At Roots Family Collaborative, we are dedicated to creating strong and compassionate networks for new families in the Gallatin Valley. We encourage parents to connect, support and gain confidence from one another in our warm and welcoming space.  We believe no one was meant to parent alone.
​
During every step of the way, our unique organization is here to help you navigate your journey from pregnancy to parenthood. We know that when parents have access to support, connection, and education during this most transformative time, they will feel confident to create a strong foundation for life. 

The Roots Story

It all started on a backyard playdate a few years ago when two moms decided that without each other they might not be the moms they knew they could be.  Dreams of lasting friendships, beautiful spaces, regular support groups, laughter, professional workshops and more all were swirling in this big vision. When they started digging a little deeper, all signs kept pointing them back to the three main branches that now define Roots Family Collaborative.  
​ 
Connection. Support. Education. 

​We know that connection, support, and education are vital for growing strong and compassionate caregivers who will nourish deep roots for their families and communities.  With that, Roots Family Collaborative was born.  As every day passes, we are learning more and more how to best support new families in Bozeman as we know there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to parenting under the big sky.  We look forward to meeting you on your journey.  Come, nourish your roots.  You deserve it! ​


The Board of Directors at Roots

Liza Brumbach is the mom of three lovely kiddos (two middle schoolers, 1 pre-schooler). She has a long history of passion for work with youth and families.  With a degree in Elementary and Special Education she was an educator early in her career but has since unexpectedly wandered into business. After running the Flying Pig Adventure Co. with her late husband she migrated into owning and operating vacation rental cabins, a hostel, and the North Yellowstone Lodge outside of Gardiner. She has always found great joy in giving back to her communities with volunteer work as well as living an active outdoor lifestyle with her husband and kids. The outdoor world is a playground mecca! She is honored to work alongside Roots after having benefited personally from Roots Loss Support Group, Moms Like Me, and Fresh Air Mama’s! She believes whole-heartedly in supporting young families as they navigate the journey of parenthood.
Patrick Duganz is the Father Engagement Specialist at the Gallatin City-County Health Department. He’s a co-parent of a seven-year-old boy. Before working with men on parenting skills he worked with unhoused persons in Missoula, Montana, teenage boys living in group homes locally, Batman’s house cleaner, and – of all things – a journalist for several Montana newspapers (he has the ludicrous award placards to prove it). But the dad stuff is his primary drive and focus because having a healthy, present father figure can help children grow into healthy adults. When not working with dads, or raising his son, he can be found hiking, fishing, or working on various unfinished projects. He’s hoping his work with Roots Family Collaborative can bring greater awareness and attention for men perinatal mood disorders, and help Gallatin Valley families.
Courtney Handlin, D.O. is a Pediatrician with Billings Clinic Bozeman Pediatrics and a clinical educator for medical students.  She cares for children of all ages and has additional training in travel medicine and management of acute injuries. Through her work as a pediatrician, she has taken an additional interest in discovering ways to better serve families in the Gallatin Valley and surrounding areas.  She is hoping to represent the physician community while being a Board Member at Roots Family Collaborative. Having worked with Latino communities in the past, she is also interested in learning about what support is needed for Latino families in our community. She enjoys making animal figures from clay with her two children and would Nordic ski everyday if possible.
Lexi Frank Newhall, LMFT, LCPC has been working as a therapist in private practice for the last ten years. She specializes in empowering women to manage change, heal from perinatal (pre and postpartum) mental health disorders and overcome developmental trauma.  Her style of counseling is an integration mindfulness, body awareness, guided imagery, empathic listening and psychodynamics.  Joining the board of Roots Family Collaborative inspires Lexi and connects her to the broader network of resources available in the Gallatin Valley.  She hopes to share the insights she gains in her therapy work about the evolving needs of women with Roots as a means to help us better support families and create a community of strong, compassionate caregivers.  Lexi loves living in the mountains with her husband, two energetic little boys and sweet chocolate lab, Charlie.  
Flora McCormick, LCPC is a professional counselor and parenting coach who is passionate about supporting parents, and helping them to feel more empowered and effective in their parenting.  She is an experienced parent educator who teaches parenting workshops in the community and has served for the past 2 years as an Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant.  Flora served on the board of the Help Center for 6 years, and on the board of Bozeman Business and Professional Women for 3 years.  Flora enjoys camping, traveling to be with friends and family, and being a parent to Eva (3) and Caleb (5), along with her husband, Gabriel.
Molly Melzer lived in Bozeman for 8 years before moving to Boston where her husband was attending graduate school. During her time there she gave birth to two sons in 2011 and 2013, respectively, and was lucky enough to experience early motherhood in a community that was extremely supportive, open-minded and abundant with resources for new parents and families. Upon moving back to Bozeman in 2014 with a 2-year-old and a six-month-old she wondered, "where do all the moms go?" Wanting to connect with other mothers and find support groups drove her to seek out the resources she needed, but the experience left her feeling that the community could be much more cohesive and the system easier to navigate. She is excited to be creating a comprehensive early parenting organization and provide for new mothers and families those things that helped smooth her own transition into parenthood. Look for her at Bridger Bowl or Bohart Ranch whenever there’s snow on the ground.
Marilee Simons MD, FACOG is an OB/GYN physician with Bozeman Health Women’s Specialists. A native Montanan, Marilee took a tour to the Midwest and then to Utah, graduating residency in 2012, before making her home in Bozeman in 2015. She has the great privilege of caring for women before, during, and after childbirth and all of the beauty and struggle in that journey.  After the birth of her daughter in 2017, the sometimes ugly reality of the postpartum experience became personal as she struggled through that transition. Marilee’s passion for helping women and families during this vulnerable and important time has just increased since then, as has participation in Roots’ programs like Moms Like Me and Reborn. As a member of this team, she hopes to continue being an advocate for parents and those caring for them in our community.  Marilee loves being a mom to her two amazing kids, enjoys trail running, biking, her husband’s cooking, and exploring this beautiful world with her family. 
Kerry Williams focuses her work around the well-being of children and the strength of their families through the power of operations. Kerry graduated with a master’s degree in Family Sciences from MSU-Bozeman in 2003, and has since spent her career supporting families during the critical first few years of a child’s life by improving the systems that serve them. She has been an Early Childhood Mental Health Grant Manager, a Children’s Librarian, and an Early Learning Specialist. In 2015, Kerry presented a TEDx Talk entitled “Parenting: How I’m Not Getting It Right and Why You Shouldn’t Either” which addressed her own experience raising her two boys and grappling with the change of identity that comes with becoming a mother. She and her husband have lived in Bozeman for over 20 years. Kerry’s favorite activities outside of crossing every “t” and dotting every “i” are reading and dancing.

