TOM FRIESEN NAMED HUD FIELD OFFICE DIRECTOR FOR MONTANA

HELENA, MT - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced the selection of Tom
Friesen to fill the position of HUD Field Office Director for the State of Montana, based in Helena. Friesen has been employed by the Department for the past four years, most recently as Regional Faith-Based Liaison in the Region
VIII HUD Office, Denver, Colorado.

In his new position, Friesen will serve as the senior HUD official for the State of Montana and oversee HUD programs and services to communities throughout the state. He said, "I'm looking forward to serving as the Department's
liaison to our HUD partners and customers, and am confident that by working together we can help Montana communities to realize their goals."

Prior to working for HUD, Friesen taught Rural Sociology for five years at Freeman Junior College in South Dakota,
and was a public housing manager for four years with the Denver Housing Authority. He has been the director of
two nonprofit agencies in Denver and two faith-based, community development organizations in Bolivia and
Paraguay. While in Bolivia, Friesen helped to develop micro enterprise programs for urban and rural cooperatives.

He has pursued coursework in Sociology/Anthropology and Business at the graduate level, and holds a Master of
Arts Degree in Religion from the Associated Mennonite Seminaries and the Earlham School of Religion.

Tom Friesen and wife Ruth will relocate to Montana in early January. They have two grown daughters.

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