Leadership Wyoming Staff
MANDY FABEL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mandy is an Alum of the Leadership Wyoming Class of 2017 and began serving as the Executive Director in early 2018. She is passionate about Wyoming and about helping leaders become the best possible version of themselves. She is honored to work with so many amazing people around Wyoming to deliver a world-class leadership program.
Phone: 307-577-8000, opt 2
Email: mandy@leadershipwyoming.org
Linda Walsh, assistant director
Linda has been with Leadership Wyoming since 2010 and is the heart and soul of everything that happens at the Sessions. From planning meals to organizing tours and looking after each class member, she believes strongly in the mission and impact of Leadership Wyoming.
Phone: 307-577-8000, opt 1
Email: linda@leadershipwyoming.org
Tobey manganiello, aLumni and Communications Coordinator
Tobey joined the Leadership Wyoming team in 2022. With a background in photography, writing, and marketing, Tobey supports our growing Alumni family and offers ways to stay connected to Leadership Wyoming. She leads everything from weekly Leadership Moments and the website to the planning of the Alumni Summit and class reunions.
Email: tobey@leadershipwyoming.org
shelley balls, coaching coordinator
Shelley joined the Leadership Wyoming team in March of 2024. She obtained both her Bachelors and Masters from Utah State University, but grew up and once again lives in Western Wyoming. Shelley manages all individual and team Hogan Assessment coaching clients through Leadership Wyoming, including each year’s current class of 40+ individuals.
Email: shelley@leadershipwyoming.org
Leadership Wyoming Board Members
Josh Fuller, Jackson, Class of 2019
Chair. Josh is a Wyoming native and Alum of the Leadership Wyoming Class of 2019 (the Wolfpack!). After graduating from Sheridan High School, he attended the University of Wyoming College of Engineering (B.S. 2010, M.S. 2012 – Civil Engineering). Currently serving as the Strategic Projects Manager for Jorgensen Associates, a full-service civil engineering firm in Jackson Hole, he is responsible for overseeing civil works projects throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. As a competitive ultramarathon runner, the mountainous playground of the Tetons provide the ideal location to practice his craft – when not pursuing the other endless opportunities to hunt, ski, climb, and fish.
ANNE ALEXANDER, LARAMIE, CLASS OF 2013
Vice Chair. UW Representative. Anne Alexander is Vice Provost for Strategic Planning and Initiatives at the University of Wyoming. She earned her Ph.D. in Economics at UW, and her Master’s and BBA in Economics from New Mexico State University. Dr. Alexander’s research and teaching focuses on the history of American capitalism, international economics, and health economics. She regularly speaks to statewide audiences and state and national media about the status of the Wyoming, US, and global economies. She has authored several publications on the political and economic impacts of transboundary pandemics and the productivity effects of various diseases. At UW, she has served as Interim Provost and VP of Academic Affairs, Associate Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education, and the Director of International Programs and Associate Dean of Outreach. She has also served as a Resources Economist in the U.S. Department of State, Assistant Dean of the UW College of Business, and Director of the interdisciplinary Health Economics Policy Center at UW. She is an alumni of Leadership Wyoming, Class of 2013. She serves on the boards of United Way of Albany County, the Wyoming Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Wyoming Business Alliance, and the Western Research Institute. Anne lives near Vedauwoo with her husband Aaron and her wonderful idiotic dog, Hutch.
Bill Knickerbocker, Casper, Class of 2016
Secretary. Bill is a 4th generation native of Gillette and grew up on his great grandparents homestead. While in high school, Bill played football and worked at a local radio station, graduating with the Class of 1987. His radio job lead to an education at Brown Institute in Minneapolis with an Associate's Degree in Radio Broadcasting. After college, he returned to Gillette to work in radio, however that was short lived. Bill worked for Gases Plus for over 20 years. In 2012, he was and wife relocated to Casper where he went to work for Energy Transportation as General Manager. Bill now is the Terminal Superintendent over the Casper and Evansville facilities for Black Hills Trucking. He has two daughters and two grandchildren. Hobbies include: long walks/hikes plus enjoying the mountains and wide open spaces of Wyoming. Bill is a 2016 Leadership Wyoming graduate.
