The Westerly Award Celebrates Community and the Spirit of Generosity in Park County
John and Bernice Gillespie (right) accept the 2026 Westerly Award for their outstanding generosity and support for Park County nonprofits. The award was presented at PCCF’s Paradise Ramble event by Paradise Ramble Host Committee Chair Whitney Martin (left) and PCCF Philanthropy Director Tricia Erikson (second from left). Photo: Keelia Jo Photography.
The Park County Community Foundation (PCCF) announces John and Bernice Gillespie as the 2026 recipients of The Westerly Award at the foundation’s seventh annual Paradise Ramble event at Sage Lodge. The Westerly Award is PCCF’s award celebrating community and the spirit of generosity in Park County. PCCF invited all Park County 501(c)3 organizations to nominate one individual or couple whose exemplary commitment to Park County nonprofits makes them eligible to receive this annual award.
The 2026 Westerly Award recipients, John and Bernice Gillespie, are long-time residents of Montana, retiring to Paradise Valley in 2010 after living in Billings for 38 years where they raised their daughter and built a successful geology company. They now focus their time supporting nonprofits and causes that help ensure Park County remains the place they love to call home.
“John and Bernice Gillespie are perfect examples of what The Westerly Award is all about—people who call this place home sweet home, who make the whole place better while insisting they’re ‘just helping out,’” said Whitney Martin, Paradise Ramble Host Committee Chair.
Several Park County organizations nominated John and Bernice for the 2026 award, including Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation, Park County Council for the Arts, Park County Environmental Council, and Park County Community Foundation.
“It’s hard to follow in the footsteps of people like Debbie Erdman and Don Gimbel (2025 Westerly Award winner) and others who have both inspired us,” said Bernice Gillespie. “John and I support this community because it makes us feel good and it’s the right thing to do. That other people have noticed is pretty astounding. Thank you to the Yellowstone Gateway Museum, the Park County Council for the Arts, Park County Environmental Council, and the Park County Community Foundation for nominating us. We appreciate all of the local nonprofits who are willing to work so hard at keeping the place that we love so dearly in good shape.”
“There's no place where I've lived before where so many people are so well-intentioned and friendly towards each other. It is special,” said John Gillespie. “When you give locally, there is a joy in seeing the results. It's not like the money is lost somewhere in a big jumbled bureaucratic budget. You can actually see it get put to good use and accomplish its goal. So, as we humbly accept this award, we encourage all of you to generously take care of this place we call home, sweet, home.”
Full-time Paradise Valley residents since 2010, the couple share a deep love for Park County while also fearing that it is in danger of being loved to death. That love has inspired them to volunteer and support the local nonprofits working to preserve their home and look to the future. In addition to that support, John also serves on the board of the Yellowstone Gateway Museum Foundation, where he helped develop the current program focused on natural history and enlightened stewardship in Park County.
Originally from Pennsylvania and Minnesota respectively, John and Bernice met in the summer of 1982 at Rough Rider Hotel restaurant near Teddy Roosevelt National Park, where Bernice was working before she began her career in special education and John was passing through on a geology field project. After they married and settled in Billings,John continued his work in geology, founding and running a consulting firm and an exploration company, which Bernice later joined as partner and office manager. They grew the company together, bringing in partners and clients, running day-to-day affairs, and employing 75 geologists when they sold to their partners in 2010.
The Westerly Award sculpture was created by Gardiner-based artist and wildlife ecologist George Bumann. Sculpted with clay and then cast in bronze, Bumann’s art is inspired by the iconic animal species that make Park County a special place for so many residents.
Community-inspired and community-led, The Westerly Award is named for the westerly winds and speaks to the spreading of goodwill, positive change, and generosity across distances, much like the westerly winds shape weather patterns and influence the climate across our region.