YANCY BONNER
 
A fifth-generation Wyoming native, Yancy Bonner has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wyoming and a Master of Arts degree in interior architecture and design from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Prior to launching her design career, Yancy worked as the design and home show coordinator for Western Interiors + Design magazine and as the managing editor of a local community newspaper. Yancy also served for many years on the board of directors of By Western Hands, an organization dedicated to helping sustain the creation of decorative and functional art using designs and techniques influenced by the American West. She currently serves as a national advisory board member for the University of Wyoming Art Museum. When not immersed in the art of creating beautiful spaces, Yancy enjoys traveling, cooking and spending time recreating in the wilds of Wyoming with her young daughter and her husband. 

KONNE RIFE
 
The University of Wyoming has been an important part of my life, both personally and professionally. I graduated UW in 1982 with a degree in education. I have had the opportunity work in my profession in multiple ways: teacher, administrator, non-profit director, and as an education manager for the Department of Corrections. While attending UW, I was a member of the Residence Hall Council, served as President of White Hall Senate and was a resident assistant at Hill Hall for two years. I have served on multiple boards: Tax and Lodging, Chamber of Commerce, and Wyoming Child and Family Development. My husband and I are lifetime alumni members. We are also members of the Cowboy Joe Club. It is my time to give back! I would be honored to serve as a UWAA board member.

RICK VONBURG
 
Hello UWAA members!! I am so excited to run for a UWAA Board position. I am grateful for all of the doors that have opened for me because of my UW education. I feel this is a perfect way of giving back. Monetary investment is one form of appreciation, but personal time and effort is another important one. I think connections are the most valuable element of a thriving, successful Alumni Association. If elected to the Board I pledge to explore as many possible ways of creating, establishing, and strengthening opportunities for connections as I can. I have some ideas and would certainly be open to all input from Alumni members. A strong alumni supporting organization will create a foundation for future University of Wyoming growth and expansion. My whole life has been dedicated to education and our efforts must be devoted to providing the best for future generations of students. I would genuinely appreciate your support and your vote. GO POKES!!!

BRECK WAGSTAFF
 
My name is Breck Wagstaff- I am a proud UW graduate from the class of 2007 and a lifetime Wyomingite. I currently reside in Douglas with my wife Taylor and our two daughters, Ellie and Brynn. The Alumni Association has played a big role in my family as my mother was a past president, my father was a board member and both my older brother, and I served on the Wyoming Student Alumni Association while we attended college in Laramie. My passion for the Alumni Association goes far beyond the family heritage associated with it, and is driven by a genuine feeling of pride and passion for the University. The possibilities are endless for anyone who chooses to attend The University of Wyoming. The opportunities for future students, both during their time in Laramie and for the years to come after graduation, are vast. Helping to grow our next generation of leaders and better those possibilities for our youth is a driving passion of mine. Having two daughters I see their future attending school in Laramie and that gives me an immense feeling of hope, pride and excitement. This excitement is for my girls' future, as well as that of the University's. The coming years for the University are bright, and I sincerely hope to help continue with the mission to embrace the past while growing for the next generation of Cowboys.

DAVID EMERY
 
David R. Emery retired in 2020 as Executive Chairman of Black Hills Energy (NYSE: BKH), a utility company headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, which serves nearly 1.3 million electric and natural gas utility customers in eight states, including Wyoming. He was employed by Black Hills for more than 30 years, serving as Chairman and CEO for nearly 16 years. Prior to Black Hills, he was a petroleum engineer for Union Pacific Resources in Colorado, Wyoming and Texas. Emery holds a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Wyoming and an M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota. He is a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Wyoming and currently serves on the College of Business Advisory Board and the Energy Resource Council for the School of Energy Resources. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and is active in state and community affairs, currently serving on three gubernatorial-appointed boards in South Dakota and one in Wyoming, plus various charitable and non-profit community organizations. Emery and his wife Deanna (B.S. in Education from UW) reside in Rapid City and have two grown sons, one of whom is also a UW graduate.

PATRICK JAMES
 
Patrick James has experienced the true value of a Wyoming education. After graduating from Rock Springs High School, Patrick began work in the mining industry in Southwestern Wyoming. He then returned to academia as a non-traditional student graduating from Western Wyoming College before achieving both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wyoming. Professionally, he has held several senior Corporate leadership positions in the mining and energy industries. Patrick is currently the Associate Director, Center for Mine Safety & Health Excellence at the University of Utah where he is also a member of the adjunct faculty. He resides in the Salt Lake City area with his wife and son and also has children and grandchildren in Rock Springs and Gillette.