Gallatin County

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County honor bigs and member of the year

Posted: Jan 10, 2013 3:29 PM
Updated: Jan 10, 2013 3:47 PM

BOZEMAN - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County has announced its Big Sister, Big Brother and Board Member of the year.

Big Sister of the Year

Sharon Lohss has been chosen as Big Sister of the Year by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Gallatin County. Sharon and her Little Sister, Rajeeyah, have been matched for three and a half years. They have done a huge variety of activities together from simply playing in the park, skiing, going boating, floating the river with the Outdoor Explorers program, out to eat, walking Sharon's dog. Sharon is self-employed as an interior designer. She decided to become a Big Sister because she wanted to be involved in a community organization and loves kids. She said hers is "the perfect fit; the best match ever. " She has also loved getting to know her Little Sister's family. Her Little Sister says that their match is so fun because they have "many, many, many of the same likes such as music, animals, holidays." The best part of the match has just been getting to know Sharon.

Big Brother of the Year

PJ Kolnik has been selected as the Big Brother of the Year. He and his Little Brother Brian have been matched for almost three years. PJ originally got involved in the program because a friend of his was already a Big and encouraged him to give it a shot. Being a mentor has been an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. He is very busy working as an Ambassador for the MSU Alumni Foundation, but always finds time to meet with Brian on a regular basis. PJ says "the several hours a week he spends with Brian mean so much to him. This has been such a valuable investment of his time." Brian's grandma says "Brian has greatly benefited from being matched with a Big Brother. He has been able to get out into the community and try so many different things that he would otherwise never have the opportunity to do". She couldn't think of a better mentor for her grandson. PJ has been there for Brian from day one. They will be best buddies for years to come!

Board Member of the Year

Troy Watling, a Manager with JCCS, has been chosen as the Board Member of the Year. He is an invaluable Board Member as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee for last three years. Troy had a BIG bucket list when he started on the Board and most of those have been accomplished. He has taken a lot of time to clean up and organize many documents such as our Fiscal Policies, Endowment Policy, and Personnel Policies. He also reports the financials on a monthly basis, assists with the annual financial audit, gathers data for national reports, and prepares the annual budget.