It looks a bit like a game of musical chairs at Wyoming’s state agencies.
The office in charge of building schools is getting a new director. Del McOmie, the current interim director of the Department of Workforce Services, will begin leading the School Facilities Department next month.
John Cox, who currently runs the Wyoming Department of Transportation, will take over at Workforce Services. And current School Facilities Director Bill Panos will move to head WYDOT.
Panos has led the Department for two years, amid a school building boom.
“Two years ago, they were spending about $5 million a month on school construction in Wyoming,” says Panos. “Today, we spend, on average, $30 million a month on school construction around the state. And I think that’s a very good indicator of the success of the program and the partnerships.”
Panos says adjusting to a period of lower revenue will be the biggest challenge for his successor—and all state agencies.
"I think that revenue will be a challenge for the entire state of Wyoming, and we’ll be looking at working with the Legislature, the Administration and the school districts at making the changes that are necessary to meet the challenges of revenue," Panos says.
All three directors will officially begin their new jobs on October 12.