Meet Our Staff

MEET OUR STAFF

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TOM FRANTA

Executive Director

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As the Executive Director at the nonprofit School Services of Montana, Thomas Franta leads our work to support educators and school districts across the state. Tom spends most of his time focusing on three key areas, including providing a strong strategic focus to the SSoM team, planning and implementing programs to better meet the needs of educators, and building and maintaining strong, mutually beneficial relationships with our member school districts.

Tom’s path into public education was somewhat unique. Growing up on a small family farm in upstate New York, and following his enlistment in the US Marine Corps, Tom graduated with honors from the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and then the Syracuse University College of Law. Out of law school, his legal practice focused on areas of the law affecting public school districts, teachers, school administrators, students, and nonprofit organizations operating in the education and environmental conservation space. In this role, he often worked closely with district superintendents, school boards, and teacher unions to collaboratively solve problems.

Tom is excited to lead the work of SSoM because the organization is uniquely positioned to make a tremendous positive impact on the outcomes of children throughout our region and across the state. By sweating the small stuff and creating engaged communities of educators focused on meeting the varied needs of our students, SSoM will ensure that more resources wind up where they belong – in the classroom.