Gov. Mark Gordon has appointed Cheyenne attorney Caroline Shanor to the Wyoming Combat Sports Commission (CSC). Shanor is the first female member of the commission and its predecessor, the State Board of Mixed Martial Arts, which was created in 2012. Shanor is the founder of The Shanor Group, a female-owned and -operated oil and gas law firm. She was awarded Wyoming Women of Influence Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019.

“I am honored and humbled by Gov. Gordon’s confidence in me to carry out the duties of this position,” Shanor said in a statement. “I am a lifelong combat sports fan and look forward to the opportunity to help the industry continue to thrive in Wyoming.”

The Combat Sports Commission is an outgrowth of Wyoming House Bill 87, which Gov. Matt Mead signed into law in 2012. HB87 created the first in the nation State Board of Mixed Martial Arts, which regulated MMA events across the state. The law was changed this past legislative session to put boxing under the board’s purview, resulting in the name being changed to the Combat Sports Commission.

Former state representative and current Combat Sports Commissioner Bryan Pedersen, the sponsor of HB87, says “Shanor’s passion for combat sports is contagious. That combined with her expertise as an attorney and small business owner will add value to the combat sports governance process in Wyoming.”

So far in 2020, the commission has overseen numerous combat sports productions. The rise in events can be attributed to the reputation Wyoming has built as a premiere state to host combat sports events, the commission said in a news release.

“We hope to continue this growth trend because not only is it great for the sport and competitors, it provides an economic boost to the communities where the events are held — something all communities need now more than ever,” said Pedersen.