Womentum is a project of The Equipoise Fund, a
non-profit whose mission is to energize, enrich
and encourage the vision, voice and visibility of the women and girls of Wyoming. This organization aims to develop and fund innovative programs that result in social equity and social justice. Since its inception in 2004, Womentum has benefited immeasurably from the leadership, guidance and financial support of The Equipoise Fund.

For more information on The Equipoise Fund, please visit www.equipoisefund.org.

 

The Womentum Mission

Womentum is dedicated to harnessing women’s intellectual, creative, and charitable spirit to effectuate meaningful social change for women.

 

The Womentum Vision

To support, encourage, and empower the women of Jackson Hole to realize their full potential.

To embolden women’s voices in the political, social and economic realms.

To effectuate meaningful and measurable change by addressing the cultural undercurrents that limit women’s potential.

To support a community of philanthropically inspired women.

 

Leading Ladies

AMY BRENNAN McCARTHY

Summers spent working at the CM Ranch in Dubois, WY, confirmed Amy's deep love for the Wyoming landscape. Following a childhood in upstate NY and upon graduating from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a dual major in economics and environmental studies, she made Wyoming her home. Amy participated in the inaugural year of Teton Science Schools' Professional Residency in Environmental Education program and earned a Master's degree in Forest Resources and Natural Resource Policy from Utah State University. These experiences left her with a substantive foundation for understanding the natural history of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a deep appreciation for the community of Jackson Hole, a commitment to sustainability and wildness, and a thirst for ongoing discovery. Amy has mixed drinks at Dornan's Bar in Moose, guided trips in the Tetons and Wind Rivers for Exum Mountain Guides, served as communications and development director for The Murie Center, and endured a season in Antarctica as a recycling specialist. Amy serves on the Teton Sustainability Project steering committee and as Vice-President of the Mountainside Institute board of directors. She presently works in the field of investment management and relishes the opportunity to complement the financial realm with an exploration of the world of documentary filmmaking, as the associate producer of the recently-released documentary Don't Fence Me In, a film project of The Equipoise Fund in association with Craighead Environmental Research Institute. Amy lives in Teton Village with her husband Forrest and their uber-mountain-mutt Wister.

ANNE HAYDEN CRESSWELL

Anne moved to Jackson Hole in the summer of 2000 with degrees in International Relations, French and Environmental Science.  Soon after landing in Jackson, she began working at the Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance where she was able to use her training to help ensure human activities were in harmony with the area’s irreplaceable wildlife, scenic and other natural resources.  During her tenure at the Alliance, she largely focused on community planning issues.  Here, her passion for the community of Jackson developed and matured.  After three and a half years at the Conservation Alliance, she transitioned to the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust where she works to provide affordable housing opportunities for dedicated members of the community.  As an affordable homeowner herself, she is convinced that broad based homeownership is central to the preservation of a sustainable, stable and diverse community.  Anne is currently a board member of the Snake River Fund.

ANNIE JACK

Annie hails from Palo Alto, California and moved to Jackson after graduating with a B.A. in US History and minor in Spanish from the University of Virginia in 1999. She came to the Tetons with a passion for outdoor education and began working for the Teton Science Schools as the assistant to the Executive Director and coordinator of Spanish-language programming. From 2001-2007, Annie assisted a Jackson Hole family with their myriad philanthropic and administrative projects. Currently she works for Bainbridge Graduate Institute, researching the possibility of bringing BGI’s MBA in Sustainable Business to Jackson Hole. Annie actively participates on the steering committee of Teton Sustainability Project of The Murie Center and is co-founder of the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Media Campaign. She is inspired on a daily basis by the breathtaking landscape and progressive community of Jackson Hole.  

JEN SIMON

Jen Simon is the Yellowstone Outreach Manager for the Nature Conservancy in Wyoming and founder of the Women’s Conference on Sustainability. She has lived in Jackson, Wyoming for the past ten years and has been, by turns, employed in the special education department of Teton County School District #1, the Executive Director of Teton Literacy Program where she worked for over 6 years, a non-profit and small business consultant, and a graduate of Leadership Jackson Hole and Leadership Wyoming.  Jen currently serves on the vestry of St John’s Episcopal Church, and on the boards of Teton Youth and Family Services, and Womentum, which she co-founded. She is a voracious reader, writer, traveler, cook, and climber and has lived throughout the Rocky Mountain West as well as in the Avenue of the Volcanoes in Ecuador.   

SHELLEY SIMONTON

Shelley Simonton started in marketing and public relations in 1990 after graduating from the University of Wyoming with a degree in English. In the past 18 years, since moving to Jackson, she has worked as the Public Relations Coordinator for the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, the Director of Marketing and Sales for Jackson Hole Resort Lodging and the Public Affairs Manager for the Town of Jackson. Today she works as the Director of Investor Relations for a privately held investment firm whose focus is in the energy sector. Shelley’s freelance writing has been published in several magazines including the premier issue of Cowboys & Indians. She is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming, and sits on the boards of directors for the Jackson Hole Community Foundation and the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust, and is the founding member of Womentum, a women-specific mentoring program. As a native Wyomingite, a state rich in natural resources, Shelley has held a lifelong interest in the future of energy uses.

PAULINE TOWERS-DYKEMAN

Pauline Towers-Dykeman is Associate Director of the Teton County Library Foundation and has primary responsibility for the Library and Foundation’s Page to the Podium Speakers Series. She has served on the Board of the Jackson Hole Community Housing Trust since 2001 and on the Board of the Thanks A Million Foundation since 2000. She holds a Master’s Degree from New York University and spent 10 years teaching English and English as a Second Language before transitioning into non-profit work. She and her husband, Paul, enjoy skiing, fly-fishing, and hiking in Jackson as well as visiting family and friends in their native New York with their four-year-old son, Trey.

MELISSA TURLEY

Melissa E. Turley currently serves on the Jackson Town Council and works as The Equipoise Fund’s Program Director. Melissa arrived in Jackson, Wyoming in 1999, with a passion for creating community, a degree in Journalism from the University of Montana, and a whole lot of energy!  She has worked for the Teton County School District, Western Wyoming College, the Town of Jackson, Teton Literacy Program, and opened her own consulting business coordinating special projects for non-profits, m.e.t. solutions. Melissa has volunteered for the Teton Literacy Program, translated at the Jackson Hole Free Clinic and she started an International Club, to foster cross-cultural connections in the Jackson community. She also serves as President of the board of Girls Actively Participating! Melissa is married to Chris Stump, and when she's not working on making her community the best it can be, Melissa can be found on the miles of single track trail and backcountry ski terrain surrounding Jackson Hole.

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