The Wyoming Outdoor Council’s new administrative assistant Kathy Sanderson grew up in Crowheart, Wyo., living behind the old M&R Grocery Store.

“I remember tourists would stop by on their way to Yellowstone in the summer,” Kathy recalls. “I used to wash the windshields of cars full of people on vacation and get so envious. I wanted to go too.”

Eventually Kathy did leave. She spent most of her adult life in Minneapolis. Last August, she came back to Lander for good.

“I have roots here,” Kathy says. “My grandfather arrived in Wyoming in 1886. He voted for statehood even though he wasn’t of age. I still have family here and that is the main reason I came back.”

Kathy joined the staff at the Wyoming Outdoor Council this spring. She says her experience working as a legal secretary, particularly as a patent secretary, has given her perfect skills for juggling the various demands of conservation work. Already her eye for detail and deadlines is helping keep us on track.

“I didn’t know anything about WOC before I got this job,” Kathy says. “I was looking for something full-time with benefits, but the more I get to know about the organization, the more I think it is a good place to be. Our work is in line with my thinking about what is good for Wyoming.”

Kathy says her dog Ebony is the “love of her life.” Plus she enjoys the cultural offerings found in Lander and the surrounding area. According to her, there may be more going on in Minneapolis, but it’s a heck of a lot cheaper and more fun to take advantage of things here.

Welcome, Kathy!