Management Team

Cornerstone Sustainable Agricultural Products, Inc.


Chuck Rose, President/CEO

Mr. Rose has over 30 years of domestic and international business experience in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments. He has spent the last four years as co-owner of Cornerstone Mortgage Company. As founder, he envisioned building a highly respected and successful full service brokerage company with multiple offices operating statewide in Montana and, ultimately, in the country of Mexico through the concept of carefully selected “team members” with which to build the company from within. Today, Cornerstone Mortgage Company is one of the more recognized members of the real estate mortgage community. Mr. Rose’s corporate experience ranges from that of National Sales Manager to Director of International Expansion, and Sr. V.P to President. His responsibilities encompassed extensive travel requirements throughout Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, England, Italy, and Albania. A measure of his capabilities was reflected in the early nineties when the first ever democratically elected President of Albania, President Sali Barisha, invited Mr. Rose to assist with specific elements of a plan to rebuild the third world country’s infrastructure which had been devastated by over fifty years of communist dictatorship repression. A firm believer in professional and civic involvement, Mr. Rose currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Montana Association of Mortgage Brokers; is a past board member of the Missoula Child and Family Resource Council, the Boy Scouts of America (Boulder Dam Area Council), the Nevada State Fair and was the founder and President of Reno, Nevada’s internationally acclaimed rock n’ roll extravaganza, “Hot August Nights” which attracts one hundred fifty thousand attendees annually. He is a graduate of both the Leadership Missoula and the Leadership Reno Programs. Politically active, he served on the Nevada Republican Central Committee. A veteran of both the Air Force and the Army during the Vietnam era, he was the recipient of multiple military commendations.
Tina Rose, Secretary/Treasurer

Tina brings a very sound, highly respected background within the banking industry to her responsibilities as Secretary/Treasurer of Monty’s Mexico. Her financial acumen and fiscal control capability is derived from over 20 years’ of hands on banking experience, covering a variety of operational positions, including that of President. Her professional career has been noted, as well, for her civic contributions as a former member of the Board of Directors of the Missoula Child and Family Resource Council, the Missoula YMCA Bank Run and continues her active involvement with United Way Organization, specifically as a member of the Donor Development Committee. She also was selected for, and is a graduate of, the Missoula Leadership Program.
Dr. Fraser J. McLeay, Director of International Development

Dr. McLeay has over 18 years of leadership experience in international marketing, business development and strategic planning with particular expertise in the agri-food sector. He has assisted over 100 businesses in more than 50 countries to develop and implement successful marketing, business expansion and new product introduction strategies while maintaining a consistent history of closing large deals, meeting project deadlines and managing budgets in a cost effective manner. These businesses include multinationals such as Nutricia-Royal Numico (Asia Pacific Limited), Nestle and many small and medium sized enterprises as well as multi-national organizations such as the World Bank and EU. He has also worked as a Professor of International Business at the University of Montana, Newcastle University (England) and Macquarie University (Sydney). He holds a Ph.D. in Business Strategy from Lincoln University, New Zealand and a Bachelor in Agricultural Science, (Class 1 honors in marketing), from Canterbury University & Oregon State University. In 2004, he was named “Montana’s Export Advocate of the Year” by Governor Judy Martz.
Dan Pehan, Sales Manager

Mr. Pehan, fluent with the Spanish language, has been studying and working in Mexico since 1994, including several years’ experience in sales and new business development. His formal education included attending the University of Guadalajara in Puerto Vallarta, and, ultimately, graduating from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Management and a Minor in Spanish Language and Literature. While at the University of Montana, he was granted an internship with the Montana World Trade Center under the direct supervision of Dr. Fraser McLeay. His primary responsibility was to conduct research and generate international business opportunities for Montana based small businesses desiring to penetrate foreign markets. Politically involved, Mr. Pehan campaigned for a seat in the Montana State Legislature in 2004. Due to his civic convictions, he has contributed generously of his time and financial resources to organizations such as Easter Seals Goodwill, Big Brothers & Big sisters and A.W.A.R.E. Inc.
Dennis Stephens, Director of Agricultural Research & Development

Mr. Stephens is a life-long agriculturalist and head of product research for Monty’s Liquid Fertilizer Co. His career, like that of farming itself, has been marked by change, advancement and technological gains. He grew up on a generational farm in Bourbon County, Kentucky, where his family raised tobacco, corn, wheat, soybeans, sweet corn and maintained a beef cattle herd. It was in this diverse agricultural environment, working side by side with family members, that the seeds of sustainability were sown in his consciousness. Early on, he began working with his father to better understand soil, it’s properties and the dynamic nature of the fertility programs practiced during that time. It was also during this time that he began to ask the challenging question; “How can we make the family farm as productive as it could potentially be, not only today, but well into the future?” With an ever increasing desire to learn, his knowledge and experience grew dramatically to the point that he began to garner a great deal of attention in the agricultural community for his efforts and understanding of soil fertility and the intricacies involved with agricultural processes. During his senior year of schooling, he received commendation as “Most Progressive Farmer”, due largely to his extensive efforts on the soil judging team. His hands-on experience there taught him to, not only expect, but to also predict differences in crop yield based solely on soil types. His questioning nature drove him to further his understanding of Science as he pursued a B.S. Degree from Eastern Kentucky University. In 1985 he secured his Masters Degree from the University of Louisville. In order to fund his college education, he sought employment with a successful landscaping business owned by a gentleman named Monty Justice, the visionary who started Monty’s Liquid Fertilizer Co. More importantly, this opportunity allowed him to immerse himself in his studies of the soils where his interest had always been. His primary focus was the relationship between fertility and the biosphere below the soil surface. These early studies introduced him to the world of microbial activity and the impact that humics have on them. As he continues his 16th year of the in-depth study of humics, soil types, the rhizosphere and the collective impact they have on plant development, his sole objective is to provide answers for the continued achievement of sustainable agriculture and horticulture.

