Loren Bough, President
Loren Bough is President of Friends of Big Sky Education and its founding member. A private investor, Loren is highly active in the Big Sky community. He is the Big Sky School Board Chair. He also serves on the Big Sky Resort Area Board, the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation Board, the Property and Environment Research Center Board (PERC), and the Big Sky Institute National Board. Bough worked as a trader in New York and London, was a partner at Brunswick UBS Russian, headed trading and risk management for a Russian investment banking business. He is a founding supporter of United Way Russia, Downside Up, and Maria’s Children in Moscow. Loren and his wife Jill have three children who attend school in the Big Sky School District.
John McGuire (Vice President / Treasurer) has been coming to Big Sky with his wife Vanessa and children for over 15 years, and moved to Big Sky permanently in 2019. John is a lawyer and finance professional with over 25 years of experience in various finance, legal, investment and management roles, primarily in New York and London. His main focus has been private equity investment in infrastructure projects and assets across the US, including as director of several public utility companies. John serves on the boards of several community organizations, including as Vice Chair and Treasurer of the Big Sky Community Organization. He also coaches the varsity baseball and girls basketball teams at Lone Peak High School (Go Bighorns!). John has a son and a daughter who attend Lone Peak High and a daughter who attends Ophir Middle School. He loves skiing and hiking with his family and Labrador Winston across all of the excellent trails we are fortunate enough to have access to in Big Sky, and is strongly committed to the continued growth and development of the education system and community programs and resources in town.
Melissa McKeithen (Secretary) coordinates the FOBSE Community Scholarship Program. She now lives in Big Sky full-time after 20 years as a part-time resident. She is a retired attorney, has worked as a development professional, and has served on several non-profit boards focused on community, education and youth services. She currently serves as the Board President of the Arts Council of Big Sky, is a member of the Board of Big Sky Youth Empowerment in Bozeman and volunteers at the Big Sky Thrift.
Sheena Kidd (Director) joined the Friends of Big Sky Education board in 2022. Sheena first visited and fell in love with Big Sky in 2009. She and her family spent many years splitting time between Big Sky and Boston until becoming full-time residents in 2019. Sheena and her husband Matt love the Big Sky community and have three children who are students in the Big Sky School District. Education is Sheena’s passion, as she previously taught first grade and has been extremely involved with Big Sky School’s PTO Board. She graduated from the University of North Carolina and also worked several years in finance. Sheena currently serves on the RUFF (Riley’s Urgent Fund for Friends) board and the Arts Council of Big Sky’s Development Committee, as well as volunteers weekly at Ophir Elementary in reading support.
Jill Bough (Director) has been an integral part of building the growing community of Big Sky, Montana. She and her husband, Loren, were the founders of the local public high school which boasts numerous awards and an International Baccalaureate curriculum. Jill is a photographer whose work has been described as journalistic storytelling. Having lived in Russia for nine years, her projects primarily focus on Russia-related topics and people. She has exhibited in New York, Cambridge, Minneapolis and Moscow, Russia. Having grown up in Montana, Jill is passionately in love with grasslands, prairie, and education in small communities.
Ex-Officio Board Members
Dustin Shipman – Superintendent of the Big Sky School District #72
John Zirkle – Executive Director of the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center