Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the appointment of Kimberly Kutch as administrator of the Montana Department of Justice’s Forensic Science Division, which oversees the state crime lab and supports law enforcement agencies statewide.
Kutch brings 30 years of experience in state and county government leadership to the role. She most recently served as a human services manager for Sarasota County, Fla., where she managed programs spanning criminal justice, child welfare, substance abuse, mental health, aging and veterans’ services, overseeing contracts involving $846.7 million in federal and state funding.
“Her leadership experience will be an asset to our team as she manages the state crime lab’s day-to-day operations to support law enforcement’s efforts to solve crimes and put criminals away,” Knudsen said. “There are high standards of forensic analysis that Montana’s criminal justice system depends on, and I have no doubt she will deliver.”
Kutch holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology, a master’s degree in the administration of criminal justice, a master’s degree in mental health counseling and an education specialist degree in school counseling.
She succeeds Travis Spinder, who served as FSD administrator since 2021 and will return to his role as a firearm and toolmark examiner.