Bill Cochran


BOARD MEMBER

“Bozeman is such an incredible community, and GVLT is one of the main reasons why we have great access and amenities available for outdoor life. I can’t imagine our community without trails and open spaces.”


A lifelong visitor to Montana, spending summers on his family’s ranch in the north-central part of the state, Bill was lucky enough to move here permanently in 2006 after over 20 years in the bicycle retail business. "I first came to Bozeman in 2001 to visit my sister and fell in love with the mountains and beauty here in the Gallatin Valley. I bring to the Board the experiences of running a small business, and years of experience on the board of a large multi-generational cattle operation, very diverse modes of business that have taught me different ways of looking at how things may be accomplished.” In the past Bill worked to establish a 13-mile rails-to-trails project called the Falling Waters Trail in Jackson, Michigan, an effort which took a dedicated group of volunteers over 10 years to fund and complete. Here in Bozeman, Bill spent 10 years on the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board, sat on the Gallatin Ice Foundation Board, helping to establish a second sheet of ice for our skating population, and has been a GVLT trails committee member for over eight years. Still active in the local cycling community, Bill has a new small manufacturing company, called Pursuit Cycles, with Carl Strong, to build carbon fiber bikes here in Bozeman.