Tricia Simonson (Republican)

659 Par Dr
Gillette, Wyoming 82718
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My name is Tricia Simonson (Zeitler). I moved to Gillette, WY in 1979, at the age of 7. I graduated in 1989 from CC High School and married my high school sweetheart, Mike. We have been married for 30 years. Mike and I have a 31 year old daughter and 27 year old son. Our youngest son took his life in 2015 at the age of 15. Since his death I have been an advocate for suicide prevention and awareness, it is my passion. I am also an advocate for bringing awareness and removing the stigma of mental health issues and substance abuse within our community. I also love to write and a published author of "The Road Back To You; Finding Your way after losing a child to suicide. Other hobbies include, walking, riding my bike, riding 4 wheelers, spending time outside, taking pictures and volunteering in my community. My favorite place in Wyoming is the Big Horn Mountains. I currently manage Wyoming Art & Frame, a successful custom frame shop and art gallery, located in downtown Gillette.

I have been active in my community my entire adult life. I believe in order to know your community you must be involved. When my children were younger, I was a Girl Scout leader, classroom volunteer, ministry leader and Sunday School teacher. The last seven years I have been an advocate for suicide prevention and awareness and served as co-chair 2 years for the Campbell County Suicide Prevention Coalition. I also served on our Mayor's Art Council, which has added much beauty to Gillette.

I graduated with a 4.0 from Campbell County High School. I received my certification in Early Childhood Education in 1995 and worked as a pre-school teacher at the Children's Developmental Services of CC. I then attended Gillette College for elementary education and started my 10 year career at CC School District as a T/A then as an administrative assistant. After the loss of my son, I left CCSD, spent 1 year at Youth Emergency Services and now manage Wyoming Art & Frame

I am the current City Council Ward 1 seat. I was appointed in March of 2022. As a city councilwoman, I spend much of my time attending community events, volunteering and advocating for causes I believe in such as mental health, suicide prevention and substance abuse. I am also very passionate in supporting our social service non-profits that work tirelessly to support our families and youth that are struggling. I am also a strong supporter of local business and diversifying our economy.

I want to give back and be a part of making Gillette the best it can be. I have a servant's heart and feel everyone's voice is important, even if you don't agree with someone. The platform I stand on is; mental health, diversifying our economy, supporting local business, supporting our local 1% sales tax, which is known as Penny Power and community involvement.
Mental Health-Wyoming ranks #1 in the nation for suicide. We also significantly lack in available mental health resources and facilities. I will advocate for more resources in our community and state.
Diversifying our economy- Fossil fuels and our way of life have been continuously under attack by the federal government. We need to continue to fight for those resources but also support measures to diversify our economy such as; supporting carbon diversification, local businesses, sports tourism and branding Gillette and our facilities as a tourist destination.
Local businesses- They are the core of our community. While other businesses were dying during Covid, our businesses flourished. Downtown businesses had record sales. We also have home grown businesses that provide millions in sales tax revenue to our state.
Local 1% sales tax- This tax has provided millions of dollars for infrastructure, parks, beautification and supporting many local non-profits. The cost compared to the benefits is minimal
Community involvement- You have to be entrenched in your community to know what needs to be accomplished

Mental health, suicide prevention and substance abuse- Wyoming ranks #1 in the nation for suicide. We also significantly lack in available mental health resources and facilities. I will advocate for more resources in our community and at the state level, to prevent suicide, provide resources and continue to advocate for suicide prevention, mental health and substance abuse awareness. A healthy community is a productive community

Diversifying our economy- Fossil fuels and our way of life have been continuously under attack by the federal government. We need to continue to fight for those resources but also support measures to diversify our economy such as; supporting carbon diversification, local businesses and industry, they are the core of our community. While other businesses were dying during Covid, our businesses flourished. Downtown businesses had record sales. We also have home grown businesses and industry that provide millions in sales tax revenue to our state. I also support efforts with sports tourism and branding Gillette and our facilities as a tourist destination. I also support efforts in growing Gillette College. Gillette College is a wonderful facility with an exceptional vocational program, nursing program and many other opportunities for students.

Local 1% sales tax- This tax has provided millions of dollars for infrastructure, parks, beautification and supporting many local non-profits. The cost compared to the benefits is minimal.