Seven volunteer trustees, and one representative from the MSGA Board of Directors, are appointed by the MSGA Board of Directors to oversee the foundation.

Ty McDonald
Ty McDonald
Foundation Chairman

Hometown: Bozeman

Ty is a financial advisor with Waddell & Reed. He concentrates on farm and ranch succession/transition planning and those industries allied with agriculture. His passion for next generation planning and production agriculture comes from personal experiences on both sides of his family.

He grew up as the 5th generation on his family’s 109-year-old beef cattle ranch north of Geyser, MT and continues to play an active role. Other hobbies include leatherwork, Bobcat football, western dancing, fitness, and spending time with his wife, Jyll, daughter, Kymber, and son, Lyam.

Turk Stovall
Turk Stovall
MSGA Board Representative

Hometown: Billings

Turk Stovall is a fifth generation Montana Rancher. Stovall Ranches LLC is a diversified ranch in Yellowstone and Big Horn counties on the Crow Indian Reservation operating as a cow/calf, hay

production and backgrounding to grass operation. Before returning home to the ranch, Turk held management positions with Certified Angus Beef LLC, North Platte Feeders, Inc and ORIgen, Inc.

Turk currently serves on the Nutrition and Health and Evaluation Committees for the Cattleman’s Beef Board. He also served on Yellowstone County Farm Bureau as Young Farmers and Ranchers Chair and Animal Care committees for both MT Farm Bureau and the American Farm Bureau.

Email: turkstovall@hotmail.com

Shayne Vandivort 
Shayne Vandivort 
Foundation Trustee

Hometown: Billings

Shayne Vandivort grew up in Torrington, Wyoming. After graduating from Torrington High School, he attended Casper College as a member of the livestock judging team. He went on to receive his bachelors degree in ag business with a minor in animal science from the University of Wyoming. He and his wife, Rosanne, moved to Billing in 1991, where he got a job at Western Ranch Supply. In 1998, he and his partners purchased Western Ranch Supply. He and Rosanne currently reside in Shepherd and have two children Holden (27) and Kenal (20).

Cheryl Curry
Cheryl Curry
Foundation Trustee

Hometown: Valier

Cheryl and her husband, Gene, have been engaged in ranching and farming in the Valier area since their graduation from MSU in 1971. Cheryl retired from the Pondera Regional Port Authority where she was Executive Director for nine years. Prior to that she had a 24-year career with the US Postal Service. Cheryl is a lifelong community servant and leader who is dedicated to improving life in her state. Cheryl continues to serve on several boards in her community, region, and state, including the One Montana and Valier Area Development Corporation, among others.

Sara Stevenson 
Sara Stevenson 
Foundation Trustee

Hometown: White Sulphur Springs

Sara Stevenson was born into a cow/calf operation north of Helena and lived and worked there until she married her husband, Darrell. She and Darrell lived and worked on his third-generation family ranch in Hobson, where they raised their two children, Claire and CJ. After 25 years in Hobson, the family decided to expand onto their own ranch for the future generations. In 2020, they moved their family and cows to White Sulphur Springs, where they continue to run a registered black angus herd.

Greg Putnam
Greg Putnam
Foundation Trustee

Hometown: Martinsdale

Greg Putnam started his professional career in the military as a Navy SEAL and is currently the co-founder and President of Little Belt Cattle Company. Little Belt Cattle Company is a vertically integrated local supply chain of start to finish Montana beef. Their beef program supplies local restaurants, schools, and has nationwide online distribution. Little Belt Cattle Company operates its cow-calf and yearling operation outside of Martinsdale and feeds and finishes cattle at Yellowstone Cattle Feeders. Little Belt Cattle Company has been a supporter of MSF by donating and purchasing steers through the foundation’s Cattle Drive program. Putnam looks forward to supporting this outstanding foundation further by serving as a member of the board.

John Patterson
John Patterson
Foundation Trustee

Hometown: Columbus

Originating from the high county straddling the border of Stillwater and Carbon Counties, John ranches on land his grandfather homesteaded after forsaking the forests of western Montana. He raises purebred Angus Cattle and has marketed cattle, embryos and semen nationally and internationally; additionally he has worked in sales management and private treaty marketing. Patterson has been active in local and state Angus Associations and is a past President of the Montana Angus Association. He and his late wife Pam were named National Junior Angus Advisors of the year in 2005. John has and continues to be involved in several Foundation Boards. A graduate of Montana State University, he was awarded the MSGA Scholarship his senior year. He has two married sons, Tom and Mark.

Wayne Slaght
Wayne Slaght
Foundation Trustee