Leadership For Tomorrow: Starting Now

University of Wyoming Casper
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Brought to you by the University of Wyoming at Casper, this podcast is your go-to resource for cultivating the leadership skills you need today to shape a brighter, more impactful tomorrow. Each episode features interviews with inspiring leaders from across Wyoming, sharing their stories, insights, and strategies for leadership and success. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just beginning to step into your potential, this podcast will empower you to lead with purpose, adapt to change, and make a lasting difference in your community and beyond.

  1. #25 Kristy Oster - Director of Community Engagement, Natrona Collective Health Trust

    Jun 9

    #25 Kristy Oster - Director of Community Engagement, Natrona Collective Health Trust

    Kristy Oster is the Director of Community Engagement at the Natrona Collective Health Trust, where she brings people and systems together to better support individuals navigating the justice system, behavioral health challenges, and moments of crisis. She spent more than 20 years with the Wyoming Department of Corrections, primarily in Probation and Parole, where she gained a firsthand understanding of the complexities people face when trying to rebuild their lives. But what truly shapes Kristy's leadership is her own lived experience. Experiences that have given her a deep sense of empathy, resilience, and a genuine understanding of vulnerability. After retiring, she continued working directly in the community as a case manager, and today she facilitates the Natrona Council for Safety and Justice, bringing together law enforcement, healthcare providers, and community organizations to create real, coordinated solutions around reentry, housing, and behavioral health. Kristy is known for her ability to connect people, build trust, and move ideas into action. She leads with empathy, but also with a clear belief in accountability and possibility. At the end of the day, her work is rooted in a simple idea: when we truly understand people, we can build systems that actually work for them, and that changes everything.

    37 min
  2. #24 Elissa Campbell - Executive Director for the Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care

    Jun 9

    #24 Elissa Campbell - Executive Director for the Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care

    Elissa is a Wyoming native, University of Wyoming alum, and serves as the Executive Director for the Wyoming Foundation for Cancer Care. Elissa also owns and operates Elevate Wyoming, which provides professional development training in partnership with Leadership Casper. In 2024, Elissa was elected as the State Legislature Representative for House District 56 and was sworn into office January of 2025. In this capacity, Elissa serves on the Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, Tourism, and Cultural Resources Committee, as well as the Air Transportation Liaison Committee. Actively engaged in our community, she is also a proud Rotarian and volunteers her time with Casper's Sleep in Heavenly Peace and Youth Crisis Center.

    36 min
  3. #23 Amy Womack - Director of Grassroots Operations for the Wyoming Chapter of Americans for Prosperity

    Jun 9

    #23 Amy Womack - Director of Grassroots Operations for the Wyoming Chapter of Americans for Prosperity

    Amy Womack is a seasoned political strategist and grassroots leader with a strong track record in campaign operations and civic engagement. She currently serves as the Director of Grassroots Operations for the Wyoming chapter of Americans for Prosperity, where she leads volunteer mobilization, community outreach, and voter engagement efforts across the state. In this role, Amy helps translate policy priorities into effective, people-centered advocacy, and build relationships that amplify citizen participation in the political process. Prior to her work with Americans for Prosperity, Amy has worked with many local, statewide, and most notable federal candidates from U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop to Representative Liz Cheney in Wyoming, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska and U.S. Representative French Hill in Arkansas. She is sought out for her ability to manage key aspects of campaign strategy and grassroots outreach, including managing up to 650 volunteers across the state. Known for her hands-on approach to community engagement, Amy has organized and led numerous events, canvassing initiatives, and voter outreach programs, helping to connect campaigns and advocacy groups.

    25 min
  4. #22 Greta Maxfield - CEO of Make-A-Wish Wyoming

    Feb 11

    #22 Greta Maxfield - CEO of Make-A-Wish Wyoming

    Greta Maxfield is the CEO of Make-A-Wish Wyoming. Greta is passionate about the impact of non-profit organizations and communities, as well as social work education, with a master's in social work focused on non-profit leadership. Greta has spent most of her professional life in the nonprofit sector, including organizations focused on youth and family development, housing stability, and volunteerism and philanthropy. She has also taught in the Division of Social Work with the University of Wyoming since 2015 in the classroom, online, and as a field instructor. She has an incredibly supportive husband and a kiddo who is currently attending law school. She enjoys caring for her family, playing with her two dogs, reading, yoga, hiking and traveling.

