Chamber Staff

Meet the Chamber staff team that "Rides for the Brand" every day.

Rick Howe

Rick Howe, IOM President & CEO

Rick Howe has been a Wyoming resident for over 35 years. He is currently Vice President of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce and is a Graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management Program, with specialized certification in customer service and building successful business models and systems. Rick teaches and speaks throughout the country providing the latest updates and trends in all areas of organizational health with main focuses on customer service, strategy, ethics, and finance. Rick currently serves on the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Board of Regents. Rick has held top-level positions within his community, state and nationally. Rick has been Awarded Lifetime Ambassadorships and is Recipient of Numerous Community Service, National Leadership, and Achievement Awards. Rick’s business ventures have included successful global marketing and touring operations for the famous and infamous. He has special expertise in operational planning, business and program management, resource allocation, staffing, and financial administration, formulating and implementing effective solutions and resolving complex challenges. Rick was named Staff Member of the Year by the Wyoming State Chamber of Commerce in 2014.

Kelly Becker

Kelly Becker Director of Finance

Kelly moved to Jackson in March of 2017 to be closer to family and the mountains. Before coming to Jackson, Kelly spent 10 years as the controller for a golf course management company in Utah. In Utah lots of time was spent golfing and traveling to various places for work and traveling to her hometown of Las Vegas, NV. Kelly’s first three years in Jackson were spent working with the accounting team at Amangani Resort. Kelly joined the Chamber March of 2020, as the Finance Manager and is excited to be a part of the team and being able to be in involved with the community on a larger scale.

Kent Elliott

Kent Elliott Director of Destination Global Sales

Kent has lived in Wyoming since his assignment at F.E. Warren AFB in Cheyenne May 1978. Originally from the Shores of Lake Michigan south of the Green Bay, WI area, Kent opted to stay in Wyoming after military service. Kent studied at the University of Wyoming and has a Degree in Business Administration, Marketing Management and an emphasis in Finance. Kent made his way to Jackson in the spring of 1991 and has worked extensively in the Hospitality Business including Food & Beverage, Sales & Marketing and Operations. As Director of Destination Global Sales, Kent travels extensively promoting our Fall, Winter & Spring months via face to face meetings, tradeshows, and events. His department coordinates incoming travel writers, meeting planners and domestic/international tour operators planning itineraries to help them better familiarize themselves to our area.

John Morgan Staff Photo

John Morgan Director of Events & Communications

John brings the Chamber a wealth of knowledge and experience in destination management, hospitality, and communications. After 12 years managing sales and lodging for Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and Grand Targhee Resort, John started his own consulting business providing sales and communications services to dozens of local businesses. He has served as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club of Jackson Hole. Many people around the valley also know John as a longtime officer of our local chapter of Toastmasters International and a member of The Laff Staff improv comedy group. In 2017 John completed his masters degree in Communications Management and had most recently been working for Teton Science Schools. For the past six school years, John has managed fundraising, events, and admissions for Mountain Academy. Additionally, John teaches business communications courses for the students of Central Wyoming College. He is excited to join the chamber staff in supporting the vibrant economy and treasured environment of Jackson Hole.

Casey Cochran Bio Photo

Casey Cochran Director of Membership

Casey moved to Jackson from Southeast Texas with his family in 2002 when he was ten. Casey attended school in Jackson, and after a brief stint in New York City, he returned to the mountains for a better quality of life. Casey has spent the last ten years working in the travel & tourism industry and, most recently, for St. John's Health. In the summer, you can find him camping and hiking throughout the area, and in the colder months visiting the many great restaurants that Jackson has to offer and attempting to ski without hurting himself. Casey is excited to continue to build relationships with his neighbors and find ways to help their businesses succeed and have a larger impact on the community he loves.

Rachel Smith Staff Headshot

Rachel Smith Membership & Database Coordinator

Rachel made her way to Jackson in 2011 after spending a few years in Park City, Utah as a ski bum, Main Street retail employee, and archaeologist. Originally from Rockford, Michigan, she graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BS in Anthropology and Art History. Several years ago, Rachel worked for the JH Chamber as Destination Sales Coordinator, and she is excited to be rejoining the team in 2022! Rachel loves winter, and enjoys downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating in her backyard, and painting snowy landscapes. Summers in Jackson Hole have taught her to also appreciate the warmer months - when she likes to float around in chilly lakes with her husband, Brandon and son.

Andrew Kruger

Andrew Kruger Communications Manager

Andrew Kruger first moved to Jackson with his family in 2010, where he attended the journey school, graduating in 2012. After High School, he attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in History with a focus on US-Soviet relations in the Late-Cold War period. After college, Andrew returned to Jackson to focus on his passion for snowboarding and being outside. In the fall of 2020, Andrew decided to expand his career and return to his Alma Mater to complete his Master of Business Administration, graduating in 2022. However, he could not stay away for long. After completing his master's degree, Andrew returned to Jackson to join the Chamber. He is excited to help promote Jackson and the Chambers members in his new role as the Communications Manager.

Justin Walters

Justin Walters Director of Visitor Services

Justin has been living in Jackson for eleven years. He has worked as a Park Ranger Interpreter in Grand Teton National Park during the summers and as a Naturalist on the National Elk Refuge during the winters. He is a graduate of Clemson University (BS Parks and Recreation). Justin enjoys helping visitors discover new and creative ways to enhance their adventures while in the Jackson Hole area. He immerses himself in the outdoors and is emotionally connected with the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. He enjoys hunting, fishing, mountaineering, climbing, skiing, camping, and he's always on the lookout for morels and huckleberries. In addition to outdoor pursuits he and his wife live a very sustainable lifestyle, raising their own food and vegetables and they often utilizing what nature provides.

Diane Mahin

Diane Mahin Lead Visitor Services Agent

Diane made her way out to Jackson from the east coast in 1980, planning to ski for the season and move on. Thirty-nine years later she’s happy she never left. Her first fifteen years in the valley were spent in the restaurant industry while enthusiastically raising two delightful daughters and actively participating in their school. The ensuing years saw her involved in art galleries, retail, garden landscape, and floral design, and owner and operator of a day spa at the ski resort. Diane is eager to expand on these experiences now with the Jackson Hole Chamber and share her passion for and knowledge of the area with our visitors.

JACKSON HOLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mailing Address: PO Box 550
Physical Address: 260 West Broadway
Jackson, Wyoming 83001
Phone: 307.733.3316
Fax: 307.733.5585
Web: www.jacksonholechamber.com

Jackson Hole & Greater Yellowstone Visitor Center: 532 North Cache

Ready to join the Chamber? Need more information? Explore our Explorer Magazine Travel Planner, which you can also explore electronically HERE. If you're already here, feel free to stop by one of our Visitor Centers where an experienced agent will be able to guide you in the right direction.