aMY ALBRECHT, SHERIDAN, CLASS OF 2021
Amy Albrecht is wife to Mike and mom to two squirrely teenage boys, two outrageous cats, and two overzealous dogs. Born in Peoria, Illinois, once she found Wyoming in 1976, she got here as fast as she could. Fast turned out to be seventeen years later. In the interim, Amy worked at the HF Bar Ranch west of Buffalo, graduated from the University of Kansas, and worked and traveled abroad. She enjoys reading, cross country skiing, hiking, stand up paddleboarding, and watching her family rodeo. In Amy’s free time, she is the Director of the Center for a Vital Community (CVC) at Sheridan College. She doesn’t consider that a job, more like a vocation. The CVC invests in people to engage in and strengthen our community through leadership training, nonprofit support and championing community initiatives. Amy currently sits on the board of SAGE Community Arts, is a member of the Sheridan Rotary Club, and was a founding member of The Food Group. However, being a Blackjack Bandit (LW 2021) is one of her proudest achievements.
Mary ellbogen Garland, Laramie, Class of 2001
Mary is involved personally as a volunteer and professionally in service to the people of the State of Wyoming. She is the president and chair of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation. The focus of her work is in education and for the benefit of children and families. She has given support to teacher quality, education leadership, early childhood care and education, civics education and student scholarship. She currently serves on the University of Wyoming College of Education Advisory Board, University of Wyoming Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors, University of Wyoming Literacy Research Center and Clinic Advisory. Mary has a marketing degree with a minor in finance from the University of Wyoming and is a Leadership Wyoming graduate, class of 2001. She was awarded the degree - Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa - from the University of Wyoming in May 2009.
Dr. Brent A. hathaway, henderson, nV, Class of 2004
With more than 35 years of experience, Brent Hathaway brings an astute knowledge and understanding of business and higher education. He currently serves as the Ted and Doris Lee Professor of Business in the Lee Business School at University of Nevada Las Vegas. Prior to joining UNLV, Brent was the dean of the College of Business at the University of Wyoming and chair of the Marketing and Management Department. There, he co-founded the Wyoming Business Leadership Institute, the Wyoming Business Hall of Fame, created an executive online MBA program, launched the Johnson Career Center, launched a PhD program that enhanced programs in ethics and sustainability, created and funded five endowed Professorships and raised $53 million for facility upgrades. In addition to academic leadership, Brent has extensive experience in the business sector. He served as the president and general manager for Concord, Inc., vice president of marketing and sales for Allied Signal and Honeywell International, and director of marketing for Case Corporation. Brent earned a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from Purdue University, and a bachelor’s degree from Utah State University. He has been married 40 years to his college sweetheart Tammy and they have four children and twelve grandchildren.
pat mcguire, cheyenne
Pat, a retired CPA, is a Minnesota native and 38-year resident of Cheyenne. He practiced public accounting since 1971 when he joined a CPA firm in Rochester, Minnesota, later transferring to Hibbing, Minnesota and Indianapolis, Indiana before arriving in Cheyenne in 1985. He retired as a partner with McGee, Hearne & Paiz, LLP in 2015 after working in the public accounting industry for 43 years. While in Cheyenne Pat served on the boards of the Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, Cheyenne Country Club, The Cheyenne Kiwanis Foundation, Great West Division of the American Cancer Society, the Wyoming State Board of Certified Public Accountants and more recently the Wyoming Community Foundation. He has also been a member of the Cheyenne Kiwanis Club for more than 35 years and is still an active member of the Chamber of Commerce. Pat received a Bachelor of Science degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato. Pat and his wife Jan have 3 children and 2 grandchildren providing them travel opportunities to Colorado, Minnesota, and Virginia.
Kristi racines, cheyenne, Class of 2018
Kristi Racines, a 4th generation Wyomingite born in Casper, grew up in various towns across Wyoming. After high school in Riverton, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Wyoming with degrees in accounting and Spanish. She joined a public accounting firm in Cheyenne and shortly after became licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. Kristi transitioned to public service in Wyoming's judicial branch, where she eventually became the Chief Fiscal Officer and Director of Human Resources. In 2018 she was elected as Wyoming's 21st State Auditor and is currently serving her second term. Kristi serves on various state boards and has been involved with Goodwill of Wyoming for over a decade. She lives in Cheyenne with her husband and two children. Kristi loves running, hunting, Phillies baseball, spreadsheets, good beer, and fancy cheese. She is a 2018 Leadership Wyoming graduate.
