Leadership Wyoming Class to Hold Orientation Session at UW

Forty-seven residents representing 18 Wyoming communities are members of the 16th Leadership Wyoming class.

An orientation session for new class members is scheduled Aug. 6-7 at the University of Wyoming. Since 2001, 622 class members from throughout the state have graduated from the program, including Gov. Matt Mead; former first lady and federal judge Nancy Freudenthal; U.S. Sen. John Barrasso; Adjutant General Luke Reiner; and nearly 20 state legislators.

A Wyoming Heritage Foundation and UW program, Leadership Wyoming provides opportunities for a diverse group of approximately 40 Wyoming citizens to participate in a challenging and thought-provoking nine-month educational experience. Beginning in early August and ending in May 2016, the group will participate in eight sessions.

Class members will attend other programs throughout the year: a retreat in Jackson Sept. 17-19; a “Natural Resources and the Environment” program in Gillette Oct. 22-24; the Dec. 2-4 “Education, Technology and Change” session is in Rock Springs; Lander and Riverton will host the “Entrepreneurship and the Economy” program Jan. 7-9; “Government and Politics” is the theme for the Feb. 18-19 session in Cheyenne; Casper is the site for the March 31-April 2 session focusing on “Healthcare, Community Services and Quality of Life”; and graduation weekend is May 6-7 in Sheridan.

Training sessions provide a practical, nonpartisan, hands-on understanding of a broad spectrum of public policy issues, and participants develop an appreciation for trusteeship, with lasting commitments to civic involvement at the state and local levels.

Leadership Wyoming gives participants an opportunity to better understand general public policy issues, economic and social diversity, and the challenges facing the state. The experience prepares them, through shared mutual interests and the leadership skills developed, to be active in building a better Wyoming, says Bill Schilling, Wyoming Business Alliance/Wyoming Heritage Foundation president and Leadership Wyoming executive director.

For more information about the program, call (307) 577-8000 or visit the website at www.leadershipwyoming.org.

Members of this year’s Leadership Wyoming class, listed by hometowns and the companies they represent, are:

Buffalo -- Cynthia Chace Gray, Cynthia Chace Gray Photography; and Larry Kirven, University of Washington.

Casper -- Fred Catchpole, Wyoming Business Alliance; Bill Knickerbocker, Energy Transportation; T.C. Murphy, Keyhole Technologies; Chad Pew, Wyoming Medical Center; and Scott Wells, True Companies.

Cheyenne -- Tom Allan, Wyoming Army National Guard; Nick Bellack, Professional Teaching Standards Board; Stacia Berry, Hageman Law PC; Cara Chambers, Attorney General’s Office-Victim Services Division; Robert Dahill, McGee, Hearne and Paiz LLP; Travis Deti, Wyoming Mining Association; Mary Guthrie, Union Pacific Rail Corporation; Laurie Heath, Chesapeake Energy Corporation; Lee Hooker, Johnson Controls, Inc.; Kristen Lenhardt, Bureau of Land Management; Keren Meister-Emerich, Walden University; Stephanie Pyle, Wyoming Department of Health; and Amy Surdam, Children’s Museum of Cheyenne.

Cody -- Lindsey Krause, State of Wyoming; and Ashley Trudo, West Park Hospital.

Colony -- Callie Burch, Devon Energy.

Douglas -- Denise Lyons, Converse County Hospital Foundation.

Gillette -- Bob Palmer, Campbell County-Office of the Commissioners.

Guernsey -- Craig Frederick, Register Cliff Pharmacy, Inc.

Jackson -- Hailey Levinson, Town of Jackson.

Lander -- Andrea Erickson-Quiroz, The Nature Conservancy.

Laramie -- Emma Jane Alexander, Christina Kuzmych and Mark Lyford, all from the University of Wyoming; Tom Johnson, Wyoming Business Council; Shannon Smith, Wyoming Humanities Council; and Kristin Wilkerson, First Interstate Bank.

Meriden -- Lindi Kirkbride, AARP Wyoming.

Powell -- Stefani Hicswa, Northwest College.

Riverton -- Steve Moldt, Inberg-Miller Engineering; and Lori Ridgway, Central Wyoming College.

Rock Springs -- Samuel Bethea, Tronox; and Kim Farley, Western Wyoming Community College.

Sheridan -- Kevin Bailey, First Federal Savings Bank; Travis Evans, ECS Engineers; Bonnie Gregory, Downtown Sheridan Association; David Hubert, First Interstate Bank; and Shelleen Smith, Ramaco.

Torrington -- Martin Gubbels, Big Sky Ford and Lincoln.

Upton -- Scott Gerber, Dan Hart Patrol Service LLC.