Office Staff

James Tobin

Executive Assistant to the President

James Tobin is the Executive Assistant to the President at Montana State University.

Originally from Indianapolis, IN, James has lived in Bozeman and worked at Montana State University since 2007. Prior to working in the President’s Office, James was an Associate Director for University Student Housing overseeing the Central Office Administrative Staff, custodial operation, as well as the summer housing operations. James was responsible for many of the events within the department including ground breaking and grand opening ceremonies as well as assisting with a variety of Auxiliary Services events.

James holds a Master's degree in Counseling and Student Development from Kansas State University and a Bachelors degree from Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Outside of his passion for planning events and socializing with friends, you’ll find James enjoying the outdoors hiking and walking with his dog Sydney or taking in the beauty of Bozeman and the mountains.

Laura Folsom

Office Manager

Originally from Arizona, Laura moved to Bozeman in 2001 and raised seven children in the Gallatin Valley. Prior to joining the Office of the President, she worked in administrative capacities for the Gallatin County Treasurer’s Office, Allied Engineering Services, Inc., Holmes and Turner CPA firm and Yellowstone Bank.

Laura graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is delighted to be a part of all Montana State University has to offer its students and surrounding community.  Her passions include her husband, David, the Rocky Mountains, flower gardening, sunrises, and her children and grandchildren.

Leonardo Marra

Event Manager

Leonardo, originally from Rome, Italy, is the Event Manager for the Office of the President of Montana State University: an institution that he joined for the first time in August 2022, after having worked within the event sector for over twenty years.

Leonardo spent over a decade working at the Vatican as a member of a talented team in charge of events presided over by the Pope. Subsequently, Leonardo joined a non-profit worldwide institution that entertains diplomatic relations with over a hundred countries: the Sovereign Order of Malta, whose mission is to help people in need across the globe.

His life and career took a great shift just about two years ago, when he joyfully moved to the US and joined the MSU family as the Fundraising Events Manager for the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman.

Leonardo is married to Shannon, a native of the Northern Rockies, and is a loving father of four children: three “big boys” living in Rome, Italy and a teenage girl, experiencing Montana at its best. Leonardo loves the mountains and never misses a chance to explore the surroundings or to enjoy a fulfilling day in Bozeman, the place he now calls home!