Ryan Hauck

The Park County Travel Council is losing its executive director. 

On Thursday, Ryan Hauck told travel council members that he was resigning to take a similar position in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In his resignation letter, first obtained by the publication Yellowstone Gate, Hauck said it was a decision he didn’t make lightly. 

“I am grateful for the relationships, experiences, and memories I take with me,” he wrote. “Please know that I remain committed to supporting a smooth transition in any way I can.”

Hauck asked to stay on through the week of June 30 to get through some important events and assist with the transition.

“I plan to do everything I can to make this transition easy and seamless for all of you,” he added. “I will help with any initiatives you see fit.”

Hauck had traveled to Arkansas earlier in the week to make his case for the Experience Fayetteville position, being among three finalists to participate in a Sunday meet and greet on Sunday and series of interviews on Monday. Fayetteville's Advertising and Promotion Commission unanimously voted to offer Hauck the job on Monday, and the development was quickly reported by the Fayetteville Flyer.

The news caught the Park County Travel Council off-guard and Hauck said Tuesday that he hadn’t made a decision.

“I’m 50-50, and I’m looking forward to moving forward with whatever is best for my family,” he told the Tribune at the time.

Hauck ultimately decided to accept the offer to lead Experience Fayetteville, informing the travel council at the end of Thursday’s all-day retreat and meeting.

Hauck’s pay package with Cody Yellowstone is in the $130,000-$140,000 range and he stands to receive a significant bump with the move south.

Fayetteville's Advertising and Promotion Commission set a salary range of $150,000 to $195,000 and, in addition to other benefits, has discussed a $3,500 car allowance and potential bonuses.

Hauck, a Wyoming native and University of Wyoming grad, spent time at jobs in Utah and Casper before taking the leadership role at Cody Yellowstone. He’s led the Park County Travel Council since 2021, when he was chosen among nearly 70 applicants to take over from longtime Executive Director Claudia Wade.

In the past few years, Hauck said the number of annual overnight visits in the county has risen from around 800,000 to nearly 1 million — and he noted that his team recently won a series of prestigious awards at a national conference. 

The council staff has grown from two to five positions during Hauck’s tenure. The fifth position, for a business development manager, is currently being advertised and Hauck told the council on Thursday that he would “pause the hiring process.”

At Experience Fayetteville, he’ll oversee a staff of roughly two dozen on a budget that’s nearly 30% larger than Park County’s.

Hauck helped lead the travel council through some tough issues, including a post-Covid tourist economy and floods that disrupted the 2022 spring tourist season in Yellowstone National Park. He did receive some public criticism, including over the purchase of a half-dozen transparent geodesic domes in Cody in 2022 and frustrations from the East Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce last year over how its North Fork lodges were being marketed. 

Council Chair John Parsons had expressed hope on Tuesday that Hauck would choose to stay in Park County. While the board member had identified some areas to improve on, Parsons said that Hauck exceeded all the goals they’d set for him.

“He definitely was a good investment,” Parsons said. “He has definitely improved our numbers.”

In his resignation letter, Hauck said he’d be willing to be involved with finding his replacement as much as the council would like.

“Being part of this organization has meant a lot to me, both professionally and personally,” he wrote. “I’m genuinely proud of what we’ve accomplished together over the last four years to support and grow tourism in Park County. The teamwork, the shared vision, and all the great work we’ve done together has been so rewarding for me.”