Staff at Roots

Suzanne Bendick, Director
​Suzanne loves everything about babies and birth but is especially dedicated to helping families navigate the postpartum period and giving them the support they deserve during this amazing transition. After trying to manage her own overwhelming entry into new parenthood, Suzanne started a business called Fresh Air as a practical way to help new mothers. Suzanne knows that support during the postpartum period is critical for the overall health of a new family, so with her formal training as a Postpartum Doula and Certified Lactation Counselor, she has been able to quietly nurture, encourage and assist as families settle into their new normal after birth. Suzanne is also a Volunteer Coordinator with Postpartum Support International, where she welcomes parents at any stage to reach out for help. Besides her love of all things postpartum, Suzanne holds a B.A. in Anthropology, is a Certified Montessori Teacher and has two children of her own.  If she’s not listening to a new mother’s story, you can find her breathing in some fresh air in the mountains around town.
Julie Zickovich, Program Assistant
Having her son, Ivan, was nothing that Julie expected or anticipated. Her life was completely different and initially she grieved the loss of her life before him without knowing where to turn for support. Julie ultimately found Roots Family Collaborative through our program Mindful Mamas and then again through Moms Like Me. Julie says, "these programs were, and still are, a lifeline to reinventing myself as a mom and a person. The people I have met through Roots have brought me so much peace, confidence, camaraderie, joy, tears. I am so incredibly grateful to this growing community." 

Julie is thrilled to have the opportunity to be a larger part of Roots and help spread its mission to the needs of the community. She grew up in Bozeman and has been married for almost 20 years. Her son, Ivan, just started kindergarten. Julie likes the seasons but dislikes the transition, loves her chickens, and finds joy in finding new trails no matter how small or large.