Governor Matt Mead recently announced the appointment of Willow Street Group Founder Barbara J Hoeft to the Wyoming ENDOW Executive Council. ENDOW, an acronym for “Economically Needed Diversity Options for Wyoming” was created and funded during the most recent session of the Wyoming legislature.

In February, lawmakers approved an ENDOW budget of $2.5 million. On April 20, Mead selected 25 businessmen and -women to act as ENDOW’s executive council and develop a strategy to build a sustainable, diversified and value-added economy by growing manufacturing, technology and knowledge-based industries in Wyoming by 2038.

“These individuals are among Wyoming’s best and brightest,” Mead said when announcing the executive council, “and they have agreed to contribute their time and expertise to help Wyoming. Their insights will be invaluable as we work to encourage the expansion and diversification of Wyoming’s economy. I am interested in an approach that contains defined targets with flexibility to be implemented in any area of the state.”

Ms. Hoeft will represent the Wyoming Trust and Financial Services sector and is looking forward to participating in the initiative. “Wyoming is considered one of the best jurisdictions in the country in which to situs a trust and is one of only two states that offer both regulated and unregulated Private Family Trust Companies. This low-impact industry has high paying jobs and I believe represents a great opportunity for Wyoming.”

Other members of the Council include entrepreneurs from the tech industry such as Jerad Stack of Breakthrough307, an angel investment fund for Wyoming start-ups and Matt Kaufman, co-founder of Array School of Technology and Design, a coding school in Cheyenne. Hess Corporation COO Greg Hill acts as Co-chair of the Council and the Chairs of both the Senate and House Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committees and Jesus Rios, Sheridan’s City Council President bring experience from the public sector.

Barbara Hoeft is Managing Partner of Willow Street Group located in Jackson, Wyoming. The firm works closely with multinational and Wyoming families and their advisors to provide Private Family Trust Company and Trust Administration services.