What’s New
News from the Cody Front Porch
Cody Country Chamber of Commerce Hires Jennifer Thoma as New Executive Director
A Banking and Finance Professional, Thoma Brings Over a Decade of Chamber Committee Volunteer Leadership Experience
Cody, WY - May 3, 2024 - The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Thoma as its new Executive Director, effective May 20, 2024. Thoma's extensive experience in banking, financial operations, and small business ownership, coupled with her passion for community development, uniquely position her to lead the Chamber into its next chapter of growth and prosperity.
“I am so excited to be your incoming Executive Director for the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce!” Thoma said, “Cody has stolen my heart and I truly believe moving here was one of the best decisions I ever made for myself and my family.”
Thoma has spent most of her career in leadership positions with regional and international banks based out of Missouri, and within those positions she volunteered for years in Chambers of Commerce committee leadership. Thoma remarked, “within these positions I had the opportunity to work extensively with a large Chamber in Columbia, Missouri in multiple volunteer leadership positions, as well as other Chambers in the greater St. Louis area.”
Specifically, her Chamber experience includes 10 years with the Columbia, MO Chamber as part of the Women’s Network Steering Committee, serving as both Committee Chair and President of that division. The Women’s Network division had over 300 member businesses at the time. Thoma was also Founding Co-Chair of the Emerging Professionals Division and served as a Chamber Ambassador for four years. Thoma said, “those organizations were integral to helping me grow and develop personally and professionally.”
She added, “after stepping out of banking in 2020, I have spent the last four years working for our family businesses leading administrative, marketing, and strategic planning efforts. This experience only furthered my passion for supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners, which I plan to focus on during my tenure as Executive Director.”
Thoma explained her leadership philosophy based on her experience, saying, “throughout my career I have repeatedly focused on three key strategies for success: First, establish a clear vision and strategic plan, so we know where we are headed and work together to get there. Second, ensure teams are taking the right actions to accomplish our goals, by eliminating non-productive work and creating systems and processes to make our jobs easier. Third, collaborate cross functionally to benefit from our collective strengths.”
Thoma concluded: “I feel these principles will help to enhance the strategy of the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce as we grow into the future thoughtfully and intentionally.”
The Cody Country Chamber of Commerce currently represents over 475 members across industries and strives to accomplish its mission to “represent the interests of its members and the entire business community, extend exceptional western hospitality and promote an unparalleled visitor experience.”
Yellowstone National Park - Road Information
The park is open for the season! The south entrance will be opening on May 17th, all other entrances are open.
The Beartooth Highway is still closed for the season. Check the Montana (https://www.511mt.net/) and Wyoming (https://www.wyoroad.info/) departments of transportation websites for road updates and status.
Stay informed
We encourage visitors to bookmark the Yellowstone National Park - Park Roads page for reference before visiting the Park. For up-to-date information, call (307) 344-2117 for recorded information, or sign up to receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone by texting "82190" to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions). Anticipate possible road closures due to inclement weather and dangerous driving conditions.
Visitors can also visit these webcams within the Park to gauge current weather conditions.
WYDOT Cody project on 14A & Blackburn St Intersection.
A $564,000 traffic signal project at the U.S. Highway 14A and Blackburn Street intersection in Cody is slated for an early March start.
"Work consists of installation of a new traffic signal system, including the removal and replacement of the existing curb, gutter and sidewalk to meet federal Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act requirements," said Wyoming Department of Transportation resident engineer Todd Frost of Cody.
Prime contractor is Casper Electric of Casper. Contract completion is June 30, 2024. The project is located at milepost 1.13 on US14A (Big Horn Avenue) where it intersects with Blackburn Street in the Cody City Limits.
Frost said the contractor is tentatively scheduled to begin work March 4. Scheduled work days will be 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week.
"Motorists should expect driving lane closures with minimal delays, as needed for construction, during working hours," Frost said. Project questions may be directed to WYDOT Resident Engineer Todd Frost, P.E., at (307) 587-2220, or by email at todd.frost@wyo.gov.
More information about this news release is available from WYDOT public relations specialist Cody Beers at (307) 431-1803.
Renewals - New Process for 2024.
Beginning in October of 2024, the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce will be changing its billing schedule for annual membership dues. All members will now receive their annual invoice to renew their membership in October. The idea behind this change is to make membership renewal a consistent event for all member businesses. We all know that Tax Day comes every April – likewise, we want to make it easy, so Cody Chamber Membership renewal will happen every October for all members.
