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, with experience spanning business ownership, public service, and work with communities across Wyoming.

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. Melissa has spent more than 30 years building businesses across professional services, retail and hospitality. They are proud parents to McKenzie, an engineer based in Denver.

Melissa’s professional background spans infrastructure, energy, water systems, economic development and community planning. Early in her career, she worked as a legal assistant before spending about five years with the Central Wyoming Regional Water System, where her work included administration, finances, grants and public outreach. She also directed a statewide water education program serving more than 1,500 students each year and served for a time as interim director.

After returning to Sheridan in 2001, Melissa spent three years in public outreach with the Wyoming Department of Transportation. She went on to serve 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.

Melissa then returned to the private sector, working with Wyoming communities, businesses, and nonprofits on projects ranging from transportation, energy and natural resource projects to strategic planning, economic development and feasibility studies. Much of that work involved bringing different perspectives to the table, identifying what was at stake, and working through complex issues.

Together, those experiences have shaped how she approaches decisions—grounded in real conditions, focused on outcomes, and attentive to the people who will live with the consequences.

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.