Born and raised in Billings, Mike Nelson grew up on the 2600 block of Broadwater in a house he still drives by almost every day. He attended Meadowlark Elementary, Will James Junior High, and West High School before graduating from Eastern Montana College (now MSU-Billings) with a degree in natural resources economics. He married his high school sweetheart, Judy Povilaitis, in 1981, before his career in hospitality, human resources, and operations took him to Nevada. Mike returned to Billings in 2008 to take care of his aging mother, and after she passed away Mike partnered with his brother Chris to buy and restore the Northern Hotel in downtown Billings. 

Since then, he’s dedicated his life to reinvigorating Billings as a vital hub for the community and the region as a whole. In partnership with local engineers, architects, designers, and construction firms, the Northern Hotel has again become a vibrant fixture of our city’s downtown. He is deeply committed to the Billings community, serving as Board chair for the Big Sky Economic Development Corporation, the Billings Chamber of Commerce, and the Billings Preservation Society. He also served on the MSU-Billings Foundation Board and as Secretary/Treasurer of Citizens for a Safer Billings and currently serves as Vice Chair of the St. Johns United Board.

Mike has been married to Judy, a retired educator, for 44 years, and they have two grown daughters still living in the Mountain West. When he is not spending time with his family or working hard to make Billings the best city in Montana, he enjoys bowling and target shooting. Mike participates in two bowling leagues at Sunset Bowling Alley, where he has been bowling since junior high.