Governor's Office
State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010
307.777.7434 (phone)
307.632.3909 (fax)
POLICY STAFF
Rob Hurless
Energy and Telecommunications Policy Advisor
Rob is former chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission and was publisher of the Casper-Star Tribune. He is active in economic development in the state and in regional electric utility planning activities. He earned a B.S. in chemistry and a B.A. in history from Montana State University, an M.A. in applied economics from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from Harvard University. In addition to dispensing advice, Rob enjoys open source software and fly fishing.
rhurle@state.wy.us
Wendy Curran
Healthcare Policy Advisor
Prior to joining the Governor’s staff, Wendy served as executive director of the Wyoming Medical Society, where she also worked as director of public affairs and policy with primary responsibility for government relations, lobbying and communications. She has worked with legislative committees and other statewide groups involved in discussing healthcare insurance affordability and availability, rural health system enhancements, scope of practice issues, physician recruitment and retention, health professional staffing issues and other topics affecting healthcare and medicine in Wyoming. A Wyoming native, she holds a bachelor’s degree in American studies from the University of Wyoming and is a 2001 graduate of the statewide Leadership Wyoming program. She is married and has three children.
wcurra@state.wy.us
Steve Furtney
Natural Resources Policy Advisor
Steve is former Chair, Deputy Chair and Commissioner for the Wyoming Public Service Commission, as well as a former Administrator and Economist for the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information, Economic Analysis Division. He also served as co-chair for the Wyoming Consensus Revenue Estimating Group from 1991 to 1997. Steve is a graduate of Cheyenne Central High School and the University of Wyoming where he earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Economics. In addition to his work on natural resource policy issues for the state, Steve enjoys time with his family, his friends and the incredible outdoor adventure and recreation opportunities that Wyoming has to offer.
sfurtn@state.wy.us
307.777.8506
Cynthia Pomeroy
Intergovernmental Affairs Advisor
Cindy is a native of Big Piney and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Utah State University. In 2003, she was appointed Director of the Wyoming Department of Employment, where she oversaw workers’ compensation and programs related to labor standards, OSHA, mine inspections, research and planning, unemployment tax, and unemployment insurance. Prior to serving as Director of the Department of Employment, Cindy was the president and general manager of the First American Title Company for 18 years. She also chaired the State Compensation Plan Review Committee, served as President of the Wyoming Land Title Association and was Chairperson of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association. Cindy was the first woman president of the Cheyenne Greater Chamber of Commerce and the first woman president of the Cheyenne Rotary Club. She is past chair of the LEADS economic development group, and past board member of the United Way, Cheyenne Old West Museum, Laramie County Joint Economic Development Board and United Medical Hospital Foundation Board. She was honored by the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce as Business Person of the year for 1992 and was chosen as the Athena Award recipient in 1999, which honors persons who have dedicated time and effort to the advancement of women. Ms. Pomeroy is past Chairwoman of the Wyoming Commission for Women and served on the Wyoming Private Industry Council. She served as co-chairman of the Governor Herschler reelection committee in 1982 and was chairman of the Freudenthal for Governor Campaign in 2002.
cpomer@state.wy.us
307.777.8522
Rob Black
Constituent Services Policy Analyst
Rob Black is a graduate of Huntley High School and the University of Wyoming. Before joining the Governor’s Office, he was an award-winning journalist, having worked for The Associated Press, Casper Star-Tribune, Business Radio Network and other media outlets in Wyoming and the region. Rob’s policy areas include education, workforce development (including mature workers), economic development, transportation and constituent services.
rblack@state.wy.us
307.777.8514
Mark Toft
Natural Resources and Communications Policy Analyst
Mark was born and raised in Cheyenne. After graduating from Cheyenne Central, he went on to get a double bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Stanford. He cut his political teeth as an advertising coordinator for Governor Mike Sullivan’s re-election campaign, then worked as a White House intern and as a legal assistant focusing on the tobacco and dairy industries for the U.S. Department of Justice. Mark’s interest in writing led to his getting an M.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, where he taught undergraduate creative writing and was Assistant Director of the Writing Program. When his wife’s graduate work took them to Boston, Mark became a senior editor helping to launch Staples Business Services for Staples.com, and was one of the principal writers on the “Easy Button” online advertising campaign. Most recently, he was with Denver’s McClain Finlon Advertising, where he was the lead writer for the CUNA Mutual account and Dell, Inc. business pitch -- and was one of two leads for the Breckenridge, Qwest, and Flying Dog Brewery accounts. Mark’s policy areas include technology, telecommunications, forest planning, sage grouse preservation and state parks. He is married to Beth Toft and has one daughter, Joanna.
