Ellen Simpson

Ellen Christina Neilsen Engstedt Simpson_x000D_
Ellen Simpson, 65, of Jefferson City, passed away on Friday, March 23, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. She was born in Butte on July 8, 1946, the youngest child of Lauritz C. (“Buck”) Neilsen and Margaret Luoma Neilsen, formerly of Red Lodge. She attended Butte public schools and Butte Business College, married Carl Engstedt of Butte in 1965, and the couple moved to Helena shortly thereafter. In her early career, her employment included the Maffei and Harrington Law Firm in Butte, Union Bank and Trust Company (now Wells Fargo Bank) in Helena, St. Paul’s Methodist Church, and the Ghost Art Gallery._x000D_
But it was in the legislative arena where Ellen found her true calling. She went to work as legislative staff at the Environmental Quality Council in 1981, eventually moving on to independent contracting as an association manager and lobbyist. In 1999 she joined the Montana Wood Products Association and served as Executive Vice President until her retirement in 2010 due to ill health. Although her professional life was centered in Helena, Ellen was extremely proud of her Butte roots._x000D_
In her role as an independent contractor Ellen represented various associations, but she was most passionate about Don’t Gamble with the Future. She was a fierce opponent of gambling and lobbied the issue in several legislative sessions, becoming known state wide as the “Anti-Gambling Lady.” With the Montana Wood Products Association, she was a dedicated advocate for the timber and wood products industries, and became well known in western Montana through her monthly commentaries on KUFM Radio. Honors included induction as a Montana Department of Natural Resources Forestry Pioneer and the Forest Resources Association Western Region 2011 Forestry Activist Award. Shortly before her passing, she was notified that she was also to receive the FRA 2011 National Forestry Activist Award._x000D_
Ellen loved the legislative process, and in recent years longed for earlier days when legislative debate included a much higher degree of statesmanship. She enthusiastically kept up with current events, and held strong opinions on a variety of issues which she would gladly share in terms that left no doubt as to where she stood. She embraced good government and good policy, and her politics were driven by issues rather than political party. She was passionate about the role of lobbyists in informing and advocating in the legislative process, and deplored the frequent demonization of the lobbying profession that has become vogue in today’s openly hostile political arena. Above all, she valued and took great pains to maintain and protect her credibility, a fact to which anyone who worked with her in the legislative process would attest._x000D_
Over the course of her career Ellen was active in a variety of civic organizations and activities, including the Campfire Girls Board of Directors, Lewis and Clark County Transportation Advisory council, Kiwanis, St. Paul’s UMC Committees, and work-related boards and commissions including the Workforce Investment Board, Helena Republican Dinner Club and the Society of American Foresters. _x000D_
Ellen enjoyed many outdoor activities including backpacking, cross-country skiing, and especially river floating. More recently, she enjoyed traveling, particularly within the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, but also to such far-flung places as New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

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