Each year the Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition is proud to present the BIG WYO Award to a private sector individual who has done an outstanding job promoting hospitality and tourism for the State of Wyoming.
The awards committee, made up of past BIG WYO winners and members of the WHTC Executive Committee, selects the winner. Nominations for the 2023 award are currently being accepted. Just send an email with a brief paragraph of why you are nominating the individual and include some of their accomplishments. Nominees do not have to be employed in restaurants, lodging properties, destination marketing organizations, etc. but can be any person who has made significant contributions to the tourism and hospitality industry in Wyoming.
Congratulations to the 2023 BIG WYO Award Winner Tim O’Leary!
| 1970’s | 1980’s | 1990’s | 2000’s | 2010’s | 2020’s |
| 1977 Harry Smith | 1980 Duane Von Krosigk | 1990 Pat Self | 2000 Trudy McCraken | 2010 Gov. Dave Freudenthal | 2020 Darren Rudloff |
| 1978 Marv Harshman | 1981 Peter Hassrick | 1991 Paul Smith | 2001 Gene & Carol Kupke | 2011 Steve Meadows | 2021 No Recipient (Conference Cancelled-Coronavirus) |
| 1979 Bob Dohse | 1982 Ralph McMullen | 1992 Pat Sweeney | 2002 Ted Blair | 2012 Rex Brown | 2022 Renee Penton Jones |
| 1983 Norm Parker | 1993 Jim Hearne | 2003 Jeff Heilbrun | 2013 Chuck Coon | 2023 Tim O’Leary | |
| 1984 Dorris Stalker | 1994 Carol Waller | 2004 Edna Kennell | 2014 Kari Cooper | ||
| 1985 Bill Bragg | 1995 Clay James | 2005 Manuel Lopez | 2015 Clay Miller | ||
| 1986 Gov. Ed Hershler | 1996 Don & Doris Bunn | 2006 Claudia Wade | 2016 Jerry Blann | ||
| 1987 Clarene&Creed Law | 1997 Wayne Worthen | 2007 Dave Rader | 2017 John Johnson | ||
| 1988 John Olson | 1998 Gene Bryan | 2008 Chuck Box | 2018 Doug & Kathleen Campbell | ||
| 1989 Quin Blair | 1999 Bill Sniffin | 2009 Jim McCaleb | 2019 Rick Hoeninghausen |
Please join all of us here at the Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition in congratulating Tim O’Leary, the 2023 BIGWYO Award winner! Tim has been the Chief Financial Officer for Blair Hotels for the past 28 years, and during his tenure, he has worked tirelessly to benefit and better the Wyoming hospitality and tourism industry.
In his nomination letter, former BIGWYO Award winner Ted Blair described Tim as someone who prioritizes “getting it right” over “being right.” Tim is a critical thinker and a thoughtful listener, making him an excellent ally for the Wyoming Hospitality and Tourism Industry. His unique blend of ingenuity, integrity, and determination embodies what makes Wyoming and its tourism industry great. Tim’s commitment to his craft, his loyal staff, and the advancement of tourism in Wyoming make him an incredibly deserving recipient of the Big Wyo Award.
For more than a decade, Tim has been an indispensable member of our Board of Directors and Health Insurance Trust Board. Throughout his tenure, he has held every leadership position, including President. As he prepares to retire at the end of this year, we would like to express our deep gratitude for his outstanding service. We wish him, his wife Peggy, and their wonderful family all the best in their future endeavors.
Congratulations Tim. We appreciate you so much!