Janet Cowley
Janet Cowley will tell you that she had a great mentor who emphasized how important it was to believe there is no such thing as “can’t”. Cowley has adopted that belief and impacted Laramie County because of it.
In her professional career, Cowley has worked for the “Cheyenne Cheerleaders,” the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce and what was the Cheyenne Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, now VisitCheyenne. She was the second executive director of the Union Pacific Depot project, back when it was a decrepit building. She fiercely advocated for the project, which has yielded remarkable results.
When her office was in the Depot, it was a cold, empty and barren building, inhabited only by 100 years of soot and grime. Cowley marshaled resources, from money to volunteer cleaners, and today it is the cornerstone of downtown Cheyenne. And to this day, if you want to talk to the strongest advocate for the Depot and get the true “cook’s tour” from someone that knows every nook and cranny, you must seek out Janet.
Cowley is an active volunteer and also works as a Program Support Technician for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). The position has been extremely rewarding, but Cowley will tell you she initially hesitated to take it. She had volunteered with ESGR for about 18 years but when a temporary staff position became available she says her unfamiliarity with the military structure made her question whether she should take the job. But her mantra of “no such thing as can’t” and recognizing that she was creating her own road blocks lead her to take on the position and she’s been rewarded with the work ever since.
Cowley works with traditional soldiers, sailors and airmen and their civilian employers to ensure good communication and understanding of the rights and responsibilities each has and owes to the other side, something that is not always easily understood. She believes she’s, “affecting other people’s lives in a positive way by maintaining civilian and military connections.” She goes on to explain that, “Returning military personnel sometimes have trouble fitting back in [to the community]. They come back with such a different sense of things that are important and are of issue. It has made me realize that what we [the general population] worry about is often insignificant compared to what people who have served are dealing with.”
Her impact has been substantial but she will tell you much of her success is due to surrounding herself with good people. Her role as a leader has meant trusting and believing in individuals and their skills. Cowley sets people up for success by giving them their marching orders and organizing the process, but then allowing them to do what they do best.
Beyond her professional choices, Cowley has fearlessly led the way for women to assume leadership roles. In the mid-1990s, she was the first women to chair the Chamber Military Affairs Committee (MAC), then a bastion of male-dominated membership. She has also served as the state chair of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) – one of only two women in the country to hold the state chair position at that time. Cowley also broke the gender ranks of the MAC golf tournament – now, that was a day to remember at Warren Air Force Base!
Mona Lee Pearl, Cowley’s nominator will tell you that, “Janet works tirelessly at all she does and is a role model for all women. With all that she has accomplished, she remains humble and largely unnoticed. She seeks personal challenges and to that end, attained her private pilot’s license some years ago; and piloted a glider to celebrate her 50th birthday.”
Cowley has accomplished much. Her positive approach to dealing with roadblocks and insistence on staying positive because “dwelling on the negative takes too much energy” has allowed Cheyenne and all of those she has encountered to benefit.
Cowley is currently the volunteer Executive Director of the Wyoming National Guard Association (WNGA) and serves on the Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe board of directors and continues to serve with the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee to advocate for the military community in Wyoming.
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