'Mrs. Whitefish' brings awareness to needs of veterans

Entering a beauty pageant has never been on Katie Billi’s radar. Elk hunting and riding horses are more in her wheelhouse than fashion runways and tiaras.

“I’ve never been a pageant person,” Billi said, laughing. “It’s definitely not something I ever thought I’d do.”

But next month, Billi, 44, will model evening wear, swimsuits and face a grueling interview with a panel of judges while competing for the title of Mrs. Montana, and the chance at representing the state in the Mrs. America Pageant.

“It’s very much out of my comfort zone,” Billi said. “But I’m excited to try something new.”

First held in 1938, the Mrs. America Pageant is for married women featuring contestants from all 50 states.

Billi, of Whitefish, first found out about the pageant about a year ago when she picked up some modeling work through Rocky Mountain Entertainment Agency in Polson.

The owner of the agency, Casey Pobran, mentioned the idea and said Billi would be a good candidate.

Billi brushed off the idea at first. But after giving it more thought, she realized the title of Mrs. Whitefish, or possibly Mrs. Montana, could give her a platform to raise awareness about an issue she cares deeply about — veterans dealing with post traumatic stress disorder.

Billi’s brother, David Hershberger, served three tours in Iraq with the U.S. Army, and she’s seen first-hand the effects of PTSD.

“With my brother, it took him a long time to stop waking up with nightmares,” she said. “It effects everything he does.”

“Most of the people that suffer with it, on one hand they want to hide, and on the other hand they just want someone to understand.”

Like many with PTSD, her brother tried to deal with the symptoms through self-medication.

“Most self-medicate with alcohol and drugs, which causes a lot of issues,” she said. “This is a very real thing, but what are we going to do about it?”

She said veterans aren’t given the assistance they need to transition back into civilian life after serving.

“I know we do a lot for our veterans, yet we fall way short,” she said.

“To be able to go out and get work and be a part of society, there should be a way to help veterans transition more easily.”

Billi hopes the pageant gives her the platform to raise awareness of veterans’ needs. She’s a new member of the local Ladies Auxiliary VFW and hopes to get involved with the Wounded Warrior Project.

“There are so many people that you hear about with PTSD,” she said. “I hope I can bring attention to it.”

Billi moved to Whitefish with her husband, Keith, in 2002. Together they have twin daughters, Whitney and Dawken, who are sophomores at Whitefish High School, and a son, Chet, who is a junior.

Billi works at the Farm to Market Pork retail store but recently began picking up modeling work on the side.

Most might recognize Billi from her work in a Whitefish Credit Union TV commercial that made its debut on Super Bowl Sunday.

She said modeling is fun, but a little outside of her personality.

“You do have to promote yourself and draw attention to yourself,” she said.

While the swimsuit and evening gown portions of the pageant are certainly daunting, she has the most anxiety over the interview with judges.

“The interview will be difficult,” she said. “But I’m just going to be myself and if it isn’t what they’re looking for, that’s OK. It’s not so important to win the pageant that I need to change who I am.”

The Mrs. Montana contest is Saturday, June 27 in Missoula. The winner goes on to compete in the Mrs. America Pageant, which is Sept. 26 in Sevastopol, Russia.