Central Wyoming College President Brad Tyndall shared a bold vision for Wyoming’s economic future on Wednesday, May 13th, during the 2026 Agricultural Bankers Conference in Dubois, outlining how agriculture, equine industries, food production and tourism can work together to strengthen rural communities and expand economic opportunity across the region.
Tyndall’s presentation, “CWC’s Economic Development Strategy for the Ag, Equine, Food & Tourism Industries,” was part of the Wyoming Bankers Association’s annual Agricultural Bankers Conference at the Headwaters Arts & Conference Center.
Drawing on his background in economics and agricultural development, Tyndall described Wyoming as an economy with tremendous untapped potential, one that too often exports raw products and imports finished goods that could be produced locally. He emphasized the need for “place-based” economic development strategies rooted in Wyoming’s strengths in agriculture, horses, local food and tourism.
“We export our raw products; we need to process and retail more of it,” Tyndall said during the presentation. “We import what we can produce locally; we need to produce more locally.”
Tyndall highlighted Central Wyoming College’s investments in programs and facilities designed to support entrepreneurs, producers and workforce development in those sectors. Central to the strategy is the Rustler Ag & Equine Complex, completed in 2023, which includes indoor event space, classrooms and meat-processing instructional labs aimed at supporting agricultural education, food processing and tourism growth.
The presentation outlined four pillars of the college’s regional agri-tourism strategy:
- Growing local businesses to reduce reliance on imported agricultural products and food supplies
- Expanding value-added processing opportunities for Wyoming producers
- Capturing more tourism revenue through local food, events and equine activities
- Supporting entrepreneurship and small business development through programs like CWC’s Bootstrap Collaborative and farm incubator initiatives
Tyndall also pointed to Fremont County’s unique advantages, including its strong cattle and equine industries, established local food movement, meat processing capacity and location along major tourism corridors.
The college has already supported the launch of more than 120 businesses through its entrepreneurship programs, including food ventures, agricultural enterprises and Native-owned startups.
“Tourists spend more money on food than any other category,” Tyndall noted, emphasizing the opportunity for Wyoming producers and businesses to capture more of those dollars locally.
The Agricultural Bankers Conference brought together agricultural lenders, producers and industry leaders from across the region to discuss emerging trends, economic conditions and the future of agriculture in Wyoming and beyond. Other conference topics included agricultural technology, federal farm policy, livestock markets and energy infrastructure.
Tyndall, who has served as president of Central Wyoming College since 2016, holds a Ph.D. in economics and a master’s degree in agricultural and natural resource economics. His career includes agricultural and community development work in eastern Africa and the Middle East, as well as more than 25 years in the community college sector.