    23 min
  5. #21 Dr. Amanda DeDiego - Interim Dean at the University of Wyoming at Casper and an Associate Professor of Counseling at the University of Wyoming

    Feb 11

    #21 Dr. Amanda DeDiego - Interim Dean at the University of Wyoming at Casper and an Associate Professor of Counseling at the University of Wyoming

    Dr. DeDiego is an interim dean at the University of Wyoming at Casper and an associate professor of counseling at the University of Wyoming. She has a PhD in counselor education from the University of Tennessee and a master's in community counseling from the University of North Georgia. She's a licensed professional counselor and licensed auricular accomplished. As a researcher, she's committed to exploring contributions to health disparities in mental health care at various systemic levels and understanding issues of health equity for marginalized and underserved communities. She was featured as the mental health expert in Wyoming PBS series titled, A State of Mind: Confronting Our Mental Health Crisis, and has testified as a licensed professional counselor for the Wyoming legislature of issues of mental health needs and access in the state. She has also met with federal legislators and staff to address mental health access and workforce needs nationwide. Leadership has consistently been an important aspect of her career. In 2019, she was recognized by the American Counseling Association with the Robert H. Rankin Emerging Professional Leader Award. She has served in leadership positions for the American Counseling Association, Kai Sigma Iota International Honor Society, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Association for Creativity and Counseling, and Wyoming Counseling Association. She currently sits on the board for the Natrona Collective Health Trust, a non-profit organization with the largest private endowment in the state of Wyoming, dedicated to healthcare equity and access in Natrona country. She also sits on the board for the American Counseling Association, an international organization with over 60,000 members.

    32 min
  6. #20 Lucy Pauley - Coordinator of the Wyoming Agriculture and Natural Resource Mediation Program

    Feb 11

    #20 Lucy Pauley - Coordinator of the Wyoming Agriculture and Natural Resource Mediation Program

    Lucy is the coordinator of the Wyoming Agriculture and Natural Resource Mediation Program, which operates out of Wyoming Department of Agriculture in Cheyenne. The program provides mediation, facilitation, and other alternative dispute resolution services for individuals and organizations involved in a wide variety of conflicts including farm predate, grazing permits, water disputes, neighbor-to-neighbor conflicts, ag family issues and more. She has more than 20 years of experience mediating a wide variety of agricultural disputes and workplace conflicts. Lucy is also a certified farm succession coordinator and is available to help Wyoming farm and ranch families work through the succession planning process. Lucy grew up in Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor's in animal sciences in 1995. She received her master's degree in public administration from UW in 2004 and has served and worked for the Department of Agriculture since 1996.

    29 min
  7. #19 Dr. Nick Whipps - Interim Director for the City of Casper's Parks Recreation Dept.

    Feb 10

    #19 Dr. Nick Whipps - Interim Director for the City of Casper's Parks Recreation Dept.

    Dr. Nicholas is a municipal leader and community builder who believes that connection, clarity and encourage are at the heart of growth. He currently serves as an interim director for the city of Casper Parks Recreation and Public Facilities Department, where he overseas initiatives that enrich community life, promote wellness, and strengthen civic pride. A passionate advocate for parks, recreation, and public spaces, Nick believes that thriving communities begin with the places and programs that bring people together, where families connect, neighbors engage, and individuals find purpose through shared experiences. His work focuses on creating environments where people and communities can truly flourish. Nick is also the founder of WIPs Consulting, LLC, through which he has delivered leadership development programs, keynote talks across higher education, government and nonprofit. While his focus is currently fully on his work with the city of Casper, Nick continues to share insights through his active leadership blog where he writes about growth, motivation, and the human side of leadership. Nick's journey has been shaped by perseverance and faith.

    34 min
  8. #18 John Jorgensen - Wyoming Reads Founder

    10/16/2025

    #18 John Jorgensen - Wyoming Reads Founder

    John Jorgensen is the proud father of five adult children and eight grandchildren. He retired in 2015 after a career of nearly 50 years in banking, finishing as president of Hilltop Bank. John became active in community affairs after moving to Casper in 1987, serving on numerous boards, including the Casper College Foundation Board for 35 years. On June 28th, 1996, John's wife, Dr. Sue Jorgensen, died in a tragic automobile accident. At the time of her death, Sue was serving as the first director of the newly created elementary education degree program at the University of Wyoming at Casper. She left behind five young children, the youngest of whom had just completed kindergarten. The Sue Jorgensen Library Foundation was established to keep Sue's memory alive for her children and for the community. What began in 1999 as Wyoming Reads reflects her passion for literacy and young children. This literacy celebration has grown and spread to other states beyond Wyoming and has been a statewide Wyoming celebration since 2006. In 2024, the Wyoming State Legislature passed the legislation declaring that the third Tuesday in May, a state holiday, Wyoming Reads Day. Since its inception, more than 155,000 personalized hardbacks have been distributed to Wyoming first graders. When considering these efforts of communities and other states, the number of books placed in the hands of children exceeds 300,000. The Jorgensen family has also presented an award each spring to the outstanding graduating student in the UW-Casper Elementary Education degree program. Next spring will mark the 30th consecutive year of presenting that award.

    25 min
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About

Brought to you by the University of Wyoming at Casper, this podcast is your go-to resource for cultivating the leadership skills you need today to shape a brighter, more impactful tomorrow. Each episode features interviews with inspiring leaders from across Wyoming, sharing their stories, insights, and strategies for leadership and success. Whether you're a seasoned leader or just beginning to step into your potential, this podcast will empower you to lead with purpose, adapt to change, and make a lasting difference in your community and beyond.

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