Do you know a stellar student who might be interested to serve as the next Youth Director?
On May 8, Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees and Roundup for Safety’s Board of Directors awarded a $2,000 scholarship to Kaylee Hampton in recognition of her service as Roundup’s Youth Director. Hampton served in this non-voting role for two years. Upon joining Roundup for Safety in October 2023, she quickly emerged as an influential and trusted voice for the nine-member Board.
Bill Leininger, Board President, reflects, “From Kaylee’s first meeting, it was evident that she was confident and ready to offer her perspective to the Board. It’s been a long time since any of the Board members were in high school, and a lot of the projects the Board considers are brought by schools. Having an enthusiastic high school student review safety grant requests and assist the Board in awarding dollars has helped to ensure the funds that Co-op members are so generously rounding up in support of the Roundup program are put to their best possible use.”
Hampton, the daughter of Robert and Amanda Hampton of Kalispell, will graduate from Flathead High School with honors on May 30, 2025. She is a member of the National Honors Society, Business Professionals of America, and Flathead High School National’s Speech & Debate Team. Prior to her Roundup for Safety involvement, Hampton was chosen to represent Flathead Electric Cooperative as a 2023 Youth Tour participant to Washington, D.C.
During this year’s Legislative Session, Hampton was sponsored by Senator Fuller, R-Kalispell, as a Legislative Page. She brought her passion for improving safety to Helena. Notably, Hampton conceptualized, wrote, and brought Resolution #SJ-13 to passage in the House and the Senate. This resolution authorized the first study of Montana’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) since 1992. It will examine how Montana EMS is currently funded and recommend how it should be funded in the future to ensure responsive, high-quality services.
Hampton’s father was a Smith Valley Volunteer Fire Department member from 2020 to 2024 and currently works at the Bigfork Fire Department and the Lakeside Quick Response Unit. Hampton cites the influence of watching her dad respond to emergency calls throughout her childhood as her Resolution #SJ-13 inspiration. She shares, “The work my Dad and all the EMS providers do to keep our communities safe every day is inspiring. They deserve the resources they need to get it done.”
Flathead Electric Cooperative Trustee Terry Crooks chairs the Community Education Committee that awarded Hampton’s scholarship. Crooks notes, “All Co-op scholarships are funded by unclaimed capital credits, usually left behind by members who move away. It’s wonderful to be able to use those funds to support educational opportunities for outstanding young people like Kaylee. We are excited to watch her go off to college. We think she has big things ahead of her!”
Applications for the Roundup for Safety Youth Director position are open through June 30 via the Co-op’s website: flatheadelectric.com/roundup
