The new Park County Travel Council leadership is in place and making a commitment to transparency.

At the council’s monthly meeting last Thursday, held at the end of the annual retreat held at the Holiday Inn, new executive director Michael Wambolt was introduced for the first time and, amongst other topics, spoke of the need to do some local messaging to make sure county residents understand the functions of the entity. 

“We want to make sure residents around town know the work we’re doing,” he said in introducing a potential opportunity to work with the Cody Journal online magazine to provide public relations services (the matter will be discussed as part of discussions on the next fiscal year budget). 

The council has received criticism in recent years under past executive director Ryan Hauck over concerns about not being transparent enough, including from former board member and journalist Ruffin Prevost. 

At the meeting Thursday, board member Jake Ivanhoff raised concerns over the lack of transparency even between the executive committee and the rest of the board ahead of votes for a new executive committee. 

“I would like to add one thing, after being on the board for a year, one thing I've really noticed not being on the executive committee, we're kind of in the dark a lot,” he said. “So I would like to see a little more transparency from the executive committee to the other board members.”

Treasurer Emily Swett said the board members were also in the dark on a lot of what was happening with previous management. Quintin Blair, the former vice chair, said after being elected the new chair that under his and Wambolt’s leadership there would be more transparency. 

“I'm optimistic and I'm energized by the combination of institutional knowledge and fresh perspective that's around this area,” Blair said. “I think we're really well positioned to do great things. Jake, to your point, I think diversity, respect and open, honest communication is the recipe for any board or any organization to be successful, and we have plenty of that here. Going forward, it's going to be my focus to really put a lens on transparency, inclusion and collaboration."

Blair replaces John Parsons as the chair, after Parsons resigned earlier in the year. Swett was elected vice chair, Jill Hartmann of Powell as treasurer and Mike Keller of Yellowstone National Park as secretary. 

Blair said the expertise around the table is the council’s greatest strength, and his intention is to leverage that. 

“I appreciate everyone's effort in assuring that our collaborative voice is heard and that the standards that you expect regarding transparency and inclusion and collaboration from the executive committee,” he said. “If they're not, I want to hear about it.”