The Wyoming Business Council is wrapping up a summer of listening sessions around the state and preparing for a virtual statewide meeting August 13 aimed at gathering more feedback on economic development, jobs and growth, CEO Josh Dorrell shared.

He noted the council wants to hear directly from residents about what they need to stay in Wyoming and build careers here.

“What we’re hearing is that people want opportunities for new jobs and better jobs,” Dorrell explained. “And they’re also saying they want opportunities for their kids to be able to stay here.”

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The August 13 online session will bring together comments gathered during in-person meetings and let participants react to what the council has heard, he said. The session will also break into smaller groups to discuss what businesses, entrepreneurs and communities need to expand. “We’re all on Team Wyoming,” Dorrell expressed, adding that the goal is to “make sure that our families have opportunities for growth.”

Dorrell also addressed a third-party audit requested by lawmakers during the recent legislative session. According to him, the review found no misuse of funds, but it did note some documentation issues.

“It found nothing that was not spent in accordance with the statute or any wrongdoing on the financial side,” he said. “What it did find is that there were a couple instances where the documentation for those expenditures were not as complete as the auditors would have liked to seen it.”

He pointed to an example involving a hotel reservation that differed from the final bill by 86 cents. The council will tighten documentation procedures, especially for travel requests, he said.

Still, the audit confirmed the agency is a “trustworthy organization” and a “safe place to invest state funds in.”

Dorrell also highlighted recent housing infrastructure investments totaling $8.8 million in Douglas and Wright as an example of the council’s role in supporting growth. The money is not for houses themselves, but for water, sewer and other basic systems needed before development can happen.

“We’re just helping those communities pay for the water and sewer lines that they need,” he stated.

The virtual statewide listening session is open to all Wyoming residents; registration information is available on the Wyoming Business Council website (wyomingbusiness.org/). He said he hopes as many as 1,000 people will take part.