The Kiwanis Club of Missoula was founded by a group of dedicated Missoulians in 1921. We are one of Missoula’s oldest and longest serving service clubs. The club is a special organization of fun-loving members who work hard to help make Missoula a better place to live for all those kids.
A historic election will take place next year. After 16 years and the recent retirement announcement of current Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Montana voters will elect a new Chief Justice to lead the Montana Supreme Court and Montana’s judicial branch of government in the 2024 election. The two candidates for this position will be our speakers at next week’s Kiwanis Club Meeting. Since both candidates are attending, and we wish to give each candidate 20 minutes to explain to you why you should vote for them, we will be short-cutting the usual business part of the meeting.
Karen Townsend will be moderating our program. Please come armed with questions you might want to pose to the candidates. We have also extended an invitation to the other Missoula Kiwanis Club to attend. Brief bios of the two candidates follow.
Judge Jerry Lynch
Judge Lynch was in public service for more than 28 years as a Federal Magistrate Judge in the Montana District of the United States District Court (2006-2019) and as a law clerk for the Honorable Paul Hatfield, then District Judge on the Federal United States District Court for the District of Montana. He worked for ten years as an attorney in private practice in Montana and served on the Montana Board of Public Education and the Montana Board of Environmental Review.
He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Carroll College in Helena and his law degree from The University of Montana Law School (1981). Judge Lynch earned his master’s degree from Montana State University, focused on zoology and genetics, including the genetic variability and divergence of Montana’s indigenous grayling fish population.
Judge Lynch and his wife of 48 years, Teri Darragh Lynch, have four children and 10 grandchildren.
Cory Swanson
Cory Swanson is a fourth generation Montanan who graduated from Manhattan high school, and attended MSU, Carroll College (graduate 2000) and U of M (Law School graduate 2004). Cory was a member of the 1999 Carroll College National Champion Debate Team and won the 2000 award for the most speech victories of all college competitors in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. He competed in Jessup International Moot Court in law school.
Cory joined the Montana Army National Guard in June 1997. He was deployed three times to the Middle East, including as Commander of Montana’s historic 1-163rd Infantry Battalion. He is currently a Colonel nearing retirement from the Montana Army National Guard.
Cory was a partner in a Helena law firm before joining Attorney General Tim Fox’s team at the Montana Department of Justice in 2013. In that role, he was the lead in-house counsel and a lead trial counsel for the Montana v. Wyomingwater case before a Special Master of the United States Supreme Court, which was the longest Montana DOJ trial in recent years.
In November 2014, Cory won election as the Broadwater County Attorney. His office prosecutes approximately 50 felonies and 300 misdemeanors per year, everything from speeding tickets to homicides. Cory is midway through his third term as County Attorney, and was elected by his peers to serve as Vice President of the Montana County Attorneys Association.
Cory married Julie Platisha of Manhattan, Montana in July 2007. He and Julie reside in Townsend with their son Caleb and daughter Claire. He helps coach youth sports, and the family is active in 4-H and their church. Julie is a Speech Language Pathologist and has a private practice providing speech therapy to children in the Townsend-Toston-White Sulphur Springs area.
Kiwanis Club of Missoula
The Kiwanis Club of Missoula was founded by a group of dedicated Missoulians in 1921. We are one of Missoula’s oldest and longest serving service clubs. The club is a special organization of fun-loving members who work hard to help make Missoula a better place to live for all those kids.
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What is Kiwanis?
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Upcoming events
Toast the Town pint night/member social
Kiwanis Meeting - Supreme court chief justice candidates
Kiwanis Meeting - Supreme court chief justice candidates
A historic election will take place next year. After 16 years and the recent retirement announcement of current Chief Justice Mike McGrath, Montana voters will elect a new Chief Justice to lead the Montana Supreme Court and Montana’s judicial branch of government in the 2024 election. The two candidates for this position will be our speakers at next week’s Kiwanis Club Meeting. Since both candidates are attending, and we wish to give each candidate 20 minutes to explain to you why you should vote for them, we will be short-cutting the usual business part of the meeting.
Karen Townsend will be moderating our program. Please come armed with questions you might want to pose to the candidates. We have also extended an invitation to the other Missoula Kiwanis Club to attend. Brief bios of the two candidates follow.
Judge Jerry Lynch
Judge Lynch was in public service for more than 28 years as a Federal Magistrate Judge in the Montana District of the United States District Court (2006-2019) and as a law clerk for the Honorable Paul Hatfield, then District Judge on the Federal United States District Court for the District of Montana. He worked for ten years as an attorney in private practice in Montana and served on the Montana Board of Public Education and the Montana Board of Environmental Review.
He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Carroll College in Helena and his law degree from The University of Montana Law School (1981). Judge Lynch earned his master’s degree from Montana State University, focused on zoology and genetics, including the genetic variability and divergence of Montana’s indigenous grayling fish population.
Judge Lynch and his wife of 48 years, Teri Darragh Lynch, have four children and 10 grandchildren.
Cory Swanson
Cory Swanson is a fourth generation Montanan who graduated from Manhattan high school, and attended MSU, Carroll College (graduate 2000) and U of M (Law School graduate 2004). Cory was a member of the 1999 Carroll College National Champion Debate Team and won the 2000 award for the most speech victories of all college competitors in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. He competed in Jessup International Moot Court in law school.
Cory joined the Montana Army National Guard in June 1997. He was deployed three times to the Middle East, including as Commander of Montana’s historic 1-163rd Infantry Battalion. He is currently a Colonel nearing retirement from the Montana Army National Guard.
Cory was a partner in a Helena law firm before joining Attorney General Tim Fox’s team at the Montana Department of Justice in 2013. In that role, he was the lead in-house counsel and a lead trial counsel for the Montana v. Wyomingwater case before a Special Master of the United States Supreme Court, which was the longest Montana DOJ trial in recent years.
In November 2014, Cory won election as the Broadwater County Attorney. His office prosecutes approximately 50 felonies and 300 misdemeanors per year, everything from speeding tickets to homicides. Cory is midway through his third term as County Attorney, and was elected by his peers to serve as Vice President of the Montana County Attorneys Association.
Cory married Julie Platisha of Manhattan, Montana in July 2007. He and Julie reside in Townsend with their son Caleb and daughter Claire. He helps coach youth sports, and the family is active in 4-H and their church. Julie is a Speech Language Pathologist and has a private practice providing speech therapy to children in the Townsend-Toston-White Sulphur Springs area.
Regular Meeting - Smufit Stone reclamation effort, Andrew Gorder from the CFC
Regular Meeting - SOM- Butterfly House Field Trip
Programs Committee Meeting
Regular Meeting - Monica Tranel - Congressional Candidate
Regular Meeting - Leland Earls - Walk from Pacific Ocean to Missoula
Regular Meeting - Nancy Leifer, President of the Montana League of Women Voters - Citizen Intiatives 126 and 127
Regular Meeting
Regular Meeting - SOM - Brianna Randall - Race to Alaska
Programs Committee Meeting
Regular Meeting
Regular Meeting
Regular Meeting
Regular Meeting
Programs Committee Meeting
Christmas Party