Our Staff

Dean McGovern (he/him)

Executive Director, MontPIRG
CEO, MontPIRG Leadership Fund

Dean McGovern looks for spaces where education and community collide into social impact and transformative learning.  He enjoys learning from people and contributing to groups who want more beauty, wellness, peace, inclusion, equity, and joy in their world. Dean serves as executive director of MontPIRG and CEO of the MontPIRG Leadership Fund.  He is an associate instructor in the Honors College at the University of Utah.  Previously, Dean served as executive director of the Lowell Bennion Center for Community Engagement and the Montana Campus Compact.  His teaching, scholarship, and service focus on civic leadership and community engagement. He earned doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Montana and baccalaureate degree from Colorado State University. Dean and his wife Amy enjoy following the active lives of their children who now reside in four different states. Answers to Dean's persistent questions are often found by running and hiking in the mountains.

Sophie Moon (she/her)

Regional Director (Missoula-Butte), MontPIRG

Sophie has a bit of a MontPIRG obsession. As a student of Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Montana, she worked as a MontPIRG intern, lead intern, canvasser, board member, and board chair. She even joined the MontPIRG Leadership Fund after graduating and now serves as our Regional Director (Missoula-Butte). That’s almost a decade with MontPIRG! Sophie is most passionate about helping students and young people explore how their interests intersect with civic engagement and community organizing. She has led statewide campaigns, built non-profits from the ground up, honed her communication skills, served some damn-fine food and wine, and even repped for a local plant-based milk company. In short, she likes to play in the nexus of food systems and advocacy - and she loves helping others discover their unique intersections with advocacy work, too.

Carl Anderson

Bozeman Campus Organizer, MontPIRG

I grew up in the little town of Forsyth in eastern Montana and spent some time in Billings before moving to Bozeman in 2011. My background is in biochemistry and psychology. The issues which are most important to me are the environment, social justice, and the places which they intersect. My biggest reason for joining the MontPIRG team was the inspiring individuals whom I have met through the organization