Born and raised in Western Washington, Claire grew up hiking through cedar forests, baking blackberry pies, and gaining an appreciation for her natural environment. She moved to Missoula in 2013 to study resource conservation at the University of Montana and has been here ever since. After graduating, Claire worked in numerous positions with nonprofits across the state serving in environmental education, community outreach, event planning, and operations roles which solidified her passion for public service.
Food has always been an important part of Claire’s life and she took a few years to explore a career as a baker, but the pandemic spurred her to return to school to obtain an M.P.A. with a focus on nonprofits. In her free time, you can find her frolicking in the mountains, binging a crafting project, or cozying up for a movie with her partner, Jory, and their cat, Twig Newton.