Speakers

Kyle J. Wendtland is the Deputy Director for the Wyoming Energy Authority. He previously served as the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Land Quality Division Administrator. Prior to this, he was an Environmental Engineering Manager for the coal industry. Mr. Wendtland has held a wide range of environmental and engineering positions and has extensive experience in mining and mineral extraction. He began his career with the Montana Department of State Lands in 1991, moved to private industry in 1993, the DEQ in 2015, and then to the WEA in 2024. Mr. Wendtland holds a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Range Management with a focus in disturbed land reclamation from the University of Wyoming. Mr. Wendtland has been recognized for his contributions to the mining industry and advancing reclamation science at the state and national levels. He resides in Cheyenne and grew up in Casper and Dubois, Wyoming.

Michael Pearlman’s program is titled, “From Sitcom to Statehouse: A Wyoming Career Story”. He will share insights from his unique professional trajectory, which serves as an example of how careers actually unfold, especially in a place like Wyoming.

Michael Pearlman serves as the Wyoming Nonprofit Network’s Director of External Affairs, where he leads the Network’s public policy and government affairs efforts, serving as an advocate and a voice for Wyoming nonprofits.  Michael previously spent six years immersed in Wyoming state government policy while serving as Communications Director for Governor Mark Gordon.

Michael’s working life began at the age of 6, when he was cast in his first television commercial, a journey that led to a 10-year professional acting career that included working in television, theater and film. As an adult, his background includes experience in journalism, communications, marketing, and public relations in both the private and non-profit sectors. A 30-year Wyoming resident, he currently serves as the Chairman of the Laramie County Library System Board of Directors. Michael lived in Jackson and Sheridan before moving to Cheyenne in 2011, where he now lives with his wife, three children and a golden retriever.

As CEO of the Wyoming Business Council
(WBC), Josh Dorrell provides leadership
and strategic direction for the diverse team
of passionate professionals working
across the state to build self-reliant
communities and create opportunities for
future generations of Wyomingites.
The son of a coal miner, Josh grew up in
Rawlins, Wyoming, where he learned
firsthand how the Cowboy State’s boom-
bust cycles impact local communities and
families. He also learned the beauty and
value of Wyoming’s outdoors spending
time in the vast open spaces of the Red
Desert and the Sierra Madres.
Carbon County is also where he met his wife Amanda and they started their life
together. They have four beautiful children who are developing their own love for
Wyoming.
Josh graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in
Mechanical Engineering and has had a successful career in various industries in
the state. His extensive private industry experience in developing business
innovation processes, leading technical sales, identifying customer needs,
leveraging partnerships, and mentoring entrepreneurs and startups makes him
well-suited for the WBC’s leading role in identifying and addressing complex
problems facing state and local economies.
The combination of his family life, professional experience, and personal purpose
gives special meaning to the work he does at the Wyoming Business Council.
Making Wyoming a place where future generations can thrive and discover her
beauty inspires him to create positive change for Wyoming’s communities