In his small downtown office, Collin Kifer sat in front of his computer eating from a jar of generic peanut butter one spoonful at a time — like a bowl of thick soup — to keep his energy up.

“I love peanut butter,” he said.

The tall Texan with a infectious smile is in Powell as part of a program to help lift people and communities out of poverty.

In that vein, Kifer’s work involves one of his passions; outdoor recreation. He is active in many outdoor pursuits, from backpacking, rock climbing, hunting, birding, biking and hiking to a new passion; disc golf. His efforts are to help plan outdoor recreation opportunities in the area and help make it more accessible for a future workforce who might otherwise lack the invaluable local knowledge of the gems in exciting landscape. His main project is assisting with the Powell Economic Partnership’s (PEP) Rail Trail plan that will connect Park County communities.

“The trail would potentially be part of a really big system that would increase outdoor recreation access for people that have barriers; like people without vehicles,” Kifer said.

The project is still in the planning stages, currently looking into the feasibility a trail between the railroad tracks and the irrigation canal south of U.S. Highway 14A. PEP is Kifer’s sponsor and the nonprofit organization would be responsible for the stretch between Garland and Ralston. A Cody organization is responsible for the trail into the county seat.

Kifer receives a small stipend from the AmeriCorps VISTA program, so he’s not living high on the hog (which explains the generic peanut butter). His stipend is about 125% of the poverty level. PEP helps service members find housing and many of the organizations and businesses receiving service chip in a small amount for modest housing.

However, the rental market is tough in Park County and PEP is actively searching for housing opportunities in the city.

“Any landlords who may be willing to work with PEP to house VISTA members multiple years, please contact me,” said PEP Grants Manager Jessica Lum Williams, who administers the Powell VISTA program.

There are many benefits for Kifer and in accepting the challenge far from his hometown of Tool, Texas (population 2,275). The program requires a one-year commitment and after Kifer completes his term of service he can choose between a Segal Education Award (valued at approximately $7,400) to pay for a range of education expenses including student loans or future education, or an $1,800 cash stipend. 

Kifer and other young professionals accepting the challenge also have a unique opportunity to join the federal government as an employee.

Once members successfully complete their service, they receive one year of noncompetitive eligibility for employment in the federal government. This special hiring status enables members to apply for federal jobs with the advantage of not having to go through the standard public competitive selection process, find employment not available to the general public and a speedy application process.

Nationwide program

More than 7,000 AmeriCorps members in the VISTA program serve in every state and U.S. territory annually with the goal of making positive change in communities. Kifer is not alone in Powell.

There are currently four VISTA program service members in Park County and they are among 21 members who have served through a PEP sponsorship on 24 individual contracts. Four previous members served more than once and/or more than one year.

Key current projects include outdoor recreation to retain youth (like Kifer), local food connections, mental health awareness through equine therapy, environmental stewardship education and preserving working lands.

Williams has a background in federal grant writing and has been at PEP since 2019. She is proud of the work of Powell-area service members.

“PEP’s charge is economic development, which means stabilizing and supporting businesses, providing more jobs, diversifying the economy. In the long run, [these projects] fight poverty,” she said. “All of our sites are developing programs and services that vulnerable populations can use, which is specified in the grant, but also the entire community.”

Outdoor recreation is seen as a viable industry, helping to replace jobs that were lost in the energy and mining sector. According to the Park County statistics, local communities have lost nearly 50% of once available jobs in the sector since 2010.

“We’re looking at outdoor rec as an industry that could possibly fill the gap,” Williams said.

The goal is to increase access to outdoor recreation opportunities, both for local residents and for visitors. With access, visitors will stay longer and spend more money if they have a reason to stay here, Williams said. Studies have also found that future employees from the Gen. Z and Millennial generations are looking for a high quality of life, and outdoor recreational opportunities are often a big part of how they choose a community in which to live and work.

“[Growing] outdoor recreation will help to recruit and retain a better workforce for our industries and also help to provide a workforce for the outdoor rec [industries],” Williams said.

Another main goal is to bring viable professionals to Powell, she said.

“They add to the vibrancy and younger workforce community… Gen. Z and Millennials who work here, spend money here, and are involved in various aspects of the community in addition to their jobs,” she said. “They typically take jobs in their field of interest, so professionally they are still contributing to those industries by creating new programming, providing different perspectives and experiences and engaging with locals and visitors as advocates of our area.”

Making new residents

The program has brought several new resident professionals to Powell. About one-third of the college educated service members working with PEP have chosen to remain in the Powell area — employees who specialize in planning for a better future.

Former VISTA service member Sybil Tubbs, originally from Cullman, Alabama (pop. 22,250), is now Heart Mountain Interpretive Center’s museum educator. Tubbs was the third VISTA service member to serve the center.

The trio worked to develop educational programming for schools nationwide, including developing plans to make it less expensive (more accessible) for schools, said Cally Steussy, director of interpretation and preservation.

“She made strong contacts in the community and was integral here,” Steussy said.

The center created the full-time position because they found value in Tubbs’ role and wanted to make the position permanent, Steussy said.

Tubbs is proud of her service with VISTA and excited to have found a wonderful place to live and work. But on her way to Powell she had some second thoughts.

“I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, what have I done? There’s nothing out here,’” she said in her southern drawl. “But then, when I got to Powell and I saw there was a nice town and things to do, I felt a lot better.”

She said Williams helped find her a place to live and introduced her to folks around town. Tubbs then developed solid relationships, both professionally and personally, and decided she wanted to stay by the end of her service contract. She said the personal contacts helped make the decision for her.

“When I would go out to the community, people were very open and kind,” she said.

She knew about the city’s proximity to Yellowstone National Park and the plethora of outdoor activities. It didn’t take long for her to get introduced to the mountains due to planned monthly activities for VISTA members, led by Williams. Tubbs, who has a degree in public history and a masters in museum studies, had always wanted to come to Wyoming to visit the parks, but it was the job that made her more excited.

A legacy of projects

Williams said the VISTA members who have come to Powell have worked hard to fulfill their contracts and prepare for their next positions in the workforce.

“VISTA members are really responsible. I can go through every site and tell you what the VISTA has created during their time, programs that didn’t exist before,” Williams said.

She also found a lot of joy with her work administering the program.

“I love this job! I love getting to know all of our VISTAs personally and professionally. I can relate to the time of life they are in and the excitement of all of the possibilities life holds for them. I also relate to their desire to live and work in new communities and to serve them as I served in a state AmeriCorps Program for five months living in a tent at locations throughout Alaska,” she said.

Kifer, a 21-year-old Ohio University grad with a degree in environmental biology, is the last of three service members in the grant to improve access to outdoor recreation and help market the Rail Trail project for PEP. While the job is specifically geared toward improving access to the great outdoors, the number one goal for those working the program in Powell is to bring a young workforce to the city to keep the economy rolling.

One issue in Wyoming is brain drain, Kifer said. About 66% of University of Wyoming graduates relocate, and the majority of them don’t return after they leave.

“If we’re exporting young workers and we’re importing retirees, that’s not good for the workforce. It’s not good for economic development,” he said.

He too may find himself working in the region after he finishes his year of service in June.

“I’d like to be a federal biologist after my service. That’s part of the reason I chose AmeriCorps, since it’s a federal program that gives you eligibility for federal jobs,” he said. “It’s a huge advantage.”