as a kind of human hair cosplay wig for black women, it is more light, soft and delicate and looks more transparent than normal lace, which can melt into our skin more perfectly, which makes the hairline more invisible and undetectable.

History

The citizens of Dubois have always felt great pride for the proximity, accessibility, and successful endurance of “our” herd, the Whiskey Mountain herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. In the late 1980s, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department was considering building a small-scale sheep observatory with interpretive signage in the Whiskey Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Around the same time, the Louisiana-Pacific lumber mill, which had been the primary engine driving the Dubois economy for decades, was faltering. 

The mill was forced to close in 1988, leaving the townspeople to wonder if their economy was facing imminent failure. Dubois needed something to encourage tourists to stop and stay in Dubois. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department also wanted an avenue for public education. One citizen suggested the construction of a bighorn sheep-themed visitor center directly in town rather than in the Whiskey Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area. In a rather remarkable effort of cooperation, a partnership developed that included a broad spectrum of private-sector and public-sector groups. 

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, the town of Dubois, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Wild Sheep Foundation (formerly the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep), the Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation, and many other entities and individuals contributed dollars, resources, talents, and guidance to construct the National Bighorn Sheep Center. The Center was opened to the public on July 3, 1993.

Board of Directors

Carolyn  Gillette
President

Carolyn grew up across the street from Central Park in New York City; this was her first wilderness area. The family camping and canoe trips of her childhood helped her to find a trail to Wyoming, where she encountered the Fitzpatrick wilderness area.

 

Steve Kilpatrick
Vice President

Steve lives in Dubois, Wyoming prior to living in Jackson for over 27 years. He grew up in Nebraska and earned a BS and MS in Wildlife Management from the University of Nebraska. His passion for wildlife and the backcountry come from working as a habitat biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the past 33 years in the Torrington and Jackson areas.

 

Kate Falco
Treasurer

Kate grew up in Scotland, attended Middlebury College in Vermont, completed an MBA at Emory University, GA, and ended up working as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia.  She first came to Wyoming in 1972 when the family came to the CM Ranch here in Dubois.

Al Gehrt
Secretary

Al spent much time in Wyoming growing up and significantly more following retirement. He and his wife, Sue, moved to Dubois in 2020. He graduated from Kansas State University in 1979 with a degree in wildlife biology.

Ryan Brock, PhD

Ryan grew up in the Colorado outdoors, but now lives in Reno, Nevada. Working as the youth education coordinator for the Wild Sheep Foundation part time, while also teaching 5th grade full time, his passion for connecting youth with the outdoors is evident.

Arthur (Art) Lawson

Arthur (Art) Lawson is the director of the Shoshone & Arapaho Tribal Fish and Game which is located in Fort Washakie, Wyoming on the Wind River Reservation.  He joined the Tribal Fish and Game Department in 2015 as a game warden.  Prior to joining the department, Arthur was a police officer with the BIA Police Department-Wind River Agency, he became a police officer to eventually become a game warden.

Robert Rogan

Rob was born and raised in New York and resides in Westchester County, a short distance from New York City.  While New York is where Rob call’s home with his Wife Erica and their three daughters Katelyn, Abigail and Nora, his love for the west has grown since he first stepped foot in the mountains over 3 decades ago!  Since that first climb, Rob heard the calling to remote places with fresh air, crisp water and dramatic views.

Bryan Sage

Bryan grew up in northern Illinois. He left Illinois and moved to Colorado in 1976 to be with family. He spent 21 years as a Systems Engineer for the MITRE Corporation located in Colorado Springs. Bryan earned his BS degree in EE from Chapman University. He concluded his education with classes in Space Systems and their Environment (Astrophysics) through the MITRE Institute.

Staff

Mychailia
Outreach Coordinator
[email protected]

Before moving to Dubois in August of 2022, Mychailia lived in Mesa, AZ with her now fiancé. Upon moving to Dubois, Mychailia realized just how much she missed Wyoming. With being a Wyomingite through and through since she grew up in Gillette it felt good to be back in her home state. Being back meant she could get in tune with all that Wyoming nature has to offer, especially the fishing, swimming in a local lake with her dogs, and her all-time favorite, camping. Not only can she be in tune with her outdoor hobbies, but she can take inspiration from the surrounding areas and pour that into her art. Whether it be designing decals with her Cricut, creating a digital art piece on her iPad, or breaking out her pencil and paints. She hopes to one day create and sell stickers inspired by wild sheep. With her background in sales, inventory, group management, and administrative duties, her love for working at the National Bighorn Sheep Center grows with each passing day; she’s never felt more at peace with a job than she does now. As her time with the Center continues, Mychailia hopes to stick with her Sheep Family for years to come. She is currently pursuing a degree from Black Hills State University in Business Administration – Marketing.

Amanda Verheul
Interim Executive Director/ EcoTour & Brand Manager
[email protected]

Amanda joined the Center in 2023 after spending 15 years living and working as the business manager at Ring Lake Ranch. The Torrey Valley and its wilderness are what she considers her back yard. Before moving to Dubois in 2008, Amanda was an executive for Target Corporation managing different retail stores in Saint Louis, MO. Amanda grew up in Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin EauClaire with a bachelor of science studying communications and business management. In 2004 she spent 6 months in Scotland studying ecology and fell in love with the outdoors and wild lands. Amanda along with her husband Ben are working with the Sheep Center to create local, ethical, and memorable outdoor experiences. She is currently the President of the Dubois Chamber of Commerce and the leader of our local Girl Scouts Troop 1204.

Jonah Witonski
Natural Resources Intern – Dubois High School

Jonah Witonski is a Junior at Dubois High School. He chose to participate in this Internship at the Bighorn Sheep Center because it would strengthen his social skills, organizational skills, and it would demonstrate good life attributes. He can use these important fundamental skills in future academic studies in college or in a future occupation that might require the use of these abilities. He can also use the National Bighorn Sheep Center to learn more about the bighorn sheep that live in and around Dubois to gain a better knowledge of the nature surrounding his town. He is really looking forward to spending a year with the National Bighorn Sheep Center and cannot wait to fulfill his goals with this internship!

Anna Miller
Gift Shop Associate

Anna joined the Center in 2023 after moving to Dubois from Casper, Wyoming. Anna has lived in Wyoming her entire life and has a degree in Agriculture Communications from Casper College. While in Casper, Anna worked for the City of Casper’s Recreation Division where she was the Adult Recreation Coordinator for the Casper Ice Arena.

Anna enjoys the outdoors, specifically hiking and trail riding with her horse, Foxy. Although in the winter you will find her on the ice playing hockey.

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