The new year is bringing in some new faces to the City of Laramie’s leadership lineup. Four new members have been appointed to the City Council, joining five returning Council Members that make up the nine-person body. The City Council oversees longtime City Manager Janine Jordan to represent the Laramie community.

Meet Your City Manager

Janine Jordan is a fourth-generation Wyomingite who has called Laramie home for 30 years, 20 of which have been spent working on the City’s municipal government team. She was appointed City Manager in 2008 and has since championed many initiatives that have positively impacted the lives of Laramie residents.

“I feel deeply privileged to be able to work on community issues that can make a difference in people’s lives. We’ve been able to secure and invest more than $100 million dollars in infrastructure and economic development. Using seed monies from grants, the City has been able to support dozens of local businesses and recruit new companies to the community through programs like the Wyoming Smart Capital Network; even more gratifying has been meeting residents who were able to secure gainful employment with these businesses,” said Janine.

Meet Your City Council

William Bowling is a newly elected City Council Member with a background in arts, culture, education, and outdoor recreation. He is the Education Director for Relative Theatrics and runs a program that teaches theater arts and creative writing to three Albany County elementary schools. When Bowling is not teaching or working for the City he enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping in Snowies with his sweet one-eyed pup, Geraldine.

An avid outdoorsman, newly elected Council Member, Jim Fried, has worked in conservation and public service throughout his entire career. During his tenure at the Wyoming Conservation Corps Fried spearheaded numerous initiatives to build upon outdoor infrastructure, engage stakeholders, and solve problems across the state. Currently Fried serves as the Medicine Bow-Routt Program Coordinator for the National Forest Foundation.

Long-time Laramie resident and UW graduate, Matt Lockhart, owns the Human Bean, along with his wife. He enjoys serving and giving back to the community he loves. In addition to being a business owner, the Lockharts are raising two daughters here in Laramie. Lockhart sees the opportunity as another way that he can give back to the community and help Laramie continue to grow and thrive.

Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Wyoming, Melanie Vigil, rounds out the new additions to the Council. She holds a master’s degree in public administration. Melanie is a third-generation Laramie resident and is dedicated to serving the community. She and her partner, Jessi, live in West Laramie where they enjoy spending time volunteering with local organizations.

Join us as we welcome the new additions to the City of Laramie’s leadership team, and if you see them out and about be sure to say hi.