Crow Tribal Chairman Carl Venne joins Montana Meth Project Advisory Council; Statewide Meth Prevention Effort Taps Tribal Leader to Reach Native American Community.

MISSOULA, Mont. -- The Montana Meth Project today announced that Crow Tribal Chairman Carl Venne has agreed to serve on the advisory council of the statewide project. The addition of Venne not only adds additional strong leadership to the advisory council, but will ensure that the project's work effectively reaches the Native American community -- a key goal of the Meth Project.

"Chairman Venne has displayed outstanding leadership from tribal government and is one of the strongest leaders in Montana," said Anna Sorrell, Family Policy Advisor, Governor's Office, and Montana Meth Project Advisory Council Member. "He has expertise in tribal government, law enforcement and has a deep and personal commitment to native youth. This is an historic collaboration between Tribal Government and a nongovernmental enterprise, like the Montana Meth Project."

Venne, who's Crow name means "one who crosses the big river and becomes a leader," has been at his current post since November, 2002, and is currently serving his second term. He is devoted to improving his tribe's fortunes by promoting honesty, integrity and pride. His primary focus is assisting the Apsaalooke (Crow Tribe) in becoming a prosperous nation, and methamphetamine has emerged as a serious threat to this goal in recent years.

"There is an epidemic of meth use on the reservations and in communities throughout Montana," said Venne. "I lost my son to this drug -- it affects everyone and is a major problem that we all need to work together to solve. The Montana Meth Project is a very important initiative, and the people in Montana are taking notice."

Venne has been a strong supporter of the Montana Meth Project since attending its launch event in Billings on August 31 of this year. In September, he invited representatives from the project to attend the Crow Summit Meeting on Drug & Alcohol Abuse held at the Black Canyon Camp Crow Indian Reservation.

"Carl Venne is a great man and a great leader," said Tom Siebel, Chairman, Montana Meth Project. "We are very pleased that he will be working with us to make Montana a safer place for our children."

Venne has more than three decades of experience serving in tribal government. He is a former police officer and law enforcement official, has worked for several Tribal Administrations in various capacities since the early 1970's, and served as a counselor at Little Big Horn Community College. Venne has worked closely with the Crow Legislature in recent years, and received unusually strong support in the 2003 Montana Legislature, where he delivered the State of the Tribal Nations address during the session.

The Crow Tribal Chairman becomes the tenth member of the Montana Meth Project Advisory Council, which meets quarterly to guide the activities and direction of the organization. Other members of the Montana Meth Project advisory council include:

--Dr. Geoff Gamble, President, Montana State University, Bozeman

--Mike Gulledge, Publisher, Billings Gazette, Billings

--Mike McGrath, Attorney General, State of Montana, Helena

--Dr. Dan Nauts, Physician, Addiction Specialist, Great Falls 

--Major General Gene Prendergast, former Montana Adjutant General, Helena

--Theresa Racicot, former First Lady, State of Montana, Helena

--Judge Mike Salvagni, District Court Judge, Bozeman

--Peg Shea, Executive Director, Montana Meth Project, Missoula

--Anna Sorrell, Governor's Office, Family Policy Advisor, Helena

About the Montana Meth Project

The Montana Meth Project is a 501(c) 3 charitable organization based in Missoula, Montana. The primary objective of the Montana Meth Project is to reduce first-time methamphetamine use among Montana teens, educating them about the risks and consequences of using methamphetamine. The ultimate goal of this effort is to create positive, lasting change through a significant research-based teen-focused media campaign focusing on prevention. The project also seeks to raise awareness about the scale, depth and critical nature of the methamphetamine problem in Montana, mobilizing a call to action in communities across the state to get involved. For information on the project, go to www.montanameth.org, or visit the teen-focused web site at www.notevenonce.com. The project is initially funded by a grant from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation.