The Lakeside Water and Sewer District board election is May 5. There are five candidates for two open trustee positions.  

The Bigfork Eagle reached out to all candidates, who were invited to provide voters with information pertinent to serving as a trustee regarding their education, background, experience, reason for running and their priorities for the district. Two candidates responded. 

Information provided by participating candidates was lightly edited for grammar and length.   

DARCY LARD 

Occupation: I am the President and CEO of Flathead Travel Service, Inc., Montana’s largest and oldest full-service travel agency, where I have provided steady leadership since 2006. My career with Flathead Travel spans more than four decades, beginning in 1982, and includes hands-on experience across operations, management, and executive leadership. This experience gives me both a big-picture perspective and practical problem-solving skills that I bring to public service. 

Education: I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montana, where I graduated with honors, and I am a graduate of Flathead High School.  

Family: I raised four children in Lakeside and now have seven grandchildren in the Flathead Valley. My connection to this community is personal and multigenerational, and I understand that the decisions made today affect families, neighborhoods, and essential services for years to come.  

Background: I am a third-generation Flathead Valley native and have been a Lakeside resident since 1979. I have deep roots in the community I serve and understand the importance of local infrastructure, responsible planning, and long-term decision-making because I have lived, worked, and invested here for decades. My commitment to service is reflected in my extensive nonprofit and civic involvement, including serving as past President and Board Member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Montana, President of the American Society of Travel Agents – Pacific Northwest Chapter, and as a board member of The Museum at Central School, the Flathead Library Foundation, and the Flathead Convention and Visitors Association. 

Why are you running? 

I am running for the Lakeside County Water & Sewer District Board because I care deeply about this community and the long‑term impact today’s decisions will have on our water, infrastructure, and taxpayers. Having lived in Lakeside for decades, I believe residents deserve transparent decision‑making, responsible planning, and meaningful opportunities to understand and weigh in on major projects. I want to ensure that growth is thoughtful, environmental risks are addressed using sound science, and financial decisions are made carefully, with full accountability to the people who pay the bills. 

I bring more than 40 years of experience in business operations, financial oversight, and organizational leadership, including serving as President and CEO of Montana’s largest full‑service travel agency since 2006. Throughout my career, I have managed complex budgets, assessed long‑term risks, and worked collaboratively with boards, staff, and the public. My nonprofit and civic board service has strengthened my ability to ask hard questions, demand clarity, and balance practical needs with long‑term responsibility. As a lifelong Flathead Valley resident and business leader, I am committed to bringing a steady, informed, and community‑focused voice to the Board. 

What are your priorities for the future of the Water and Sewer District?  

I believe critical decisions are being made that will affect our water supply, environment, and taxpayers for decades. Projects involving significant costs, potential regional expansion, and environmental risk require careful review, clear communication, and genuine public involvement. My priorities are transparency, fiscal responsibility, and protecting Lakeside’s water and ratepayers. I believe major water and sewer projects must be based on sound science, clear financial analysis, and meaningful public input. I will work to protect our local aquifer, ensure infrastructure is safe and sustainable, and support regional expansion only when costs and risks are fairly shared. 

How would you balance the needs of the ratepayer with the need to serve increased community growth? 

I believe it is possible, and necessary, to balance the needs of current ratepayers with responsible community growth. I support growth  when it is carefully planned, based on sound science, and structured so that new development pays its fair share of infrastructure costs. Existing ratepayers should not shoulder increased financial or environmental risk without clear benefit and transparency. By requiring solid financial analysis, long‑term planning, and protections for our local water resources, we can accommodate reasonable growth while safeguarding affordability, sustainability, and the reliability of essential water and sewer services. 

SEAN MOLLOY 

Occupation: Local business and nonprofit owner; strategy consultant and board advisor. Currently serving as AOD for Cornerstone Caregiving, a growing national provider of in-home care services, with responsibility for operational oversight, quality standards, and community-based service delivery. 

Education: Graduate degrees in law and diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University; Master of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Montana; B.A., Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA). Graduate of Billings West High School. 

Family: Single (divorced). Proud member of a multigenerational Montana family with roots in Butte and Malta. 

Background: Extensive experience in corporate strategy, infrastructure development, and risk and crisis management, including work with three of the world’s largest risk consultancies across more than ten countries. Parallel experience supporting energy and infrastructure projects domestically and internationally. Brings a practical understanding of how large-scale systems are planned, financed, and managed under real-world constraints, along with nonprofit leadership and board advisory experience. 

Why are you running? 

I’m running because the district is at an inflection point. Rapid growth, rising costs, and community concern all point to the need for steady, transparent, and risk-informed leadership. 

My background is in infrastructure, strategy, and risk management — fields where getting decisions right early matters. I’ve worked on complex projects where long-term consequences, financial discipline, and public trust all have to align. That experience translates directly to the challenges facing the district today. 

I bring a focus on clear process, accountability, and community-first decision-making. That means asking direct questions, ensuring the public is informed before decisions are made, and aligning technical solutions with long-term stewardship of our resources. This role isn’t about advancing an agenda — it’s about making sound, durable decisions the community can trust. 

What are your priorities for the future of the Water and Sewer District?  

My top priority is ensuring that Flathead Lake and the surrounding watershed remain a pristine and well-managed natural resource, even as the region grows. 

That requires aligning infrastructure planning with responsible growth, grounded in science, financial discipline, and long-term thinking. The district should be a model for how to balance environmental protection with community development—maintaining high standards for water quality, system reliability, and transparency. 

Equally important is restoring and maintaining public confidence. Clear communication, accessible information, and consistent engagement with ratepayers should be standard practice, not an afterthought. 

How would you balance the needs of the ratepayer with the need to serve increased community growth? 

Growth is happening—that’s not really the question. The question is whether we manage it deliberately or let it drive decisions for us. 

Ratepayers should not be asked to subsidize poorly sequenced growth or unclear project costs. At the same time, failing to plan ahead creates its own costs in the form of system strain, emergency fixes, and higher long-term expenses. 

The balance comes from disciplined planning: clear cost transparency, phased infrastructure aligned with actual demand, and fair allocation of costs to new development where appropriate. It also means setting firm standards—environmental, financial, and operational—and sticking to them. 

In practical terms, that’s about being upfront with the public, pacing investment responsibly, and making sure today’s decisions don’t create tomorrow’s liabilities. Done right, growth can support system improvements without undermining affordability or environmental integrity.