Alison Schmaltz is married with two adult children. After 40 years as an educator in the Montana schools, with 24 years as a teacher in Special Education k-12 and regular classroom and another 16 as a school counselor, she retired. During the counseling years, she was a trainer for the International Olweus Bullying Prevention Program for schools across Montana, including the Kalispell elementary schools and several rural schools in the Flathead Valley. For the past 5 years she has served as the Walk Chair for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Flathead Valley Out of the Darkness Walk, one of 8 Walks held in Montana each year, and held annually on the 4th Sunday of September, national suicide prevention month. Personally and professionally, she has been and is committed to finding ways to help and supporting others when and where it is needed.