MONTANA ESTATE LAWYERS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant / Trust Funding Coordinator
- Member of Our Team
Charlene serves the firm by acting as Keith Tokerud's executive assistant and as the Trust Funding Coordinator.
Charlene was born in Arkansas and spent most of her time growing up in the Missouri Ozarks. She graduated from Missouri State University with her Bachelor's in Criminology and Bachelor's in Psychology, then finished with her Master's in Business Administration - Accounting from Colorado Technical University.
As a military spouse, she has enjoyed traveling the US and has previously worked as a court - appointed guardian, program coordinator for those with developmental disabilities, victim's advocate, and as substance-abuse counselor.
She is also a certified yoga instructor, so when not at work, she spends her time teaching yoga classes and enjoying the outdoors with her husband, son, and 2 dogs.
Charlene is a valued member of our team who works virtually from Alabama. Although she works virtually, she is set up to provide the same full, quality service as our employees in our physical office location. Charlene can be reached by calling our office.
Job Titles:
- Client Relations Specialist / Legal Assistant / Trust Funding Assistant
Chris serves the firm by greeting clients at the front desk, providing general legal assistant services, and is part of the Funding Team.
Chris was born in Great Falls and raised on Belt Creek, attending, and graduating from, Belt Valley High School. She went on to attend the College of Great Falls, earning a degree in Business Administration, with a minor in Sociology. Chris managed a locally owned business for 16 years, giving her a background in both business and client services. She comes to Scott, Tokerud & McCarty, P.C., with strong farming and ranching insight.
She now lives in Cascade with her husband and spends as much time as possible nurturing her new passion - raising and training horses. Chris' son and daughter-in-law are both missionary leaders in a Christian organization, Campus Crusades for Christ, on two Oregon campuses. She is now enjoying 4 grandchildren!
Job Titles:
- Estate Administration Specialist / Legal Assistant
Jeanne serves the firm by assisting with the Estate and Trust Administration processes, Guardianship process, and providing general legal assistant services.
Jeanne was last employed with Scott, Tokerud & McCarty, P.C. from 2010 - 2017, and has recently returned to work at the firm.
She has worked in the legal field since 1994. Our clients come to our office during some of the most difficult moments in their lives, and Jeanne enjoys bringing a feeling of relief, calmness, and reassurance that everything is going to be alright. Jeanne works very hard at making sure our clients are very well taken care for whatever may bring them to our office.
Jeanne and her husband own two businesses here in Great Falls. They have three children, with all but one having graduated from college. Her remaining child is starting his junior year at Great Falls Central Catholic High School. Jeanne has two dogs, which are her everything, a white English Labrador, and a French Bulldog (Audi and Tesla). Jeanne's weekends are mainly spent watching her youngest son race sprint cars or coaching the Charles M. Russell Wrangler dance team. Jeanne and her husband are very involved in the community and enjoy going on motorcycle rides. Montana has some of the best scenery!
Jeanne is looking forward to re-establishing with our existing clients and meeting new clients.
Jeanne serves the firm by assisting with the Estate and Trust Administration processes and providing general legal assistant services.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Member of WealthCounsel
Jon has been serving clients and their families for 30 years. Since joining the firm in 1992, Jon's practice has focused on estate planning, estate and trust administration and special needs planning.
Jon is a member of WealthCounsel, ElderCounsel and the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, which are national organizations of estate planning and elder law attorneys. He chaired the State Bar of Montana's Elderly Assistance Committee, co-authoring the Handbook for Guardians and Conservators.
Jon has been active in the community. He has served as a member and as president of both the Great Falls Lions Club and Children's Museum of Montana. He has also served as President of the Cascade County Estate Planning Council. In addition, Jon has served as a Commissioner for the Great Falls Housing Authority and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Montana School for the Deaf and Blind Foundation and the Great Falls Public Schools Foundation. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Benefis Health System Foundation.
Jon grew up in Hamilton, Montana. He attended the University of Montana, receiving his B.S. with honors in 1986 and his J.D. with honors in 1990. Before joining the firm, he gained valuable experience as a law clerk at the Montana Supreme Court.
For fun, Jon enjoys spending time with his wife Rhonda and visiting their two children. He also enjoys reading, gardening and biking. Jon and his small group of biking friends have experienced the thrill and accomplishment of biking the entire length of the Going to the Sun Road each year for the past several years.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Shareholder
- Chairman of the Board of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Member of WealthCounsel
Keith is a member of WealthCounsel, a national consortium of estate planning attorneys, the State Bar of Montana's Trust and Estates section and the Cascade County Estate Planning Council.
Keith has been active in public service. In 2009 he received the State Bar of Montana's Neil Haight Pro Bono Award for his fourteen years of work to obtain political asylum for a political dissident from the Soviet Union.
Keith has served as chairman of the board of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Great Falls. He also served on the boards of the Benefis Healthcare Foundation, United Way of Cascade County, Sister Cities of Great Falls and the Montana/Kazakhstan Exchange Project.
Keith Tokerud focuses his practice on helping clients protect their families and their wealth and helping his business-owner clients plan for the most important financial event of their lives: the transition out of their business.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant / Marketing Coordinator / Peace of Mind Protector Program Coordinator
Samantha (Sam) remotely serves the firm by acting as Jon S. McCarty's executive assistant. Additionally, she is the firm's Marketing Coordinator and Peace of Mind Protector Program Coordinator.
Trevor grew up in Great Falls. He earned a B.S. in Economics from MSU in Bozeman and a J.D. from UM Law School in Missoula. Although he went to UM for Law School, he has always remained a loyal Bobcat. After years away attending school and then working at a civil litigation firm, Trevor is excited to be back home near friends and family and practicing in the estate law field.
Trevor's legal writing on Montana gambling law was published in the Montana Law Review in 2023. Trevor has a passion for pro bono work, including assisting disabled veterans and estate and disability planning for low-income elderly Montanans. Trevor is currently a member of the Great Falls Chamber of Commerce Business Advocacy Committee.
Trevor's most important role, however, is his job as Head of North Pole Security for Santa Claus at the Great Falls Parade of Lights and Christmas Stroll. Trevor takes his job very seriously and says nobody will lay a finger on "the Big Man" on his watch.
In his free time, Trevor enjoys the outdoors of Montana by hiking and fishing. He also enjoys playing guitar, reading, golfing, and watching the Buffalo Bills. Trevor recently ran his first marathon and is a two-time University of Montana cornhole champion.
Trevor is a Great Falls native with a practice focusing on estate planning, probate, and guardianships.