Staff

IPAMS employs a highly qualified staff with more than 100 years collective experience. Just click on the name to contact any member of the IPAMS staff.

Marc W. Smith, Executive Director
Marc joined IPAMS in 1996 as Director of Lands and Environment and was promoted to Executive Director in 1999. Marc earned his Masters of Environmental Policy and Management/Natural Resource Management from the University of Denver and a B.S. from Northern Arizona University. Marc has worked in the public, private and non-profit sectors in research, strategic planning, public relations and government affairs positions.

Sarah S. Cornwell, Director of Administration & Accounting
Sally began doing contract accounting for IPAMS in April 1993 and joined IPAMS-GTI four years later. Sally has 20 years of experience as a CPA and auditor in private and public accounting. She attended Kansas State University and holds a B.B.A. in accounting from Wichita State University.

Natalie Willms, Director of Member Services
Natalie has been with the association since 2000. Her employment background provides her with experiences that contribute to her position at IPAMS. She was Executive Assistant to the CFO of a national party and event firm and spent six years as general manager of a floral and handcrafted gift gallery. Natalie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Westmont College.

Timothy S. Stewart, Washington Representative
Tim worked as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Robert F. Bennett (R-UT) for seven years, with primary responsibility for energy, water and natural resource issues. In addition to his work on the authorizing committee, he was the primary staffer to the Senate Appropriations Committee on the Energy and Water, Interior, and Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittees. He also worked for the Fannie Mae Corporation as the first Director of the Utah Partnership Office. In 2001, Chairman Jim Hansen named Tim Legislative Director and then Chief of Staff of the House Committee on Resources. He received his B.A. in Political Science from Utah State University.

Jon Bargas, Manager of Communications
Jon joined the IPAMS team in May 2006. Prior to joining IPAMS, Bargas served as president of a political consulting and public relations firm and as the Executive Director of the Republican Party of Louisiana during the 2004 election cycle. Bargas has managed and consulted on numerous political campaigns at every level of government, and has served as spokesman and media consultant to a variety of political and corporate clients. He holds a BA in Political Science and History from Louisiana State University and has completed all coursework for a Master of Arts in Political Science. Bargas will serve as spokesman and media contact for IPAMS.

Melissa I. Young, Manager of Government Affairs
Melissa I. Young joined IPAMS as the Manager of Government Affairs in April 2008. Prior to her position with IPAMS, she was the Regulatory Specialist, a position she developed, for the Colorado Rock Products Association where she represented the construction materials industry. In addition, she has served as the Government Affairs Counsel for the Petroleum Marketers Association of America representing 8,000 independent petroleum marketers nationwide and she lobbied for the beneficial use of water resources at the National Water Resources Association. Melissa has 10 years of government affairs experience and is a Colorado licensed attorney. She received her Juris Doctorate from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota and her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Iowa State University. She has studied at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.

Donna Parker, Manager of Membership Development
Donna joined IPAMS in February of 2005 as Assistant to the Executive Director. Her new role as Manager of Membership Development has enabled her to better assist IPAMS fast-growing membership. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Developmental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Teaching Certificate from San Francisco State University. Prior to joining IPAMS, Donna taught elementary school for 11 years. Her organizational skills, ability to multi-task, and her attention to detail make her an asset to the organization.

Spencer Kimball, Government Affairs Specialist
Spencer joined IPAMS in July 2006. He is responsible for conducting research and assists staff with public relations, advocacy, and other issues. Spencer attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and holds a B.A. in Political Science.

Jason Lindaman, Communications Specialist
Joining IPAMS in May of 2008, Jason serves as the organization's communications specialist. He most recently was the director of public relations for KB Home, the nation's fifth largest homebuilder, and oversaw the company's communications efforts in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana and southeast Texas. Prior to joining KB Home, Jason served for five years as the manager of marketing and public relations for Kroenke Sports Enterprises; generating marketing and media relations campaigns for the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth, Colorado Rapids and Denver Nuggets. In the years following his graduation from the University of Iowa, Jason worked in broadcast journalism as an assignments editor for KUSA-TV (Denver, CO), WTSP-TV (Tampa, FL) and WINK-TV (Fort Myers, FL).

Becca Ness, Events Coordinator
Becca joined IPAMS in February of 2008. With a career background in both the oil and natural gas industry as well as corporate event planning, she brings a unique blend of talents to the IPAMS team. Prior to joining IPAMS, Becca worked as a senior specialist in accounts payable for an oil and natural gas company in metro Denver. Most recently, she served as an event planner for a large hotel in Colorado, gaining experience and understanding of the hospitality industry. Becca is a North Dakota native and a graduate of Minot State University, where she earned a B.A. in Broadcasting and Public Relations.