What is the Employee Organization and How are Dues Used?

Begun in the mid 1990’s, the mission of the EO is to provide a professional network of conservation district employees for mutual support and education. We do this through providing peer support, training, and other resources, including our website at https://employees.macdnet.org. The website provides a wealth of resources—administrative, financial, training and more.

Dues: Currently dues are $30 annually per employee. Dues are used to help offset costs for training, including travel and lodging scholarships and paying for presenters and facilities to have the trainings.

Similar to the Montana Association of Conservation Districts, the Employee Organization has a board composed of 12 (usually) area representatives. Of the 12, we elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. Current officers are Heidi Fleury (Chair), Chris Evans (Vice), Sharon Flemetis (Treasurer) and Emma Link (Secretary). The Area Representative positions are all volunteer.

What we’ve done in 2021:

2021 Training and meetings
• Online QuickBooks training
• Statewide Employee Training in Red Lodge focusing on Leadership and Marketing
• A monthly Roundtable (past Roundtable Recordings and the recorded QuickBooks trainings are available on our website on the Past Trainings page)
• Records Retention and Disposal Training (Recorded and on the Past Trainings page)

Activities “behind the scenes”
• Documentation of organization for continuity between officers
• Job descriptions for the Area Representatives
• Overhaul of Employee website
• Creation of the Field Guide for the first weeks for new employees
• Overhaul of Employee Handbook
• Working with DNRC and MACD to provide clear and comprehensive onboarding and orientation of new CD Employees across the state
• Part of a statewide effort to identify training needs and develop a survey and calendar with partners to cover staff needs. Partners include MACD, NRCS and DNRC-CDB

Planned activities for 2022
• Find funding to allow for Area Representatives to travel to new employee offices
• Continue work with DNRC and MACD on orientation and onboarding procedures
• Finish and print the Handbook
• Print the Field Guide
• Pursue nonprofit status
• Upgrade equipment for Treasurer
• Plan fundraisers to pay for more training
• Work with the National Conservation Planning Partnership to work at a more organized level for training needs
• Spring Board meeting and Fall Board meeting
• EO Fundraiser at the 2022 Convention-Wednesday night Event

If you have any questions about our activities, our purpose or anything else, please feel free to call or email Heidi Fleury (lakecountycd@ronan.net 406-676-2811 ext. 102) or Chris Evans (chris@lewisandclarkcd.org 406-449-5000 ext. 3884).