July 14, 2022 Meeting Summary

 

Rotarian of the Week: Kelly Neville nominated Kelly Wolfe, Tom Wolfe, and Dave Hansen for all their work on Jubilee Days; Jenny Eisenhauer nominated Tim Eisenhauer and John Bard for their work with RYLA.

 

Rotarian of the Month: Jaime Stine

 

Special Presentation: President Terry exchanged Rotary club flags with Louisa Hatfield from the Los Cabos club.

 

Kerry Greaser celebrated a birthday with a donation to the club foundation.

 

 

 

Introduction: Hanna Eslinger

 

Dan McCoy shared a few Wyoming tourism numbers. Direct travel-spending totaled $1.17 billion in 2021. Direct travel-tax revenue increased to $96 million in 2021. Direct travel-employment increased to 2,170 jobs in 2021.

 

Tourism is the second largest economy builder industry in Wyoming. It is the largest single employment sector with over 30,000 jobs. Wyoming also has a high recreation value; it is one of the highest in the U.S.

Challenges and opportunities are different across the state for tourism. Teton County sees about 20 percent of all tourism, whereas Niobrara County sees less than 1 percent. Albany County ranks sixth with 7.72 percent.

 

UW is expanding efforts to support tourism. It offers a BS in Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management, a hospitality minor, an outdoor guide certificate, and the WORTH initiative.

 

Over 120 students have successfully completed the guiding certificate, which is online and self-paced.

 

The WORTH initiative is designed to expand and diversify the economy through tourism. The initiative was proposed in 2020 and became one of UW’s new three initiative in 2021.

 

It is still in the process of being structured, but it will include a tourism ambassador program to help sell Laramie to tourists. It will also work in applied research related to resident tourism sentiment surveys, a tourism intercept survey, and tracking impact.

 

For funding, WORTH received support from the state, as well as $3.14 million from the Wyoming Innovation Partnership in 2022. It will also approved to receive block grant funds. Over time, the state generated funds will be going away, and WORTH wil sustain using self-generated fees, grants, and assistance from UW.

 

Response: Don Prehoda

 

Of the things we think, say, or do

•Is it the Truth?

•Is it Fair?

•Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?

•Will it be Beneficial to All Concerned?

 

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

•FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

•SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

•THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;

•FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

 

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Spoke Editor: Caitlin White, 307-630-1965, cwhite@acplwy.org