With construction underway and many of the foundational pieces of the organization in place, board member James Klessens says the Wyoming State Shooting Complex Joint Powers Board should look for a professional shooter or someone with range management experience to fill an open board position. 

Board member Cindy Thomas, an at large member originally appointed by the Park County commissioners, resigned a few days before the Feb. 12 board meeting, telling the board she wasn’t going to have the time she thought she would to be in Cody and assist with the complex. 

Thomas had been the head of the operations committee and focused in part on the financial aspects of the organization. 

She’s the second original board member to have left, the first being Jim Saubier, who had led the design committee. Saubier was replaced by Phillip Velayo, a competitive shooter based in Cody.

With the board aiming to bring in shooting events once the complex is open, Klessens said another competitive shooter could be helpful. 

“Now we're getting ready to start looking at recruiting events and setting up venues that really provide that quality experience, and so maybe we need more shooters,” Klessens said. “Now remember, we were criticized for having too many nonshooters on the group, so we might want to think about some people with some [competitive shooting] experience or range operations.”

The current board makeup includes a diverse array of experiences, from banking to economic development, a lawyer, the curator of the Cody Firearms Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody Mayor Lee Ann Reiter and Park County Sheriff Darrell Steward.

As this opening is an at large position, there is no requirement for who the county appoints.