Sharon is a KiThoughtbridge Associate.
Sharon Peterson is also the Executive Director of the Montana BioScience Alliance. The Montana BioScience Alliance serves as a hub for Montana's biotechnology companies, entrepreneurs, laboratories, hospitals, clinics and universities to commercialize new technologies and to start, grow and sustain globally competitive bioscience companies – ultimately to create high-quality jobs and economic opportunity in Montana.
Sharon was the State Director for Senator Max Baucus and her Senate career spanned 25 years, working as the Senator's scheduler, Special Assistant and State Director. Her responsibilities included legislative assistant for Native American and agriculture issues. She was also the main organizer for the Montana Economic Development Summits in 2000, 2001, and 2003.
Prior to her Senate service, Sharon was one of the owners and operators of the Peterson Ranch, Feedlot and trucking business at Winifred, Montana. She was one of the charter officers of the Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE) organization and in 1979 was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the National Alcohol Fuels Commission where she served two years.
Sharon currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Montana State University-Billings Foundation. She also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Billings YWCA and a member of the Billings Rotary Club.
Sharon and her husband, Garde, who live in Billings, feel like they are the model for parents whose children have moved out of state for jobs. They have three children, Joan, an attorney in Austin, Texas; Wayne working as a geologist in North Dakota and Susan who is a teacher in Tacoma, Washington.
Their 4 grandchildren live in Texas and Washington State.