Orange vests and hard hats were handed out to each of the 40 students who gamely put them on. They then filed into the elevator in small groups and descended deep into the trona mines of Rock Springs.
It was just another day of class for the participants of Leadership Wyoming, a nonprofit group that has a simple mission — inspire Wyoming’s leaders through exploration of the Cowboy State and connect them with their fellow residents.
The 2026 Leadership Wyoming students have just been officially announced. Forty students will join the Core Program ranging from bankers in Cheyenne to ranch managers in Wheatland.
For 25 years, a select group of Wyoming leaders, of all ages and demographics, have toured around the state, getting up close and personal to the various industries and businesses that make up Wyoming. The students also participate in personal leadership development and receive individual coaching.
The favorite part for most new graduates, however, is the opportunity to network with people from all over the Cowboy State and from different industries that they may otherwise never have met.
The Learning Never Stops
Director Mandy Fabel is determined that the lessons and networking will not end once class is over. As the Class of 2025 celebrated their own graduation in Sheridan this past April, they were surrounded by alumni who had come to rekindle old friendships and make new connections from around the Cowboy State.
“We now have over 1,000 graduates,” Fabel said. “We want to support them knowing that whether they went through the program last year or 20 years ago, we can still offer programming, connections and support to help them in their leadership roles.”
Founder and chairman at Handel Information Technologies, Inc., Even Brande, is celebrating his twentieth anniversary of Leadership Wyoming this year. He said that over the years, the alumni network has become even more meaningful than his original class of 2005.
“Leadership Wyoming didn't stop the day I graduated,” Brande said. “That was just the beginning.”
Lisa Scroggins in 2024 at the Class of 2019 5-Year Reunion in Casper. (Courtesy Leadership Wyoming) 
The Class of 2014 on a coal mine tour during the Gillette Natural Resources session. (Courtesy Leadership Wyoming) 
The Class of 2025 at their graduation ceremony in Sheridan, Wyoming. (Courtesy Leadership Wyoming) 
Members of the Class of 2015 gather inside the dome at the very top of the Wyoming State Capitol building with Former Wyoming State Representative Rosie Berger. (Courtesy Leadership Wyoming) 
Members of the Class of 2019 during their 5-Year Reunion visiting the Bloomery Farm in Casper. (Courtesy Leadership Wyoming)
The Purpose
Although there is classwork, leaders get out of the classroom often. They are taken out into the field to explore the towns and businesses around the state. Fabel believes that by exploring Wyoming and learning about these other industries, the students will be helped with both personal and professional growth.
“It’s a chance to find people who come from diverse backgrounds and diverse perspectives, but all want to better themselves and better Wyoming,” Fabel said. “You can't help but be inspired by the people around you.”
When Andi Clifford, a member of the Northern Arapaho tribe, was recruited to the program in 2010, she admits she didn’t even know what she was getting into and at first thought she had accidentally signed up for a college course.
“But it was far from that,” she said. “I met some key people that are still friends today that I probably never would have met.”
The program pushed Clifford out of her comfort zone and kindled a dream that she later fulfilled to join the Wyoming State Legislature and make a difference for her community on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
“It got me out of my box,” she said. “Whether I was appealing bills or creating bills, it gave me the confidence to be able to stand up for my constituents and Wyoming as a whole.”
She is now encouraging a new generation of leaders to join the program and celebrated her younger sister’s graduation from Leadership Wyoming this year.
“We have a very extensive application process,” Fabel said about these new recruits and recent graduates. “We're looking to represent a lot of different communities across Wyoming, different industries, and from all walks of life who are willing to share their perspectives openly, but also with civility and respect.”
The Adventures
Whether the Leadership Wyoming students are touring an electrical plant or historic site, each session is specialized in a trade and focused on gaining a deeper understanding of Wyoming.
Wendy Smith, vice president for Northern Wyoming Community College and Class of 2011, remembers vividly the coal mine tours and how impressed she was by the historical preservation in Evanston.
“I went into the program thinking that I knew Wyoming,” Smith said. “What I learned is there was a lot about Wyoming that I did not know. I know it's so cliche, but Wyoming really is one big town with long streets. And this program puts a pin in that.”
Brande said that it was his experience at the Gillette coal mine which gave him a deeper appreciation of the industry even after two decades.
“Just going into an open surface coal mine and being able to see 30 tons of coal dropped into a chute onto a train is one of those memories that sticks,” he said. “I also remember the group we developed called the Single Malt Society. We'd sit around at the end of the day drinking whiskey, talking and singing songs.”
While Leslie Shakespeare, a senior leader supporting Rocky Mountain Tribal Nations, enjoyed the networking, his focus during his time at Leadership Wyoming was on learning leadership skills. He said that the program helped him prepare for public life as he ran, and then won, a seat on the Eastern Shoshone Business Council.
“I learned to not focus on too many of the small things that come up, but look at the bigger picture,” Shakespeare said. “Being able to be immersed with all the different leaders across the state and visit different parts, really broadened my mind.”
Fabel, herself a graduate of the program, has been at the helm of Leadership Wyoming for nearly eight years and is continuing to look for ways to meet the needs of Wyoming leaders.
“It is about learning about Wyoming and developing friendships and connections,” Fabel said. “But really, it's about people helping you transform into the leader you can be.”
As he continues to grow in his career, Shakespeare echoed the sentiment of other graduates.
“The circumstances may differ, or the situation may be a little different, but the decisions you have to make are relatively the same,” Shakespeare said. “ Being able to draw on other people's perspectives has been very helpful to me.”
Smith agreed, adding, “It just makes you a student of leadership.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
