County appoints Dr. Erwin Garcia as ex officio member of Big Sky Economic Development Authority

The Yellowstone County Board of County Commissioners voted to appoint Dr. Erwin Garcia as an ex officio member of the Big Sky Economic Development Authority board at its Aug. 15 meeting.

The Big Sky EDA executive director introduced Garcia and noted his prior experience leading districts in Houston overseeing 53 campuses and about 24,000 students. "I'm very excited about the future of Billings Public Schools," Garcia said, adding that his aspiration is "to become the best district in the state of Montana." The board approved the appointment by voice vote.

The appointment fills a vacancy among ex officio members the EDA uses to maintain community partnerships; the executive director explained ex officio seats include representatives from the City of Billings, Billings Chamber of Commerce, City of Laurel, the Downtown Alliance and School District 2. No further qualifications or voting conditions were specified during the meeting.

The board welcomed Garcia and recessed to subsequent agenda items; no public comment was recorded on the appointment.