 days old. She grew up in Oregon and moved to Montana when she was 18. Her lifelong passion has been to help people, serving as a personal care assistant, making her residents smile and caring for their needs. At age 27 her life took an unfortunate twist, and she turned to addiction to cope. After eight years of active addiction, she found Narcotics Anonymous on May 6, 2022. She discovered peace and serenity in NA and has been living in recovery ever since. She loves having purpose, giving back and sharing the hope of recovery as the Sober Life on the Front Program Manager. She is proud of the person she has become, her family is proud of her, and she loves being part of the community with the ability to give back. She is living proof that recovery works!