Executive Profiles
Ben Yanker
Ben Yanker, CR, WLS, CMH is the president of Buffalo Restoration, and has done business in Bozeman since 1976.
Ben graduated from MSU with a bachelor's degree in Business which gives him the advantage of knowing the essentials for operating a business along with customer service skills. Ben was the first Certified Restorer (CR) in the State, which represents the highest degree of professionalism and knowledge. The Water Loss Specialist (WLS) certification requires the same degree of professionalism as the CR, but focuses on the water loss aspect of the industry. Ben is also a certified master fire and smoke restorer from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). Ben received the distinguished service award from the Association of Specialists in Cleaning and Restoration (ASCR) for 2002 through 2004. He is an active member in trade association education, as well as being a member of the local Chamber of Commerce.
With years of experience and training Ben can approach your situation with certified knowledge that will allow the project to be completed accurately while also meeting the industry standards. In Ben's spare time he enjoys waterskiing, bike riding, hunting and fishing.
Gail Yanker
Gail Yanker has been with the company since it started in 1977. She is currently the general manager in charge of keeping all departments organized and working efficiently. She attends business meetings across the United States at least twice a year to stay current with new ways to organize the company. In her free time Gail is a Stampin' UP! Demonstrator, she also enjoys spending time at the lake.
Alisa Lister
Alisa Lister heads up the marketing program for the company. She worked as a receptionist part-time for 6 years while going to school, and has been working full time since May 2006. Her years of experience with the company allow her to help our clients with any questions they may have. She has an associate's degree in Business Administration from TSJC, and a BS degree in business marketing with a minor in small business management and entrepreneurship from MSU. She is also involved in the basement and crawl space waterproofing division of the company, and is trained to sell and install the products. Alisa enjoys scuba diving, waterskiing, camping, biking, hunting and pretty much any outdoor activity.
Christopher Yanker
Christopher Yanker is the manager of the Water Department and has been working on the team since 2000. He has the following certifications: Mold Remediator, Bio Technician, Mold Remediation Worker and Supervisor, Water Damage, Odor Control, Fire and Smoke Restoration, and Mold and Sewer Damage Restoration. His leadership abilities allow him to run our Water Restoration Technician crew. In his free time Christopher enjoys dirt biking, ice climbing, waterskiing, camping, hunting and fishing.
Brett Koppel
Brett Koppel is our estimator and has been with the company since 2007. He has 8 years of past experience in his families Restoration Company. This gives him the ability to write fair and accurate estimates for our customers. He has excellent communication skills which makes the jobs flow smoothly. He went to MSU for Biology. Brett enjoys the outdoors whether he is fishing, hunting, or camping.
Keesia Gowin
Keesia Gowin is our Production Coordinator and has been on the team at Buffalo Restoration since 2006. Her primary focus is to process new jobs, schedule estimates, and coordinate our subcontractors and employees on the jobs, so they run smoothly. She has four years of past management experience at Wendy's. She graduated from Billings Central High School. Her multi-tasking skills allow her to keep the schedules running smoothly. In her days off Keesia enjoys scrap booking, stamping, reading, hanging out with friends and doing sudoku puzzles.
Lynn Schievella
Lynn Schievella has been our account manager since 2007. She has over 30 years in experience in the accounting field, 12 of those years were spent in accounting and consulting. She is a certified QuickBooks pro advisor. She has a BS in Bio-Chemistry with a minor in math and education. Her past experience in the field is a great asset to our company. Lynn enjoys singing in the church choir, cross stitching and donating her time to community projects on her days off.
Randal Halvorson
has been on the Buffalo team since 1997. He is our carpet-cleaning technician who truly loves to clean carpets. His outgoing personality and great attitude contributes to why we have a large repeat client base. He has certifications in the following areas: Mold and Sewer Damage, Carpet Cleaning, Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning, Water Damage, Odor Control, and Textile Cleaning. His years of experience in the industry allow Randal to approach each job with certified knowledge to complete the task. In his free time Randal enjoys camping, boating and spending time with his family.
“I not only would recommend Buffalo Restoration to friends and family, but to just about anyone I would see on the streets.”
