We Asked Men in the PIE Pack to Join the Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Conversations

I am lucky that I was raised by strong women. My grandmother stands out as a role model for me because she led the charge of breaking from tradition, and she embodied confidence and empowerment. My grandmother grew up on a dirt farm in Kansas during the Great Depression, taking care of her many siblings and helping in the house. When given the choice to stay on the farm to help with domestic duties or to attend secretary school, she opted to become a member of the first graduating class of nurses from Montana State University. When she started her first job at the hospital in Whitefish, she refused to wear the traditional nurses bonnet because the (male) doctors didn’t wear them, they looked stupid, and they represented inferior status within the medical field. She took a similarly principled approach to most things in her life, and while stubborn, she was not rigid in her values and remained a champion for justice and equity. Past conversations with her continue to influence how I think about right and wrong, equity, and justice. She always worked hard, but she didn’t put up with any crap, particularly when it emerged from patriarchy or other oppressive structures. I think at its most fundamental, the lesson that my grandmother always modeled is that working hard, acting for what is good and what is right, and kindness is an important piece for living a good life, not just for ourselves but more importantly for those that surround us.

Cooper Lower

I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by immensely kind and thoughtful women who are managers, family members, and loved ones that I can always turn to for sage advice or to simply lend an ear. Both International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month are opportunities to reflect on how I can better celebrate and support the women in my life, not only during these times, but throughout the year. Their intellect, patience, and strength are the greatest I have known and have profoundly influenced the person I am today.

Patrick Linn

This International Women’s Day, I’m reminded that most of those who change the world do so incrementally over time and often with a first focus on change in their own backyards. I’m fortunate to have had a front-row seat watching my own wife, Anne, changing the world in her own way, navigating the creative tensions of a global health-focused career fused with an ethic of local presence.

Anne’s a creative parent and rides herd on our rowdy 2-yr old daughter and bookish 6-yr old son with humor, energy, and grace. Somehow tapping a wellspring of energy, in her free time, Anne also performs live storytelling and standup. I’d take an icy, rocky double-black diamond chute over that any day! Just last week, she brought game to our local comedy club in Bozeman. But her contributions extend beyond convincing a toddler to try the food on our plate or cracking up a tough crowd. It’s really in her work where Anne’s creative expression and drive have contributed to real, global, incremental change, driving stakeholders to collaborate on a shared goal of improving child survival through health system strengthening efforts.

Anne achieved vocational clarity at an age when many millennials were focused on that new Instagram app and travel hacks. Her career has spanned operational research in low-resource settings, learning local languages to better connect with counterparts and appreciate local contexts, contributing to demographic and health survey programs in extremely remote places, and community health worker empowerment. As a senior advisor at USAID, she spotlighted efficacy of proactive community case management for malaria interventions in 24 malaria-endemic African nations and 3 programs in the Greater Mekong subregion. And today at Project Muso, she’s again catalyzing dynamic health system strengthening efforts because no one should die waiting for healthcare. She really should be in a Marvel movie.

Whether she’s supporting child survival-focused interventions, bringing down the house at a comedy club, or thoughtfully guiding our children, Anne drives impact, and I find myself pushed to be more present and aware…and funny. I’m grateful to celebrate her today and every day.

John Nord

My mom was all I could have asked for in a role model in my life. She and my dad were a team, decisions made together, respecting each other’s careers and balancing two very active kids. A defining moment for her was when she and my dad went through treatment for his alcoholism and the lessons she learned at Al-Anon she kept through her entire lifetime. She had little sayings for us that had deep meaning—the thing we heard most often was “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” We’ve all been there, making excuses like “I didn’t mean it that way,” and the reply was always calm, that “We say what we mean, and we mean what we say.” Part of Al-Anon is learning how what we do enables other people’s behavior, and when I would go to my mom for advice, I often heard her say “You teach people how to treat you.” If someone is taking advantage of you, part of the issue is that you’ve enabled that behavior. Relationships that are a one-way street are not healthy relationships, and she taught me at a young age what good relationships looked like. The last thing she would often say is that the answer is often “Simple but not easy.”  There are times with my own children that I know the answer is simple, but it is not easy because it messes with our plans, messes with what we want to do that day, but sometimes the right decision isn’t easy.

Alex Natsios

Simone Biles is a well-known role model I greatly admire for several reasons. My 9-year-old daughter is a competitive gymnast who looks up to her, and to have such an amazing role model for my daughter has deeply inspired me. It is not just that Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast of all time, which would be enough to inspire most people; it is how she overcame adversity and has set a new standard for protecting mental health and athletes’ well-being that makes her even more special. From sharing her story of traumatic abuse, speaking out against it, sitting out the women’s all-around final in the 2020 Olympics to focus on her mental health, and then making an unprecedented comeback, I don’t think there’s anyone quite like her. Making that comeback was inspiring and influential to me personally as I navigated several unexpected health and personal challenges in the last few years. To also have her as my daughter’s role model is a great privilege.

Spencer Hert

I was in third grade when I first sat down with a speech therapist in an attempt to resolve a stutter that would last nearly four years. Through breathing exercises, reading out loud, sugar-free gum, and making space to pause and slow down my sentences, she taught me to speak smoothly. But it was her patience, guidance, energy, positivity, respect, thoughtfulness, encouragement, and kindness that taught me much, much more. I’m forever grateful for this woman, not only because she taught me how to speak, but because she showed me how to listen.

Tommy Hammer

My sister Morgan is a woman role model in my life. What stands out most about Morgan, especially on International Women’s Day, is the way she consistently uplifts the women around her. She is always encouraging, supportive, and quick to celebrate other women’s successes. She builds genuine relationships with people because of her kindness and willingness to show up for others. Seeing the way she supports and empowers women has had a real impact on me since a young age, and she’s helped shape how I think about showing respect, support, and encouragement to women in everyday life.

Leif Rowland

International Women’s Day is a moment to recognize the women whose leadership shapes the people around them. One example in my own life is Ellie Darr, the owner of Genuine Ice Cream in Bozeman. I had the opportunity to work for Ellie last summer delivering catering events, which gave me a window into the business behind the counter. Ellie grew the company from a small Airstream into a brand that is now a strong icon of the Bozeman community. What stood out to me most was how she leads. I tend to ask a lot of questions, and Ellie always welcomed that curiosity, taking the time to explain why she makes certain business decisions and how the business operates. Watching how she balances empathy with clear expectations, especially with young employees working their first job, shaped the way I think about leadership.

Kevin Clark

My mother, Nancy, is my rock. She is the reason I am the man I am. I have never known anyone tougher or braver. She faces what comes and does not bend. She taught me to stand firm, to be kind when it matters, and to keep going when things are hard. She loves to learn. She loves to create. She loves people. Those things took hold in me early and never left. They are part of how I move through the world. She is my first hero and the first person I ever loved. I am grateful for the lessons she has given me and the ones she still gives me as I try to be a better son, husband, and father. If there were more people like her, the world would be a better place.

Thank you to all who shared their responses.