June 21, 2012

 

Contacts:
Dan Carter, University Relations, 657-2269

 

MSU BILLINGS NEWS SERVICES — A Hysham native with family roots at Eastern Montana College that date back to 1927 has been selected to be interim director of alumni relations at Montana State University Billings.

 

Krista Montague

Krista Montague, 35, who earned her bachelor’s degree in business at MSU Billings in 1999 and is currently the Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator, will step in as Interim Director of Alumni Relations on July 2, 2012, according to Chancellor Rolf Groseth. Montague takes over for Julie Seedhouse, who begins a new job at Rocky Mountain College in July.

 

Groseth said Montague will serve in the interim alumni director capacity until a permanent director is hired this fall. A search will begin immediately to fill that spot, he said.

 

“Krista is one of those people who is exceptional at building relationships,” Groseth said. “She was able to do it as a student-athlete and as a professional in our athletics department. I know she will be able to do great things in an interim capacity for alumni and the university.”

 

Krista Fjelstad graduated from Hysham High School in 1995 and was recruited to play on the Yellowjacket women’s basketball team. She played on three conference championship teams and on four NCAA tournament teams, including one trip to the NCAA II “Elite Eight.”

 

After her graduation from college, she worked at Norwest Bank and then for D&D Marketing, doing corporate sponsorship work for her alma mater. She returned to MSU Billings in 2002 to take on the role of development and corporate sponsorships for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Since that time, she has taken on other roles and currently serves as the NCAA compliance officer for the university’s 17 sports.

 

Montague has a distinct familiarity with Eastern Montana College and MSU Billings. Her great-grandfather, Harold Miller, came to EMC shortly after the school was founded in 1927, and her parents met at EMC when they were students here in the early 1970s.  When she was a student, she met her husband, Brent, while waiting in line for lunch at the Student Union Building.

 

She has seen her share of transitions — from EMC to MSUB as well as athletic conference affiliations — but said her relationship is always been tied to the institution as a whole.

 

“I am a Yellowjacket,” she said. “I never thought much about EMC or MSUB name changes or even athletic conference changes.  It was never about that. It was about being a Yellowjacket.”

 

Montague said she hopes to continue the growth developed by Seedhouse over the past five years.

 

“I would like to personally thank Julie for the amazing work she has done,” Montague said. “I hope I can build on her successes, engage as many alumni as I can and keep people excited about MSUB.”

 

With an active advisory board and about 24,000 alumni, Montague said MSU Billings has a strong foundation of support to raise the awareness of the university among community members, civic leaders, faculty and students.

 

“I’m really excited to get started in this new role and would like to thank Dr. Groseth for this wonderful opportunity.”

 

For more information on the work of Alumni Relations, go to www.msubillings.edu/alumni/.

 

PHOTO ABOVE: Krista Montague stands in the area of the new Corridor of Champions at MSU Billings. The newly refurbished trophy case area was a collaborative project between the Department of Athletics and Alumni Relations.