Michelle Uberuaga accepts new role, Erica Lighthiser named PCEC's interim director

Michelle Uberuaga speaks at the Montana Youth Climate Summit in Livingston in October 2023.

I’m writing today with some bittersweet news. After almost a decade of service at PCEC, Michelle Uberuaga has accepted a new role as the Senior Program Manager for Yellowstone at the National Parks Conservation Association. Erica Lighthiser, who currently serves as the deputy director, will assume the role of interim executive director. 

Erica, who joined PCEC in August 2015, is now leading day-to-day operations, while Michelle stays on in an advisory role during a transition period. 

The PCEC board is overseeing the transition, and we are so thankful for Michelle’s time at PCEC. Michelle is an amazing and visionary leader, who has a long list of accomplishments, including hiring an extremely talented staff. We wish Michelle the very best and look forward to partnering with her in her new role.

At the same time, the board is grateful to have the leadership of PCEC in Erica’s very capable hands. Erica was Michelle’s first hire and has been instrumental in developing PCEC’s internal operations and financial systems. We are confident that PCEC will continue to thrive under Erica’s leadership.

Erica has spent hours in conversation with neighbors working to find common ground for this place. She leads PCEC’s work in the Crazy Mountains, has led PCEC’s efforts to defend the area from oil and gas development, spearheaded the Livingston Loves Trees team, served as the lead grant writer and has played a key role managing PCEC’s finance and operations over the years.

“I step into this role of interim executive director with a deep sense of gratitude and humility,” said Erica Lighthiser, PCEC’s interim executive director, in a press release about the transition. 

Reflecting on Michelle's accomplishments, Erica said "Michelle has had a remarkable tenure at PCEC. Her infectious personality and unwavering dedication to both the wild and Park County communities created an inclusive and powerful local environmental movement. For nearly nine years, I have had the privilege of learning from Michelle, one of the greatest opportunities of my career. As I assume this interim position, I am profoundly aware of the responsibility to honor her legacy and continue the impactful work she initiated.”

Max Hjortsberg, Erica Lighthiser and Michelle Uberuaga celebrate the passage of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act at Chico Hot Springs. Tomorrow marks the five-year anniversary of the act's passage.

Michelle's Tenure

Park County Environmental Council was founded in 1990. Michelle served as PCEC’s third executive director. Under Michelle’s leadership, PCEC has evolved into a strong and effective community organization that continues to build on its original vision of tackling large landscape issues, wildlife, and water conservation, while also working with our community shoulder-to-shoulder on pressing issues, like housing and disaster response. 

“I have had the honor of serving our community for almost a decade, and I am grateful for the people and partners that trusted my leadership and gave PCEC the opportunity to grow and evolve,” said Michelle Uberuaga. “PCEC’s accomplishments are the result of a whole lot of people coming together."

Michelle thanks Erica Lighthiser and Max Hjortsberg for leading the organization with her, as well Wendy Riley, Lucinda Reinhold and Nelson King, who have been leading the board and supporting the staff as the organization has faced significant threats, challenges and opportunities over the years.

“They are all still showing up for PCEC and our community every day," Michelle said. "We trusted and supported one another and worked together over the years, and as a result, I am passing the baton to an incredibly capable team. I look forward to supporting them in this next chapter – as a PCEC member and as a partner in conservation for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”

Michelle is especially proud of PCEC’s conservation leadership program that invests in our local youth and works on climate change in collaboration with state and national partners.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with such an inspiring team and community, including students at Park High. I am confident that PCEC will continue to effectively tackle whatever comes our way, together as a community. I have learned so much about the power of people coming together for a place and I will carry that into my next role. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing folks at PCEC events,” Michelle said.

Community members celebrate passage of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act in 2018. Michelle played a key role in uniting our community to protect 30,000 acres of public land from industrial mining.

One of Michelle’s most notable accomplishments was her work helping develop a community-led campaign to stop proposed gold mines in our backyard. 

Early into Michelle’s tenure at PCEC, in June 2015, our community learned about a proposed gold mine in Emigrant Gulch, and weeks later, another mine directly on the border of Yellowstone. Michelle played a key role in helping unite our community in opposition to both gold mines. The effort culminated in federal legislation, the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which was signed into law – five years ago tomorrow – on March 12, 2019, and demonstrated the power of a united community willing to stand up for the lands and wildlife that defines our way of life in Yellowstone’s Northern Gateway.

Michelle brought to PCEC a strong legal background that helped build relationships with statewide partners like Earthjustice, and in 2020, Park County Environmental Council (PCEC) v. DEQ, strengthened all Montanan’s right to a clean and healthful environment. 

Michelle also worked with the community to fight oil and gas leasing along the Absaroka-Beartooth Front, gravel pits, a tire dump and more. Over the past ten years, it became clear to politicians and regulators in Helena and Washington D.C. that the people of Park County are fierce advocates for their wild backyard. 

After playing whack-a-mole with developments for years, PCEC worked to help the community craft strong growth policies to proactively plan for the future – at the City and County.

The Livingston Growth Policy, passed in 2020, received more than 1,600 comments from the community. The city of Livingston is working to implement many of the community’s goals from the Growth Policy, such as the Downtown Master Plan, a zoning code rewrite, wildlife coexistence efforts and more.

The Park County Growth Policy, passed in 2017, had input from more than 800 community members and has led to several new policies and outcomes for conservation in Park County. Park County Commissioners recently agreed to move forward with an update to the growth policy to reflect changing circumstances since 2017. 

In June of 2024, the question of whether to get rid of Park County’s growth policy will be on the ballot. Michelle will continue to support PCEC’s effort and the community-led campaign to defeat that initiative with the “No on Referendum 1” campaign, which is working to defend our growth policy and support thoughtful planning and processes.

“As a parent, and long-time resident that has lived in Cooke City, Gardiner and Livingston, I deeply love this place and understand the importance of strong local voices guided by a community vision,” Michelle said.

We are incredibly grateful for Michelle's work on behalf of our community, and we are excited for the work to continue.