Melissa Butcher’s roots in Wyoming run deep. Born in Sheridan, she grew up traveling the state with her dad during road construction seasons, gaining an early appreciation for Wyoming’s landscapes, industries, and the people who do the work that keeps communities going.

For more than 30 years, she has built her life and career in Sheridan County, working across the private sector, public sector, and small business community.

Melissa and her husband, Mike, own and operate local businesses including a campground and a bakery/café that has become a gathering place in Ranchester and Sheridan. Earlier in their careers, they operated a sporting goods store serving Wyoming’s hunting and outdoor community. They are proud parents to McKenzie, an engineer based in Denver.

Melissa’s professional background spans construction, infrastructure, energy, water systems, economic development, and community planning. Early in her career, she worked as a legal assistant before moving into public outreach with the Central Wyoming Regional Water System, where she led outreach for major construction projects and directed a statewide water education program serving more than 1,500 students each year.

After returning to Sheridan in 2001, she worked with the Wyoming Department of Transportation and on major energy and natural resource projects, building a career focused on public involvement and facilitation. She has helped communities understand what is at stake, work through tradeoffs, and shape the decisions that affect them.

She also served as Executive Director of the Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce, where she worked to strengthen local businesses and expand access to health insurance for small employers.

That experience has shaped how she approaches decisions – grounded in real conditions, focused on outcomes, and centered on the people affected by them.

Melissa has remained active in local civic life, contributing to efforts focused on economic development, tourism, and long-term community planning. She is also part of the local music community. A trained vocalist, she has performed in bands, community theater productions, and with the Sheridan College Jazz Orchestra. She and Mike are founding members of The InstaGators, a 7-piece local band they’ve been playing in together for over a decade.

Melissa is running for the Wyoming Senate because she believes the job is clear: listen carefully, stay connected to your community, understand the real conditions people are facing, and make steady, responsible decisions that help communities succeed.

She brings a perspective shaped by hands-on experience, working in Wyoming’s economy, supporting projects tied to the state’s core industries, running small businesses, and helping communities solve problems, with a clear focus on making sure hard work leads to real opportunity for Wyoming families and communities.