C.J. Box worked for her and governors recall taking tourism marching orders from her. The state’s second largest industry has also steadily grown under her watch, into a $4.9 billion economic powerhouse for the state of Wyoming.
This year’s BIG WYO 2025 winner is none other than the Wyoming Office of Tourism’s Director, Diane Shober.
The award is given annually to those who have made a significant lifetime contribution to Wyoming’s tourism and hospitality industries.
Shober said she was “humbled and honored and grateful” particularly considering that she “wouldn’t be where I am without everyone who’s in this room and who has been in this room.”
“Serving as the tourism director for the state of Wyoming is the honor of a lifetime. And knowing the names that are up there …” she said, gesturing to panels that have previous BIG WYO winners names listed on them. “When we say we stand on the shoulders of giants, we’re standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Shober is a Gillette native who was tapped by then-governor Dave Freudenthal 21 years ago in 2003 to head up the newly reformed Wyoming Office of Tourism. It wasn’t an easy job, Freudenthal recalled during a video presentation of Shober’s accomplishments. There were plenty of detractors, and people who didn’t believe that tourism created “real” jobs.
“There were a few hearty souls who were willing to sign up and see if we could make it work — notwithstanding significant opposition — and (Shober) was one of those people who made it work,” Freudenthal said. “And (Shober) made it work well.”
In fact, Shober’s office went from a “budget footnote” to a full-blown agency within a couple of years, Freudenthal said.
“Tourism is such a significant part of Wyoming’s economy,” Freudenthal said. “That’s still counterintuitive for some folks. But if you look at the numbers — 30,000-plus jobs, billions of dollars in tax revenues — tourism is important, and one of the people who made sure that transition from a kind of ‘we’re not so sure about it’ to a full-blown part of Wyoming’s economic plan is this year’s winner.”
Too Bubbly And Excited
Shober was working as director of membership for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau when she started getting calls from friends like Ted Blair, urging her to think about returning to Wyoming to head up Freudenthal’s newly formed Office of Wyoming Tourism.
While Blair joked Tuesday night during the video presentation that he didn’t really like Shober at first because she kept “stealing meetings and conventions and conferences” from his hotel business, in actuality Shober had become great friends with Blair while in Wyoming.
“We were competitors, but we were also really good friends,” Shober told Cowboy State Daily. “The three of us loved doing what we did, and we were competitive, but we cheered each other on.”
Shober considers Blair a “sage,” and he’s still one of a short list of people she calls whenever there are weighty decisions to make. Shober knew that if Blair was calling her, urging her to consider taking this job in Wyoming, it something she had to take seriously.
“I was interested in coming home at the time,” Shober recalled. “I had loved living in the city, and I loved Chicago, but I also had aging parents, and the more I learned about the job, the more intrigued I was.”
So, in May 2003, Shober made the trip home to Wyoming for an interview. Come to find out, an interview with then-Gov. Freudenthal, himself.
Shober knew right away that was a big deal.
“I was like, they don’t just parade anybody in front of the governor right?” Shober recalled. “And so, I went and met Governor Freudenthal, and I think he would tell you, if you spoke to him, that he thought that I was too bubbly and excited about things. But he gave the board the blessing to do what they wanted to do.”
The Energizer Bunny Of Tourism
Ultimately, Shober won Freudenthal over, the same way she had competitive rivals like Blair, and two more governors to come after that.
It’s her “energizer bunny” enthusiasm for tourism, brother Mickey Shober suggested on the awards presentation video, that wins everyone over.
Even one C.J. Box, now a New York Times Bestselling author with more than 30 books set in Wyoming, says he still feels like he is working for Shober.
“For a long time, I worked for (Shober) doing international tourism,” Box said, echoing some of Mickey’s comments about her tireless dedication. “And then, later, I worked with her and realized … nobody has ever shown the same kind of passion and commitment and the same kind of stick-to-it-iveness. Year to year, it didn’t fade away. Since then, I have realized, I still work for her — and I always will.”
Former Governor Matt Mead said Shober had helped to put Wyoming on the map for the whole world, working “literally decades to promote Wyoming and the west across the country and around the world.”
“I don’t know another person who understands Wyoming the way (Shober) does,” he said. “(She) knows the state so well. Not just the valleys and the parks and the wildlife and the open spaces, but the people. The people on the oil rigs, the rodeo cowboys and cowgirls, the people who keep our ranches going, the people who keep our roads open. She’s ultimately the best at promoting Wyoming.”
Gov. Mark Gordon saluted Shober for surviving so many governors — including himself.
“When I first got to be governor (Shober) was always telling me exactly where to be and how to show up,” Gordon said. “And encouraging me to make a bigger statement about how important tourism was. I was always willing to do that.”
Eventually, as Gordon came to better understand the tourism industry and its importance to the whole state’s economy, he started to wonder about highlighting more of the hidden places in the state.
Shober was right there saying, “You bet, let’s do it,” Gordon said.
“Diane, you’ve survived many governors and collectively we governors talk about how you guided us, but I think the better term is you directed us and we were better for it and the state was better for it,” Gordon said. “In addition to creating many jobs and great wealth for the state of Wyoming, I want to thank you for something that I think is even more important, and that’s your passion and love for Wyoming. It reminds each of us who are fortunate to live in Wyoming what a wonderful place it is, and what wonderful people.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