mtoft@state.wy.us
307.777.8922
Katie Hogarty
Health and Human Service Policy Analyst
Katie, a recent University of Wyoming Law School graduate, grew up in Sheridan. She attended Mount Holyoke and Lewis and Clark Colleges and is thrilled to find herself in Wyoming again. Prior to working in the governor’s office, Katie worked as a teaching assistant for legal writing and appellate advocacy in law school. She also worked as a personal assistant to a film director, and counseled Northern Irish teenagers involved in the peace-building process. Katie is interested in women’s issues, juvenile justice, health care, and poverty.
khogar@state.wy.us
307.777.8571
Steve Ellenbecker
Energy Policy Advisor and Western Governors’ Association Staff Council Representative
Steve is a consulting energy policy advisor to the Governor. From 1994-2004, he was chairman of the Wyoming Public Service Commission. In 2004-2005, he served in the Governor’s Office as energy and telecommunications advisor. He is the Governor’s Staff Council representative in the Western Governors’ Association and the Western Interstate Energy Board. He earned a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Wyoming.
Laura Ladd
Energy Economics Advisor
Laura Ladd serves as an Energy Advisor to Governor Freudenthal and brings more than a dozen years of finance, project management, marketing and strategic-planning expertise to her role. Laura's previous work experience includes managing and developing a $100MM corporate lending portfolio as an Assistant Vice President at First Interstate Bank, working on merger integration and strategic alliances at Booz Allen and Hamilton and building a new distribution channel for an online pet e-tailer. She is a co-founder of Hewitt Ladd, a strategic management consulting firm based in Jackson, Wyoming. At Hewitt Ladd, Laura has served in a general management capacity for real estate projects in Wyoming, Texas and Nevada – most recently managing the $85MM residential sales program at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole. She also conducts due diligence and develops investment opportunities for a private investor in Jackson Hole. In 2006, she held fundraising and media planning responsibilities for the 2006 Folks for Freudenthal campaign. Laura holds a BS from Pepperdine University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Gary Collins
Arapahoe Tribal Liaison
Gary is an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and resides on the Wind River Indian Reservation. He received his B.S. degree in geology from the University of Wyoming, is a member of the Ruckelshaus Institute for Environment and Natural Resources, and is current Vice President of Mni Sose, a water-rights coalition that represents 24 of the 28 Tribes in the Missouri River Basin. He was Tribal Water Engineer for eight years with the Shoshone and Arapaho Tribes and administered the Tribal Water Code with direction of the 12-member Wind River Water Resources Control Board. Gary has been involved with the Big Horn Water Rights Case for the last 15 years, including holding the position of Chairman of the Northern Arapaho Tribe when the case was before the U.S. Supreme Court in 1989. Gary is also instrumental with his family ranch, which has been operating since the early part of the last century.
gcolli2@state.wy.us
307.777.8525
Ed Wadda
Eastern Shoshone Tribal Liaison
Edward Wadda has been serving as the Eastern Shoshone Tribal Liaison to Governor Freudenthal since November of 2005. He has taught education and culture classes at both the University of Wyoming and Central Wyoming College since 2003. He is former Eastern Shoshone program coordinator for the Boys & Girls Clubs and served as executive director in the summer of 2005. From 1994-2002, Edward taught second and third grade at the Wyoming Indian Elementary School in Ethete, Wyo., where has was named Employee of the Year in 1999-2000, and coached football, basketball and track. Many of his former students and athletes have gone on to pursue college degrees, technical training and military service. Edward earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wyoming in 1994, followed by a master’s degree in elementary education from Oklahoma City University in 1998. He is also a PhD candidate at UW with a focus on curriculum design and instruction.
ewadda@state.wy.us
307.777.6924
Jessica Frint
Western Governors’ Association Mickelson Fellow
Jessica is a graduate student at the University of Wyoming working on her Master’s Degree in Molecular Biology. Currently, she is serving as the Mickelson Fellow for Governor Dave Freudenthal while he is Chairman of the Western Governor’s Association. Jessica’s policy areas include energy, climate change, and carbon management.
jfrint@state.wy.us
307.777.2859