The Park County Travel Council is working on a way to honor the outgoing head of the state travel council after she received a big national award. 

Diane Shober, the executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism, was recently awarded State Tourism Director of the Year for 2025 at a national conference. 

“It’s a very big deal,” board member Quintin Blair of Cody said. “It comes in the year of her retirement, but she’s earned it with blood and sweat over the past 28 years of a very high level career. Wyoming Office of Tourism has made tremendous strides throughout her tenure.”

Under her guidance, the Wyoming Office of Tourism expanded its budget from less than $3 million per year to nearly $20 million per year. In 2024, direct visitor spending in Wyoming was $4.9 billion — and Shober has seen consistent increase in year-over-year spending in her local economy. 

“She’s really been a supporter of our county since she started, and I’m old enough to know the day she came in,” said travel council chair John Parsons of Cody. 

She was announced as the honoree Aug. 18 before a thousand destination marketing professionals at the U.S. Travel Association’s annual ESTO conference — the premier annual gathering for destination and travel leaders, held this year in Phoenix. She was selected by her peers on U.S. Travel’s National Council of State Tourism Directors — a body representing tourism offices from all 50 states and U.S. territories. 

The award recognizes excellence in marketing, promotion and individual leadership within the honoree’s state. 

“Diane’s decades-long commitment to travel shows her passion for the state of Wyoming and the entire industry,” said Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, in a release. “Transforming the state’s tourism landscape with visionary leadership, Diane has fostered a legacy of innovation, economic growth and a deeper appreciation for Wyoming’s wonders and Western hospitality.”

Shober has led the state’s tourism strategy since June 2003. After 22 years of service, Shober is set to retire from her role at the end of 2025. 

Earlier in 2025 Shober was honored with the Big WYO Award, presented by Gov. Mark Gordon on behalf of the Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition (WHTC). This prestigious award recognizes individuals who have made a significant and lasting impact on Wyoming’s tourism and hospitality industries, acknowledging her two decades of exceptional leadership and vision.

Shober serves multiple boards, including those of the Western States Tourism Policy Council, the National Council of State Tourism Directors, the Wyoming State Fair Board and the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality Initiative, where she led the establishment and funding of degree programs at the University of Wyoming and community colleges, aimed at building a skilled workforce for tomorrow. She was appointed to U.S. Travel Association’s Executive Board in 2024 and served on the inaugural board for Brand USA — also serving with numerous professional and civic organizations throughout her life.