cRAIG rOOD, gREEN rIVER, cLASS OF 2013
Craig is a Wyoming Native that graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1988 with a BS in Secondary Education, Industrial Technology. Craig worked for Sisecam Wyoming for 30+ years, starting in the labor pool and advancing through the organization in several roles before becoming the Director of Public Relations and Government Affairs in 2019. In 2023, Craig transitioned to a new company, Project West, as their Director of Government Affairs and Public Relations, where he’ll help lead a greenfield project start up of a new trona mine and processing facility. Craig is active in the community and has served on several boards and committees, including: GRHS Booster Club, Green River Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Sweetwater County Treatment Court, Wyoming Business Alliance, Wyoming Taxpayers, Wyoming Skills USA and the Flaming Gorge Days Committee. Craig is a graduate of the 2013 Class of Leadership Wyoming. Craig has two adult children. Colter majored in Business Administration and graduated from Carroll College. He and his wife Julie live in Green River where he is a safety manager for Simplot and Shyann received her Masters of Special Ed at University of Northern Colorado and her bachelors from University of Wyoming. Shyann is a Special Ed teacher in Laramie. Craig enjoys spending time in the outdoors hunting, boating on the Gorge, scuba diving in the Caribbean and spending time at his cabin in the Wind Rivers.
leslie shakespeare, fort washakie, class of 2017
Leslie Shakespeare is the current Bureau of Indian Affairs Superintendent at the Wind River Agency located in Fort Washakie WY, that serves the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes. All his duties and actions in that position and throughout his professional career have been implemented in an informed and sensitive manner, respectful of tribal sovereignty and the traditional and cultural values, beliefs and principles of tribal members and governments. Shakespeare has been committed to bettering his reservation community since graduating from college and returning home to use his skills to serve his tribe and the reservation as a whole. He served as a Juvenile Probation Officer with the Eastern Shoshone Juvenile Services for five years then served as the Director of the department for another three years. He left that position to become a Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer committed to keeping the reservation safe. Shakespeare left that position after four years to continue serving his Tribe and community at a higher level as the Wyoming Governor’s Tribal Liaison and most recently served as the Vice-Chairman of the Eastern Shoshone Business Council. Shakespeare is a proud alumnus of the University of Wyoming graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice in 2002 then receiving a Masters of Public Administration from Norwich University in 2007. He is the father of two daughters and two sons.
Tim Sheppard, Cheyenne, Class of 2007
Tim retired from the Army after a 40-year career which included serving as the Chief of Staff for the Wyoming Army National Guard. As an Army Engineer, he enjoyed completing construction projects throughout Wyoming and the world. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission. Along with serving as the immediate past governor for the Rocky Mountain District of Kiwanis; president of the board of directors for Raising Readers in Wyoming; vice-president of the board of directors for the Cheyenne After School for Kids program and as president of the board for the Cheyenne YMCA. He holds a MS in Strategic Studies from the Army War College. He is married with seven children, including two sets of back to back twins. Tim graduated from Leadership Wyoming in 2007.
JOHN WETZEL, POWELL, CLASS OF 2020
John Wetzel attended the University of Wyoming graduating in 1985 with Wyoming infused in his heart. He left to get master's degree in Graphic Communications from Clemson University in South Carolina. John traveled Europe for several months and 3600 miles on a bicycle before landing in Denver to start a career in the printing industry. Moving to Powell in 1992 community, family and children became the focus. John has worked in the publishing business ever since and continues his solid practice of community involvement serving on multiple boards. John served as a councilman in Powell for 11 years and is currently in his second four year term as Mayor. John is a graduate of the LW Class 2020. Longest class ever. Floating rivers, pheasant hunting and golfing occupy the remainder of his time these days.
JENNIFER WILMETTI, ROCK SPRINGS, CLASS OF 2019
Jennifer was born and raised in Rock Springs, Wyoming. As a student of Rock Springs High School, she had no idea that her alma mater would also become the place she would spend her career. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in secondary education and French, she returned home to do her student teaching and has spent her career as a social studies teacher, currently specializing in American Government and Psychology. A former University of Wyoming Alumni Association board member, she has also been the vice-president of the Sweetwater Education Association, and is the current chair of the Wyoming Council for Women. In a desire to contribute on the more local scale, she recently became the vice-chair of the Sweetwater County Museum board. She and her husband, Andy, enjoy traveling nationally and internationally and spending time on the family ranch on the Sweetwater River in Sublette County. Jennifer is a graduate of Leadership Wyoming, Class of 2019 (the Wolfpack).