WBC holds open mic to discuss future following potential dismantling

CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Business Council is facing an uncertain future after lawmakers on the Joint Appropriations Committee passed a 59-page draft bill to dismantle the entity at a meeting Jan. 15.

Since then, some members of the public have had questions regarding the WBC’s future, including what could be done to keep the entity going and what would make it more effective in the eyes of legislators.

On Thursday, WBC CEO Josh Dorrell held the council’s first open mic virtual meeting, where Wyoming residents could ask any questions with no limits.

Almost 100 people attended the meeting.

Dorrell began by giving participants a general overview of what the WBC is and what it aims to do.

“The Wyoming Business Council is more than anything here to help our state compete in the economy, but also to make sure that we have those strong communities where businesses can thrive and families can stay together,” Dorrell said.

“We have the highest outmigration of any state in the nation, and we’re twice the national average. Chances are pretty good you’re tired of hearing that. I am, too. I’m tired of saying it. And that’s why we’re here is to change that.”

The first to ask a question was Brenda Schladweiler, a Gillette resident who lives in a wealthier county, she said.

Schladweiler asked Dorrell to explain the work the WBC does in smaller Wyoming counties, because she said she thinks the need for the council varies, depending on the resources within that area.

Dorrell agreed, and said no matter the wealth in a county, the WBC staff will ask the same question: What is stopping that area’s economic growth?

“I do think that it’s important for all of us to realize we all need that help, and we all should look at what is the barrier to growth,” he said. “And if the state can play a role to help out, I would like to be here to do that.”

State Rep. J.R. Riggins, R-Casper, asked Dorrell what would happen to the WBC’s in-progress projects if the council were dismantled and what would happen to planned projects.

The answer to this one is simple, Dorrell said. In-progress projects would be switched to other state agencies, and planned projects would not happen.

Money for WBC projects comes from its Business Ready Community Program funds, Dorrell said. Any loans the WBC uses get paid back into the BRCP account so the money can be used again and again.

Dorrell said if the WBC ceases to exist, those funds would be given to the state, and someone would have to be appointed to administer them.

Some people in attendance did not have questions but rather wanted to make suggestions to Dorrell for how the WBC could operate more efficiently. 

One of those was Gail Symons, who has an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Wyoming, she said.

Symons said she thinks the biggest hurdle for WBC is not operational or financial; it is actually more related to its marketing strategies, or lack thereof.

“You all have been putting your heads down and getting the work done and making a difference, and those people who have felt it really know about it,” Symons said. “The problem is that there’s a lot of people who have benefited who have no idea that they’ve benefited.”

Lucas Wall, a recent UW graduate who works for a company that has used the WBC’s services, gave an additional suggestion relating to marketing: for the WBC to consider posting testimonials from people who have benefited from its services. Dorrell said he’d be happy to do that.

Toward the end of the meeting, Dorrell shared with participants that his two main goals for WBC are to propose statutory changes through the Legislature and create his own standing legislative committee that is locked into the economy.

“Rather than defunding the entire agency and getting rid of us, how about instead we work together,” he said. “... We have a lot of knowledge that we know will help us get to where we want to be.”

“We need a good nexus with the Legislature,” he continued. “So, when it comes to critique, I think we definitely need to change our statutes, and we need to really be more focused on what’s going to move the needle in Wyoming.”

A recording of WBC’s open mic can be found at teamof1000s. wyomingbusiness. org/events-and-activities.

This story was published on Jan. 30, 2026.