This change will allow us to reach out to all members with focused messaging as the October renewal date approaches each year.
If your annual renewal date currently occurs in a month other than October, you will receive a prorated invoice to continue your membership until October 2024. Then, in October, you will receive a renewal notice for the full upcoming membership term of October-October.
For example, if you are a Pony Express level member ($325/year) and you usually renew in January, you will receive a prorated invoice of $243.75 to renew your membership for 9 months from January-September.
New members who join the Chamber during the year will also receive a prorated price based on the month that they join, which will reduce the up-front cost for new member businesses.
Thank you for your patience as we make this transition. We are confident that this change will strengthen our service to you and help us better serve our community of businesses.
We appreciate your continued membership!
Wyoming State Park Permits 2024
We are an authorized vendor for these permits. Locals - please bring along your vehicle registration information and your Wyoming driver's license to confirm your in-state residency. Additional vehicle or replacement permits registered to same household are only offered in person with proof of original receipt!
Right now they are running their annual 'early bird special' with daily use permits discounted to $42 until February 29th.
WY Resident Permit Fees for 2023:
$48 Day Use
$24 Additional Day Use Permits
$89.60 Overnight Camping (note that annual camping permits do not cover day use fees, you must also purchase a day use permit.)
$44.80 Additional Overnight Camping Permits
Non-Resident Permit Fees for 2023:
$96 Day Use
$48 Additional Day Use Permits
More information (and the option to purchase online) on State Park Permits can be found on the State Parks website. Annual day use and camping permits are available through Reserve America or by phone at 877-996-7275. Customers will receive a permit number at the time of checkout, and can expect permits to ship directly to them.
Wyoming Taxpayers Association
We had a great presentation from the WY Taxpayers! If you were in attendance at that luncheon (or were unable to make it) and would like to view the slides that were presented, please see this PDF file.
Other 2024 Budget Session Resources:
State Budget Department - Wyoming State Budget
Legislative Service Office
LSO Databook 2023 Data Book.pdf
Consensus Revenue Estimating Group
Introducing the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce retirement plan experience!
Cody Country Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing our members the right solutions for your businesses — solutions that bring you economy of scale, show clear value for money spent, save you time, help reduce risk, and help you show your employees that you value what matters to them. This benefit will be available to businesses large and small, as long as the business is located in Park County and is a current member of either the Cody Chamber or Powell Chamber.
That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Lincoln Financial Group to deliver a new, Cody WY Chamber of Commerce 401(k) program.
Here’s what you’ll experience with the new Cody WY Chamber of Commerce 401(k) program:
Access to potential pricing and service efficiencies — economies of scale
Less administrative work, as you hand off many of the responsibilities that come with running a 401(k), including filing Form 5500 and employee loans
Relief from many fiduciary obligations, while maintaining your current plan design — or changing to a plan design that works for you
Brown Cody Bucks - No Longer Valid or Exchangeable!
Brown Cody Bucks, last issued back in June of 2019, are no longer valid as of July 1, 2022. Due to changing banks and those new bank processing rules, we can no longer exchange ANY Brown Cody Bucks.
Cody Bucks should be used within six months of their date of issue. If you have outdated Green Cody Bucks, those are still valid for exchange at this time. If you possess Green Cody Bucks that are outdated, please stop by the Chamber to exchange them. For large quantities, we ask that you contact us in advance, so that we may prepare your exchange prior to your arrival.
Cody Bucks work like a pre-paid check, help ensure local spending and help feed our economy! Please, remember to use Cody Bucks within 6 months of the stamped issue date!
Cody Fireworks Committee - Support Information
The Cody Fireworks Show has been a celebrated tradition in Cody Country for a very long time. Over the years, the fundraising for our patriotic tradition has been through many changes… The constant however, is that the show depends on the support of the community; without it, the show simply would not go on.
The Cody Fireworks Committee is the latest group to take up the project of raising funds for our annual fireworks celebration. It is their goal to develop a long-term plan to ensure our celebration of independence continues.
Donations are tax-deductible and can be made to:
Payable to: Cody Community Foundation
With “Cody Fireworks Committee” in the memo of your check
Mailed to:
Cody Fireworks Committee
PO Box 1622
Cody, Wyoming 82414
Follow the Committee on Facebook for news about their progress!