MADDY POPE

Board Member of Marvelousness & Amazement

Maddy grew up in the suburbs of New York City. As a nine year old visiting Yellowstone, she fell in love with the wildness of this region and, standing at the Yellowstone Falls overlook, she made a secret vow to live here when she grew up. Twenty-one years later she arrived in Bozeman and has put down deep roots in this community. She and her husband opened The Great Rocky Mountain Toy Store on Main Street in 1992. As owner/operators for 15 years, they got to know the community selling toys (and happiness and play) to families across the Gallatin Valley. 

However, her lifelong passion and professional focus has been land conservation and she has worked in the field for over forty years. She studied at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, which nurtured a deep love of systems ecology. As a project manager with The Trust for Public Land, she worked with communities across the country to support local land protection. Before retiring in 2019, she spent eight years working with hundreds of neighbors and friends throughout the Gallatin Valley to create Story Mill Community Park. She has also served on several local boards, including the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and Montana Outdoor Science School. 

Maddy lives with her husband Chris. They share their home with Grace Kelly, a gorgeous blond golden retriever, Calvin a brindle Staffordshire, and Sadie the cat– the true ruler of the roost. Their daughter Jess supports kids with cancer as a pediatric nurse practitioner and their son Ben is a student of classics and folklore at MSU. Maddy loves getting out in nature hiking and cross country skiing and also weaves and crochets. If she had a super power it would be to channel the goodness that she sees in individuals brought to the collective with the goal of promoting peace on earth. In a small, sweet way she believes that this is what RAS does.

"I am fascinated by RAS for several reasons. First, the spontaneous joy and happiness that we generate. I am amazed by how RAS nurtures well-being by bringing together artisans, creativity and community members of all ages. And, I hope as a board member to participate in the conversation of how RAS can continue to grow while retaining serendipity and thoughtful whimsy in all we create.”