WBA 6-8-17
The Wyoming Business Alliance has hired a new president with an extensive experience in the energy, entrepreneurial, agriculture, and small business sectors, as well as local and state government.
Cindy DeLancey will lead the Wyoming Business Alliance (WBA) and Wyoming Heritage Foundation (WHF) starting in early June. DeLancey has decades of Wyoming experience working for BP America, as the Executive Director of the Wyoming County Commission Association, Carbon County & Prosecuting Attorney, as well as starting her family’s successful agri-businesses.
Bill Schilling who served WBA/WHF as president since 1986 announced in 2016 that he would be retiring from the president role. He will continue to lead Leadership Wyoming, an interactive leadership development and educational program on Wyoming’s communities and business economy.
DeLancey is an alumna of Leadership Wyoming and completed the intensive leadership program in 2010. She also was a Steering Committee member for the WBA/WHF from 2013-2016.
WBA/WHA Steering Committee Chairman Fred von Ahrens said DeLancey’s substantial knowledge and direct experience in Wyoming’s economy – in businesses both large and small scale, new and established – make her an extraordinarily skilled choice to lead our organization including launching our newest initiative, Wyoming Excels!
“We hit a home run with talent like Cindy DeLancey to lead Wyoming Business Alliance,” von Ahrens said. “These are challenging times. County by county, community by community, job by job, Cindy gets it. Her focus, energy, and commitment to Wyoming business will help move the dial forward to grow and diversify this economy for a better, stronger future statewide.”
Governor Matt Mead, himself an alum of the Leadership Wyoming class of 2010, praised Schilling, “Bill Schilling’s dedication and impact on Wyoming goes far beyond his leadership in the business community, I look forward to formally recognizing him for his service at our upcoming Fall Business Forum on November 8-9th of this year. Cindy DeLancey is a difference-maker, and she will be an asset to the Wyoming Business Alliance and Heritage Foundation. She is innovative and hard-working. I look forward to working with her.”
DeLancey said, “I am committed to building on the exceptional work of Bill Schilling; Bill is a Wyoming legend. We are at a unique period in Wyoming’s history. I look forward to working closely with the business community, our elected leaders, and local stakeholders in all 23 counties to create our next exciting chapter together.”
DeLancey is a 2000 graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law. Before joining the WBA/WHF, she served as the Executive Director of the Natural Resource Users Law and Policy Center at the University of Arizona. She also served as the Director of Government and Public Affairs for BP America’s Lower 48 Business in Wyoming. She was elected as the Carbon County & Prosecuting Attorney in 2006 and also served a Special Assistant United States Attorney as well as a Court Magistrate. DeLancey also served as the Executive Director of the Wyoming County Commissioners Association. DeLancey and her husband Dave have been married for 15 years and live in Cheyenne with their two children, Raegen (14) and Beau (11). The couple enjoys watching their children compete in rodeo events across the West and raising and training quarter horses.
DeLancey will hit the ground running and will connect with business leaders in rural communities as well as our state’s major cities to gain insight from business thought leaders on ideas so Wyoming can diversify and grow its economy while keeping our premier business climate.
Her initial focus will be on growing each of the three legs of the organization (WBA/WHF and Leadership Wyoming) and launching Wyoming Excels. DeLancey also will lead the organization through a strategy development process further leveraging synergies of WBA/WHF, Leadership Wyoming and Wyoming Excels to strengthen the business voice in growing and diversifying Wyoming’s economy.
She intends to diversify further the membership base of the alliance in areas such as technology professionals and rural entrepreneurs as technology and entrepreneurship is a “common denominator” of all business. DeLancey will develop a strong outreach and education program for the public to highlight the unique talents of our Wyoming entrepreneurs big and small. In addition to public outreach, alliance members will benefit from internal programming related to everyday business topics.
