10/07/2025
Full text of my speech to the Greater Cheyenne Chamber Of Commerce:
Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce B2B Expo Speech
“Oil is in the hearts of men, but it is first found in the minds of men.” [Pause.] My father-in-law, Herb Warner, wrote those words in Forest Oil’s annual report in the late 1980s, echoing geologist Wallace Pratt’s wisdom. [Slow.] Rooted in Wyoming, our state pulses with wealth: 100 million barrels of crude oil produced each year, nearly 40% of America’s coal from the Powder River Basin, and 90% of the nation’s soda ash from the world’s largest trona deposit near Green River. [Pause.] This is our sovereign wealth; oil, gold, coal in the hearts and minds of Wyoming’s people. [Pause.] Wyoming shines with that wealth, not just minerals, but the vision and grit of our community. Today, in this room, we’re working together to build and expand that wealth. [Pause.]
I’ve been an accountant for 38 years, a CPA for 30, and DAPCPA, in its 29th year, can truly say it is one of the cornerstones of Cheyenne’s business economy, serving nearly 3,000 clients.
Wyoming shaped me. I moved here in 1994, taking one step across an imaginary line from Colorado and finding myself in a whole different world. I found early on a city and a State that welcomed my family and welcomed our business. We had challenges early on, as every young business does, but we kept growing, based on continually working to get better. Better expertise, better service, and a demonstrably better product. Now, as we have gained a measure of success, we have changed our look, but continue the quest; Better expertise, better service and a better product. [Pause.] That’s Wyoming: where every challenge hides a vein of opportunity, where resilience runs deep in our roots.
Being a CPA is far more than compiling data. [Slow.] It’s about uncovering relationships; between numbers, within data, and with the clients we serve. We don’t just balance books; we find (and account for) the treasure in our clients’ hearts; their potential, their dreams. [Pause.] And, as an aside, I’m grateful for our competitors firms like MHP, RLR and every CPA across Cheyenne and Wyoming. [Slow.] As iron sharpens iron, they push us to sharpen our craft, to dig deeper, to serve better. To my fellow CPAs: Thank you! And I challenge you to continue igniting our profession’s possibilities, continue building the trust our profession commands and make it as enduring as Wyoming’s granite. [Pause.] And I want every business here to know: We see you; your ambitions, your struggles. And we can help.
To this end, DAPCPA has built an extensive resume of accomplishments. On your tables is a partial list of those. What I am proud of is that we have supported this community and this State for 29 years; not just through employment, but by helping to build and maintain our community. On top of that, we have been instrumental, through our work with the Legislature, in helping to bring a whole new technology sector into our State. DAPCPA, along with your Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, even helped to stop a destructive gross receipts tax AND a corporate income tax in successive years, both of which would have been terrible for our economy and created hidden increases in the cost of living for every person in the State. And we will continue to work for the financial health and success of this community (even if it means pushing our legislators to hear and understand the businesses that drive our economy).
As a by-product of our efforts, Wyoming is striking new wealth in a digital gold rush. Our state leads in the tech sector. AI is transforming business, crunching data at lightning speed. But, even though I personally have pushed for this revolution, I did so realizing the following truth: AI can’t find the wealth in your heart. [Slow.] It can’t sit across from you, hear your story, and craft a plan that breathes life into your vision. To businesses: Embrace this digital frontier: blockchain, crypto, AI - but partner with CPAs. We forge the human AND financial relationships that machines can’t, linking your past successes to the future you dream of.
This expo is a gold mine that DAPCPA is proud to sponsor. It is rich with possibility. [Pause.] Every handshake, every conversation, is a chance to create collaboration, innovation, trust. To my CPA colleagues: through the Chamber, through community events, we build bonds that endure. Please continue to support groups like the Chamber, LEADS and all community organizations. They’re more than gold; they’re a promise of Wyoming’s sovereign wealth; oil, gold, coal, and the unbreakable spirit of our people. [Slow.] “Oil is in the hearts of men, but it is first found in the minds of men.” Gold is in our hearts. Coal is in our hearts. [Pause.] And it starts with a vision; yours, mine, ours. Let’s unearth it together. [Pause.] Thank you.

