Nice to Meet You!

Sammi Johnson

A native Montanan and a University of Montana graduate, Sammi Johnson is the Flathead Beacon’s marketing director. Sammi brings varied experience, energy and ideas to the Flathead Beacon brand and its products. With degrees in marketing and recreation management, her work experience led her to the Flathead Valley with her husband, Tyrel, and two small children, Savannah and Maddox. She loves to help her team create beautiful design, develop customized websites, see real results with varied marketing solutions and tell visual and complex stories through video production. She is motivated not only by her creative team and passionate clients but also by a funny and supportive family, deep well of friends and her love for the outdoors.

Connor Welles

Connor was born and raised in California, where he grew up surfing, skateboarding, and building hot rods. He spent the last eight years working for an international skateboard company, where he wore many hats, excelling in marketing, product development and event management. An avid outdoorsman, Connor has been visiting Montana for over 20 years, and recently made the move to the Flathead Valley, with his beautiful wife, and their trusty mountain dog. Connor brings extensive marketing experience in all mediums with a diverse background and expertise in digital media, video production, social media and building internal, successful sales programs on a global scale.

Nic Headlee

Nic Headlee is the Web Director, he is a native Montanan and a University of Montana graduate. He began working at the Flathead Beacon in 2011 as an account executive with the desire to help local businesses successfully market themselves. After servicing local businesses with traditional marketing efforts for several years he saw the need for digital marketing services in the Flathead Valley and helped startup Flathead Beacon Productions. With extensive digital marketing knowledge, from responsive website development to in-depth social media management and search engine optimization, Nic has been able to help many small and large businesses increase their online presence. When he’s not designing websites he can be found hiking to the top of mountain peaks in Glacier National Park or skiing powder in the Hellroaring Basin at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Patricia Landon

Patricia and her family moved to Bigfork from Idaho in the summer of 2000 to raise their kids where her husband, Donnie, grew up. With a background of 28 years in the financial industry, Patricia brings a remarkable set of skills to the Beacon as a detailed and organized Bookkeeper, as well as a Project Specialist. Patricia devotes many hours each year within the Bigfork Community volunteering for various organizations including the Bigfork Chamber and School Board. Devoted Bigfork sports fans, Patricia and Donnie have spent countless hours attending, coaching and mentoring young athletes. With their two sons now graduated, they plan to spend free time enjoying the beautiful valley they call home.

Peter Lanier

Peter was raised in the South, where he studied electrical engineering at Auburn University before embarking on an eight-year career as a project manager in commercial electrical contracting. As a graduate of the Southwestern Advantage Sales School, he brings extensive sales and marketing experience to the Productions team. In 2012, Peter and his wife moved to the Flathead Valley to be closer to the great outdoors while he also earned degrees in Web Technology and Computer Science at FVCC, started a web design firm, and worked as a graphic designer. Currently he’s pooled his talents with the team at Flathead Beacon. When he’s not creating websites, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, reading classics, and most of all, playing Bach on piano.

Steve Larson

Art Director, Steve Larson, brings more than a decade of experience to the Beacon Productions team. He has developed a wide range of skills designing branding packages, event promotional materials, business collateral, magazines, illustrations and websites. Steve is originally from Minnesota and his experiences visiting the Rocky Mountains as a kid inspired his move to Vail, Colo., where he lived for eight years. He has lived in the Flathead Valley since 2010. When Steve isn’t working, you can find him exploring Glacier National Park or seeking fresh powder turns.

Sharilyn Fairweather

Sharilyn is a graphic designer and photographer with roots in the fine arts. She grew up on a farm in Alberta, but has been in Montana for the past 15 years, and feels most alive in the outdoors. With a strong eye for design, she draws on her background in photography and drawing to create beautiful designs for Flathead Beacon Productions. When not working, Sharilyn fuels her creativity by skiing, hiking in GNP, riding her bike, drinking craft beers and good coffee.

Tyler Thorney

Tyler, a graphic designer and illustrator, is the newest member of the Flathead Beacon Productions team. Tyler brings five years of industry experience to the team, three of which were spent successfully running his own freelance design business. Tyler has had the opportunity to work closely with brands all around the globe (including some big names such as Apple). When not sitting at a computer or sketching in a notepad, he can be found hanging out with his wife, Becky, and their dog, Junie.

Dwayne Harris

Dwayne has worked as a graphic designer, illustrator and comic book artist for more than 20 years. After spending several years as a designer for the Kansas City Star, Dwayne embarked on a freelance career as an illustrator, working for several publishers on a wide variety of properties. A writer as well, he’s written and drawn 4 graphic novels, one of which was recently optioned by Sony Pictures to be developed into a major motion picture. Dwayne now divides his time between the Flathead Beacon and various freelance projects.