Katherine Dayton

Director

A woman with curly brown hair stands in front of a red brick wall, wearing a gray coat and a colorful scarf. She is looking at the camera and smiling softly.
students camping outside tents

Katherine’s commitment to VISIONS began in 1996, when she served as a leader in the Dominican Republic. Since then, she has led programs on the Montana Blackfeet Reservation and in Peru, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. She later served as Latin America Coordinator before becoming the organization’s owner and Director in 2009.

Katherine earned undergraduate degrees in Environmental Studies and Policy Studies from Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, where she also played varsity basketball. She spent her junior year studying conservation and social issues in Venezuela and Costa Rica, and later earned an MBA from the University of Montana, with a thesis focused on corporate social responsibility. Before joining VISIONS full-time in 2007, Katherine worked with a start-up tech firm and completed contract work for environmental nonprofits.

As a Montanan, Katherine enjoys sharing both her home state and her home with visitors. A consistent thread throughout her life has been integrating environmental and social responsibility into her work and daily pursuits. This includes being a founding member of the Bozeman Cohousing neighborhood, working to establish regenerative agriculture at her farm, and increasingly dedicating time to animal welfare initiatives. With the exception of wild game, she avoids sourcing animal products for food or lifestyle choices. She loves spending time outdoors—hiking and skiing with friends and family, almost always accompanied by dogs.

Recent blog posts

Spotlight: Grace Hamill, VISIONS Alumni

Spotlight: Grace Hamill, VISIONS Alumni

Grace Hamill spent two weeks in the Dominican Republic with VISIONS—no phone, new friends, and an experience she calls one of the best of her life. Now she’s headed to Peru.

Spotlight: Maya Sullivan, VISIONS Alumni

Spotlight: Maya Sullivan, VISIONS Alumni

Maya Sullivan joined VISIONS Peru in 2024—and kept coming back. Here’s why she’s returning for a third summer and what keeps drawing her to the program.

Student Launches Endangered Language Initiative

Student Launches Endangered Language Initiative

After two summers on the Montana Blackfeet Reservation, a VISIONS alum launched a global initiative to preserve endangered languages and cultural identity through interviews, research, and collaboration.