Attracted by the veteran community in Bozeman and her military family connections with Ashleah,    Heather and her family moved to Bozeman in 2017. For seven years before that move, Heather supported her husband’s military career as a stay-at-home mother for their 3 boys. Upon her husband’s medical retirement, Heather rejoined the workforce seeking challenge and achievement in the unfamiliar retail field, as a seasonal part-time employee. Her outstanding strengths in organization, communication, leadership, and her natural talent for merchandising, led to Heather being promoted from an aseasonal part-time employee to the General Manager in only one year. During her time as General ManagerHeather organized the complicated execution of a pop-up Halloween City through to its completion at the end of the season. Heather continued to build merchandising and managerial experience through her work in retail after their move to Bozeman. Jumping into the community's thriving artistic background, Heather Joined Ashleah in farmers market sales during the summer of 2018 and developed a keen interest in ceramics. Her organization, sales, logistics, and managerial experience are the foundation on which Bozeman Community Kiln operates.

A headshot image of Heather Hodapp, Office Manager for Bozeman Community Kiln

Heather Hodapp, Director of Operations

Director of Operations

Ashleah moved to Bozeman in 2014 with her family after her husband of 13 years was medically retired from the USMC. Drawn to the area for its supportive veteran community and Montana StateUniversity, Ashleah has discovered a passion for other military families and the greater Bozeman community. Before moving here, Ashleah spent 10 years working as a nurse and, before returning to university, she spent half a year managing a busy rural health clinic in California. Her experience as a nurse has given her strong communication and teaching skills, which she has since put to use teaching private ceramics lessons in her own home studio. Ashleah has been privileged to demonstrate pottery-teaching techniques at MSU and spent time in the summer of 2018 teaching ceramics for MSU’s Peaks and Potentialsummer camp. While pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts, Ashleah spent a semester as an intern, where she taught hand-building techniques to residents of Liberty Place who are recovering from traumatic brain injuries. Her leadership, communication skills, and artistic abilities are the driving force behindBozeman Community Kiln.

A headshot of Ashleah Elias, Studio Director for Bozeman Community Kiln

Ashleah Elias, Studio Director

Studio Director

Originally from Wisconsin, Megan moved to Bozeman in 2016. She has come to love her place in the Bozeman community and now calls it home. Megan received her BFA from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2016 and her MFA from Montana State University in 2019. Currently, Megan is an adjunct professor at MSU, where she has been teaching for the last four years. She has experience teaching ceramics, 2D/3D, ideation and creativity, and drawing foundations. After meeting Ashleah while attending MSU, Megan joined Ashleah and Heather at BCK, intending to foster a new love and shared community experience with clay. She hopes to enrich people’s lives with a new skill and a shared appreciation for the craft. 

Professional headshot photo of Megan Sprenger, Director of Education

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