Wyoming Community Media – Executive Director Alan O’Hashi: Executive Director holds an MPA from the University of Colorado – Denver. In addition to his recent work in TV, movies, documentary and film festival production, he has a previous life that includes 20 years of finding creative solutions in local government and non-profit management and fund raising, economic and community development experience. He is no stranger to complicated multi-disciplinary projects.
Most recently, he served a full term as a member of the City of Boulder (Colorado) Planning Board 1999 – 2004 charged with implementing and enforcing city land use, zoning regulations. Developed long-range planning tools for public utilities, transportation, health and human services, parks and recreation.
Concurrently, he provided contractual consultation to Habitat for Humanity of the St. Vrain Valley (Colorado) where he worked in the community to establish collaborations to assist with housing construction. He developed a 2-acre HFH subdivision (wrote successful $62,000.00 HUD grant), including land acquisition, public improvement funding, processing subdivision through the city of Longmont planning department and city council. Wrote and administered a $93,000.00 HUD grant for three homes.
In Wyoming, he served as the Northern Arapaho Tribe, Community and Economic Development Director 1990 – 1993 when he managed tribal housing rehab program. Prior to that between 1980 – 1990, he was the Assistant to the Lander Mayor. He wrote successful $5 million in grants for public improvements – waste water treatment expansion, firehouse improvements, Poposia Senior Housing Project; developed the Smith Street Passive Solar Housing Project – coordinated joint effort between state of Wyoming, Fremont County School District #1, city of Lander, private lending institutions, USDA loan guarantee programs to construct public improvements for 20 passive solar houses. Also coordinated selection of eligible families to participate.
Out of graduate school he began his career in public administration as Administrative Assistant to the Gillette City Administrator where he was lead lobbyist for the successful $23 million Madison Water Project; Performed HUD CDBG citizen participation and grant writing duties. Wrote in successful grant and loan applications, including a $125,000.00 HUD grant for low-moderate income apartment house site development.
Jim Leach - President of Wonderland Hill Development
Wonderland Hill Development Corporation (WHDC) – Jim Leach is a professional engineer with more than 40 years of experience in the design, construction, and development of sustainable housing, cohousing, planned neighborhoods, and urban infill development. Throughout his career, Jim has led the industry in creating green building strategies and community-based housing that combine high-quality design with maximum value.
WHDC is the pioneer in cohousing development having completed 22 projects since 1993. Projects comparable in size to the Hynds Building Project are the 29-unit La Querencia in Fresno California and the Nevada City project in Nevada City, California. WHDC also has the Washington Village Project underway in Boulder, Colorado.
Jim Weaver - #1 Properties
#1 Properties – Jim Weaver: has broad experience with includes close to 40 years in Senior Executive positions with Fortune 100 Companies, as well as City Manager for some of the most prestigious cities in the Southwest. His business experience also includes owning and operating his own companies in various industries.
He brings those experiences, as well as his work disciplines and background of success to the #1 Properties where he has recorded over 80 Real Estate transactions resulting in over $20 million sales this year alone. In 1984, #1 Properties was founded with the vision of being the real estate brokerage in Southeast Wyoming that brings knowledge, exemplary professional service and community commitment to all aspects of real estate brokerage.
Over the last two decades, we have built a reputation for results based on that concept. #1 Properties consists of over 60 full-time real estate professionals who have an investment in their careers and their community.
Jim has been a spokesperson for the solar energy movement since the early 1980s and was active in the writing and review of the Boulder Energy Code. In 1997, Jim was inducted into the “Built Green Hall of Fame” by the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Denver. His award-winning neighborhoods have been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, National Association of Home Builders, National Council of the Housing Industry, Urban Land Institute, and The Congress of New Urbanism.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering and a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Colorado and a master’s degree in construction engineering from Stanford University.
Glen Garrett - AIA
Glen Garrett Architect AIA: Architect Glen Garrett AIA has maintained his professional studio and office in downtown Cheyenne since 1985. During that time, he has provided architectural services on most every major project in the past quarter century. He practices collaboratively with other professionals in the planning, design, and construction fields. Over the years he has specialized in rehabilitation of historic downtown structures though he does advocate and practice contemporary architecture in appropriate circumstances.
Glen helped develop the Union Pacific Railroad Depot project beginning with conception in 1984 while serving on the Charter Board of Director of the Cheyenne Downtown Development Authority, the first in Wyoming. He saw it through public awareness and consensus building in the 1980s, through funding and organizational development, and through master planning in the early 1990s. He teamed with other architects and engineers served as a principal architect through the many construction phases in mid and late 1990s. His team, The Depot JV, provided the architectural leadership to complete the entire building in 2005. He provided personal design for the Depot Entry, the Lobby Restoration, the schematic design of the entire building (except the restaurant), all the window restoration, the museum, the West Service (Utility) Core at the west, and the Subway Cover south of the Depot. All work provided complied with the Secretary of Interior Standards for Historic Rehabilitation through the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office.
Other significant collaborative downtown projects include the Carey Block Rehabilitation at Carey Avenue and 19th Street, The Colony Building Rehabilitation and Service (Utility) Core next to the Historic Masonic Temple, early planning on the Lincoln Theater, The Rocky Mountain Telephone Building at 17th Street and Capitol Avenue, The Plains Hotel Rehabilitation and tax credits, The Plains Hotel Lobby Stained Glass and Skylight, the Wyoming Home Historic Rehabilitation after the 2005 Fire on West Lincolnway, The Historic Tivoli Building at Carey Avenue and West Lincolnway, and the Lighting and New Skylights for the Legislative Chambers in the Historic Wyoming State Capitol Buildiing.
Since the late 1980s, Mr. Garrett has provided architectural and planning services for the various owners who have sought to develop the Hynds Building. Beginning with Al Wiederspahn, Glen assembled the original drawings of Architect William Dubois, developed various plans, and applied to the National Park Service for Historic Preservation Tax Credits.
His current work focuses on developing vitality in downtown by managing the non-profit corporation, LightsOn! LightsOn! envisions a campus downtown by creating a new economic anchor in downtown founded in education and built on the strength of the arts through the establish of an international mentor-artist in residency with student art studios located in the vacant buildings of downtown Cheyenne. In the past year, LightsOn! successfully raised the funds necessary to occupy the street level floor of the Hynds Building, removing the board on the windows and installing new ones. The Hynds was vacant for twenty-five years. The focus this year will develop the arts and education program inside the Hynds.
Glen received his Bachelors Degree in architecture from Washington University. He became a Registered Professional Architect by the State of Wyoming in 1982. He served the Wyoming Chapter of the American Institute of Architects from 1998-2000. His early experience doing patent drawings for an inventor gives him unique problem solving capabilities beyond conventional design and engineering practices. He has held six national records in freediving for swimming the longest distance underwater and represented the United States in a freediving competition in Japan.
