Teresa Erickson, Staff Director
Teresa has been Northern Plains’ Staff Director since 1986. A Colorado native and daughter of a hard rock miner, she holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Northern Colorado. She is an experienced and respected trainer and is known for her ability to work with people of all backgrounds.
Olivia Stockman, Director of Organizing and Campaigns
Olivia is a 2008 addition to the staff. Having grown up in the Midwest, she earned degrees in political science (B.S. from the University of Kansas; M.S. from the University of New Mexico), and previously worked for the League of Conservation Voters, Service Employees International Union, Montana League of Rural Voters, and Western Organization of Resource Councils. She directs the work of the organizing staff.
Becca Fischer, Community Organizer
A native of Billings, Becca is a graduate of Willamette University, with a bachelor’s in environmental science (and a senior project that dealt specifically with water in the Yellowstone River Basin). She joined the staff in 2008. Becca is our lead staffer for our expanding work on coal issues and the Tongue River Railroad.
Caleb Lande, Community Organizer
A Montana native, Caleb came to Northern Plains in 2008. Caleb holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Montana, where his thesis dealt with homeowners’ valuation of energy efficiency. Caleb is lead staffer for our Clean Energy Task Force, and is the manager of Northern Plains’ participation in the Good Neighbor Agreement.
Svein Newman, Community Organizer
A Billings native, Svein is a 2009 graduate of the University of Montana in political science. He volunteered with Students for Economic and Social Justice in a multi-year anti-sweatshop campaign (that was covered in The Nation and USA Today). He also volunteered and interned for the Women’s Resource Center, and knocked on thousands of doors in canvassing efforts.
Rose Bender, Community Organizer
Rose is a Billings native and a 2010 addition to the staff. She has earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both in economics, from the University of Montana. She also conducted economic research for the Ecosystem Research Group. Rose is the lead staffer for our coal bed methane campaign and the tar sands pipeline issue.
Clayton Elliott, Community Organizer
Clayton is a Wyoming native and joined the staff in 2010. He has a bachelor’s in economics from the University of Wyoming and a master’s in environmental policy from the University of Michigan (where he worked as a research assistant with the Ecosystem Management Initiative). Clayton works in our Helena office and is our lobbyist.
Steve Paulson, Development Coordinator
Steve came to Northern Plains from his native South Dakota in 1992. He earned degrees in political science (B.S.Ed. at Black Hills State University; M.S. at Utah State University) and wrote his thesis on mineral tax policy. Steve prepares grant proposals and reports, does a wide range of editing, and is involved with human resources and financial tasks.
Clementine Lindley, Program Support Coordinator
Clementine joined us in 2008. She grew up in Montana and graduated from Seattle University with a bachelor’s in liberal studies. She earned a master’s degree in peace and conflict resolution from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, and worked at other nonprofits before coming to Northern Plains. Clementine is our lead staffer for internal fundraising.
Larry Winslow, Communications Coordinator
Larry earned a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of Montana and a master’s in Religion and Culture from Holy Names University-Oakland. He joined the staff in 2007, coming off a career as a newspaper journalist, including a 14-year stint at the Great Falls Tribune. Larry handles all our media communications as well as Northern Plains’ print and online publications. He grew up in Spokane, Washington.
Karen Olson, Office Manager
Karen joined the Northern Plains staff in 2010. Born and raised in Billings, she earned a bachelor’s in liberal studies from Montana State University-Billings. Before coming to Northern Plains, Karen was a longtime network technician for Qwest and also worked in printing services for Office Max. She has long been an active community volunteer.
Paula Berg, Comptroller
Paula is a Montana native who earned a bachelor’s in Business Administration at the University of Montana. Prior to coming to Northern Plains in 2011, she performed accounting and administrative work in the private sector. Paula oversees our day-to-day accounting, transactions in our bank and brokerage accounts, and handles reporting requirements.
Chrissantha Cramer, Technical Assistant
A longtime Billings resident, Chrissantha joined the staff in 2011. She is a graduate of Montana State University–Billings, with bachelor’s degrees in history and Spanish. Chrissantha performs myriad tasks in the office, with an emphasis on recordkeeping in our database. Before coming to Northern Plains, Chrissantha worked at Rocky Mountain College and the Billings Habitat for Humanity office.
