How do you define leadership?

As the Paul Simon song goes, "these are the days of miracles and wonders." Bill Sniffin really believes that. He sees the new century as a time of great opportunity for people of Wyoming and for future generations. "With the right leadership, Wyoming is poised to become a unique and prosperous place for decades to come."

He is no stranger to leadership. He has been a leader his entire life, no matter what field he was working in or what position he was in. Whether it was the media business, the tourism industry, local economic development, his church or even his work as a mentor to younger employees - Bill Sniffin knows what leadership is and how to use it.

Wyoming's state government mirrors the national government in that there are three distinct branches - the legislative, the judicial and the executive. As governor, Bill would head the executive branch, a sprawling maze of divisions, commissions, councils and committees. This branch of government has 6,984 employees.

Such a job doesn't deter Bill from seeking the governor's office, in fact it is one of the reasons he is seeking it.

Staffing - "If you follow my career, probably the strongest asset that I have is my ability to surround myself with outstanding people," Bill says. And as leader of the executive branch, he thinks that will be one of his most important jobs.

He feels the present staffing in Wyoming State government is in pretty good shape. However, it could be anticipated that a number of key people in the present Geringer administration might want to leave after eight years in Cheyenne, which opens up opportunities for new people. Sniffin says he expects to get acquainted with all the key staff members and he doesn't plan to do a wholesale change in government staffing. "Why would we do that?" he asks. But he does say that a Bill Sniffin administration would reflect his entrepreneurial spirit.

Marketing - Another area of leadership is setting the tone for the state. Bill Sniffin has spent his entire business career in marketing. All the other gubernatorial candidates, combined, lack the marketing experience possessed by Bill Sniffin. He expects to put those skills to work in helping Wyoming to grow in key areas. Bill Sniffin is an admirer of George W. Bush and likes Bush's avowed effort toward bipartisanship. He says he will reach out to all Wyomingites and try to find "common threads where we can all work together," he says.

Original thinking - In business, Bill has learned that organizations must nurture innovation. Bill will bring a new approach to state government. He'll check out every area of state government to make sure goals are met.

Working together -- Wyoming is a collection of very different communities. Local officials occasionally contend the state treats local communities like second-class partners. Wyoming is only as strong as its counties and cities. Bill will bring a commitment to cooperation between state and local governments.

Accountability - Accountability is the watchword of any successful business. Bill has learned that organizations work best when leaders set clear goals, give employees the tools they need, let them do their jobs, and then hold them accountable for performance. As Governor, he'll bring that simple common-sense philosophy to managing the state workforce.

Bipartisanship - For too long, politics has been defined by the same old partisan battles between Republicans and Democrats. Bill believes that in going forward, the great debate will be between those policymakers who understand our changing economy and those who do not. Bill knows you can get a lot more done if you don't worry about who gets the credit. As Governor, Bill will be committed to working with people from both sides of the political aisle and bringing a new era of bipartisan cooperation to Wyoming.

"We live in a bold and challenging time," he says. As Wyoming enters this new century, our state could easily become a national leader in this new economy and these changing times.

To take the lead, Bill Sniffin thinks people need to respond to our moral responsibility to each other. "Too much is at stake if we get it wrong. Too many Wyomingites will be left behind if we fail to act. We must continue to think about our future generations. Ours is a moral responsibility to look beyond today to a Wyoming that our future generations will be proud of," Bill says.

"Dealing with these challenges won't be easy, but we must make a commitment to get it right. And we have to get it right now - because the decisions we make today will affect generations to come," he says.
We must not lose this opportunity. Our challenge is to accept that responsibility. Bill Sniffin believes that we can get it right and do it right here in Wyoming - and that we can do it together.

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Authorized by William C. Sniffin
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Bill Sniffin for Governor - P.O. Box 900 ­ Lander, WY 82520 (307) 332-3111, ext. 17