Jim Galipeau, CPA, Board Member

As a shareholder in the largest accounting firm in Montana, Mr. Galipeau has extensive experience in the preparation of individual, partnership and corporate federal and state tax returns. His industry expertise includes agricultural and electric op-ops, nonprofit organizations, governmental entities and small businesses. He has a B.S. Degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Montana, Missoula, Montana. Committed to community involvement, Jim is an active member and former Treasurer and Board member of the Missoula Downtown Association, Missoula Homebuilders Association, past Chairman of the local VASA Order of America and Past-President of the Garden City Exchange Club. Professionally, he is currently the President of the Montana Society of CPA’s and has served as Treasurer of that organization and is in his 6th year as a member of the board of directors. He stays on the leading edge of accounting practices and developments with continuing education courses through Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Junkermier, Clark, Campanella, Stevens, P.C. sponsored courses.

Rodrigo Igareda Diez de Sollano, Lawyer, Board Member

 Mr. Igareda has personally been a guest speaker for numerous seminars on corporate and intellectual property matters organized by the Mexican Institute of Financial Officers (IMEF), the United States Consulate in Guadalajara and other associations. His professional affiliations include membership in the Corporate Lawyers Association (ANADE) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Jalisco. He obtained his Law Degree from Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara, Mexico, Summa Cum Laude. He has studies in International Law at the University of Notre Dame, London, United Kingdom, and in commercial law by the Universidad Panamericana, Campus Mexico City. Authorized by the Supreme Court of the state of Jalisco, he is an Official Translator English- Spanish-English.

Dr. Adolfo Murillo, Board Member

Dr. Murillo brings a unique and beneficial perspective to the Board of Directors for Cornerstone Sustainable Agricultural Products, Inc. He has retained his Mexican citizenship in order to facilitate on-going activities in Mexico and his U.S. Citizenship application is in process. Once that is completed, he will then enjoy dual citizenship recognized by both countries. As a 1979 graduate form the University of California, Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and as a Doctor of Optometry from the University of California, Berkley in 1983, he has maintained a highly successful private practice in Oxnard, California for the last 23 years. Simultaneously, for the last 13 years, he has operated the generational family ranch in Jalisco, Mexico. Through the scientific approach he employed, he developed an all natural, sustainable agricultural program specifically designed for the growth of agave. His methods have consistently produced larger agave plants than is typically achieved and having an average sugar content in excess of 35% higher than that commonly generated through the use of traditional chemical fertilizer practices. The resulting tequila production has enabled him to develop his own custom label of exceptionally high quality tequila which he plans to market internationally. His long term passion is to convert evermore commercial crop growers in Mexico to the practice of sustainable agriculture using his operation as model to follow. Dr. Murillo states “My greatest concern is the fact that each year, literally thousands of hectares of previously productive farm land have become unusable because of chemical-intensive farming methods which also contaminate the water supply.” A firm believer in “giving back” to society, Dr. Murillo’s volunteer activities are many and have been long term. For the last 18 years he has been a member of the Board of Directors of Clinicas del Camino Real, a non-profit medical clinic organization that provides an average of 150,000 patient visits per year to low income families in Ventura County, CA. The positions he has held have included that of President, Vice President, Secretary, and presently, Parliamentarian. For the past 10 years he has been a Volunteer Doctor at St. John’s Regional Medical Center which provides free eye examinations to diabetic patients who have no insurance and for 15 years has provided free eye examinations to children in the Oxnard Elementary School District. Over the years, he has regularly organized trips to Mexico to provide free eye examinations, eyeglasses and medications to underserved communities in Mexico.
Steve Hackler, Board Member

As Assistant Vice President of First Interstate Bank, Mr. Hackler is responsible for the Indirect Sales Program for western Montana. He brings over 25 years of senior management skills and sales experience to the Board of Directors for Cornerstone Sustainable Agricultural Products, Inc. His expertise includes negotiating with manufactures for inventory, product sales flow and preferred sales programs. He graduated from the University of Montana with a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in International Business. Also civically involved, Mr. Hackler’s contributions to his community include the American Heart Association, the United Way Organization, Habitat for Humanity and the Missoula Athletic Council.