Stefeni Freese, member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County’s Board of Directors since 2012 and member of the Montana Area Council since 2023, was recently presented with the 2024 Montana Area Council Leader of the Year Award.

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Pablo Picasso said “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Stefeni Freese has found her purpose in the giving of her time, talents and resources to bettering our community.

Through the many years we have known Stefeni, one thing stands out, she is a consummate giver.

Stefeni has shared her time and her genuine passion for safety, kids, and their futures. During her time as Board Chair, Stefeni was called upon many times to share her passion and motivation with staff professionals, Board members, and community members. Stefeni’s drive to help local kids is unwavering and her big heart is evident. It is not often that she doesn’t end up in tears after speaking about the Club. She is dialed in to the needs of our community’s youth, by mind and by heart, and that makes her a wonderful advocate for our program.

She has given and continues to give of her technical knowledge through her work as an accountant. From the moment she engaged with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Yellowstone County, she has shared her knowledge to better our finance processes, from streamlining the check-out process at the annual BE GREAT Ball to being accessible when an accounting question arose. Year over year she has volunteered to help with the months-long annual process of creating the organizations’ operating budget , and her financial acumen has been an real asset. She is not afraid to speak up and her talent is appreciated as it strengthens our internal operations.

Finally, Stefeni has given generously of her resources to our organization and has worked to get others involved. She has attended family night events, come into the Clubs and interacted with the members on many occasions, and has been a passionate advocate for our teen program. She understands the importance of providing youth in our community with hope and opportunities to help them achieve their own GREAT FUTURES. Stefeni Freese’s long-standing commitment to bettering the lives of others in our community and dedication towards creating a stronger, brighter future for Billings makes her very deserving of this award.