OUR BOARD

Sue grew up in a musical family playing the piano and flute and singing in numerous choirs with her family.  She has been active in the Pinedale music scene as a member of Sweet Harmony, Community Choir, Festival Choir, her church choir, and playing the piano and flute for many occasions.  She continues to be active in music as a member of Voices 8 and Sisters of the Heart, a hospice choir.   Sue has been honored to be a member of the Pinedale Theater Board since its inception in 2008 with “Sound Of Music” production and has participated in all of the productions singing or playing her flute in the orchestra.  Professionally, Sue obtained a BA in Zoology at The University of Wyoming,  a BS in Physical Therapy at The University of Colorado Health Science Center, and her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Rocky Mountain University.  She founded Proactive Rehabilitation & Fitness in 1989 and is currently celebrating her 34th year in business in Sublette County health care.  Sue enjoys being a member of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and currently serves on the boards of Foundation 23 and the Pinedale Half Marathon.  Sue is very grateful for her full life in Sublette County and relishes the full outdoor life speckled with incredible music opportunities.  

Long time Pinedale resident, business owner, and parent, Jo’s involvement in the arts covers a lifetime. A fondness for cartwheels as a child eventually morphed into studying ballet at the U of Utah along with sociology and psychology. Soon after she and her husband, Craig, returned to Pinedale she started teaching ballet in Big Piney and  Pinedale, an exciting time of growth that she treasurers. In 1976 she and Arlinda McLaughlin co-founded the Pinedale Fine Arts Council. She has served PFAC in many different capacities ever since. Because of her work with PFAC, she received the Governor’s Arts Award for “Individual Leadership in the Arts” in 2002  Following her award, she was honored to serve two terms on the Wyoming Arts Council Board an appointed board which sets goals and planning for the state arts council. She has also been a member of the Wyoming Arts Alliance (WyAA) for many years and served as co-chair for the last eight. This statewide non-profit provides professional development for artists, organizations, and government bodies regarding the key role the arts play in education, health, and economic and community development and also advocates for funding support. Jo and Valerie Lee started the Pinedale Community Theatre (now the Pinedale Theatre Company) in 2007. Jo works on development, production, and costumes for PTC and is so proud of this organization and the standard it has set. Jo finds working with people to build sustainable organizations that are inclusive and strengthen our communities very rewarding. She is grateful to all the people she has been privileged to meet and work with over the years. In her spare time she loves keeping track of her grandchildren’s escapades and reading cookbooks.

Barbara was born in Lakehurst, New Jersey, the oldest of four siblings, into a Navy family. Although her family moved quite a bit during her growing up years, Barbara spent the majority of those years at Millington NAS near Memphis, Tennessee. She attended Tennessee Technological University graduating with a degree in Home Economics Vocational Education, as it was known back then, and received a Tennessee Teaching Certificate. Barbara’s major field of study was Early Childhood Development with a minor in General Science. After moving to Wyoming in 1973, Barbara obtained a Wyoming Teaching Certificate, and continued her studies receiving an Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement at University of Wyoming and completing graduate level courses at Utah State University. Barbara spent her career teaching in Sublette County both at the high school level and at the early childhood level ( birth through five). Barb taught Family and Consumer Science at Pinedale High School and Big Piney High School. During her career in education, she was also involved in early education for 20 years. She was a preschool classroom teacher and then served as Director of Pinedale Preschool. Later Barbara became the Program Manager for The Learning Center’s Sublette County Programs in Pinedale and Big Piney centers. Barbara enjoyed plays and concerts all her life but never was personally involved until joining

the Pinedale Community Theater to help with sewing and altering costumes. Since then she has

worked with the costume department on several productions including The King and I, Oklahoma, Oliver, and Beauty and the Beast. Barbara is excited to lead the costume department and work with the entire production team to create the magic that costuming brings to each play. She is also on the Board of the Pinedale Community Theatre. Barb met her husband Les in college and they moved to Pinedale in 1973. Their two sons, Ben and John, were raised in Pinedale. They now have two daughter-in-laws and 4 wonderful grandchildren. Barbara finds great joy in being around young people of all ages, and spending time outdoors hiking, birding and traveling.

 Travis Swanson is in his 23rd year of teaching, and currently is in his 7th year of teaching in Big Piney. Big Piney offers a 5th Grade Band, 6th Grade Band, 7th/8th Grade Band, and a High School Band.  Prior to moving to Wyoming, he taught in Colorado for 16 years, where he  began his teaching career in Paonia, CO.  The program consisted of 6th Grade beginners, two middle school bands, and a high school band,  of which was a 4 time State-Finalist Marching Band.  For 11 years Travis taught at Orchard Mesa Middle School in Grand Junction, CO, which encompassed 3 concert Bands and 3 Jazz Bands.  In 2016, the Orchard Mesa Middle School 8th Grade Jazz Band was selected to perform at the Colorado Music Educators Association annual  convention.  While in Colorado, Travis was elected as President of the Western Slope District of the Colorado Bandmasters Association and served as a voting board member for 2 years.  For over nine years, Travis was the Co-Chair for the Western Colorado Music Educators Honor Jazz Band.  In November 2021, Big PIney High School produced and performed “Oklahoma;” in which Mr. Swanson was the Director of the Orchestra.  Travis and his wife, Angela, live in Big Piney and enjoy their 2 dogs traipsing all over the amazing outdoors that Wyoming offers.