One of the Best 40 in Saratoga

By Mike Armstrong

Joshua Wood loves the communities of Carbon County that he has lived and interacts with on a daily basis.

He got his dream job of being a reporter for the Saratoga Sun, a little over two years ago where he was able spotlight different stories of the Valley. When the tragic death of Saratoga Sun editor Keith McClendon occurred, he found himself trying to console the community and work alongside the grieving staff to keep the paper going.

A few weeks later he found himself in the position of editor and had to use his skill set of knowing the communities the paper served. He strived to transition the Saratoga Sun into a periodical that had his touch, but stayed true to what editors before had established.

One of those editors had been his mother, Liz Wood.

As his mother, she had seen all the community work he had done over the years and was proud of his drive to help others. She was proud of his reporting skills that had been acknowledged when he won four first place awards from the Wyoming Press Association his first year.

Liz was pleased with what Josh had accomplished in his two years at the Saratoga Sun and also his volunteerism during his life. She decided to approach Josh about nominating him for the Wyoming Business Report 40 under 40.

The nominations took place in October. Liz went to Joshua and explained her reasoning for wanting to nominate him.

It was not just for his work at the newspaper.

"It was partly for my involvement with the Saratoga Museum Board, which as of now, due to time constraints stepped away from," Joshua explained. "As well with my involvement with Saratoga Friends of the Library."

He was recently elected as president of Saratoga Friends of the Library. On his submission to 40 under 40, Joshua pointed out he has worked on updating the organization's bylaws. He gives credit to watching how other boards worked when he covered them for the paper.

The honor of being selected is special and Joshua knew it.

According to the Wyoming Business Report, these young people are shaping the future of Wyoming. They've made a significant impact on their respective organizations, earned significant achievements through professional programs, and worked to help others through mentoring, community service and charitable giving. 

Joshua and Cali O' Hare out of Rawlins were the only two Carbon County residents to win the 2019 award.

"It is an annual publication that the Wyoming Business Report releases in which residents under the age of 40 can be nominated for impacts they have both on the business community as well as their personal community," Joshua said. "That can be professional services as well as volunteer operations."

He said that although his volunteerism was often focused on Valley organizations, Joshua felt Carbon County is a community in itself and wants to help in whatever capacity he can through volunteerism or coverage by the Sun.

Sometimes he likes to help because he knows what it is like to have been involved in prior events.

An example is the debate club. Joshua acknowledges he was not the first reporter to cover this team. When he came on board to the Sun, he told McClendon he would like to cover the club again since he was a former "talk jock" himself. He felt the students that participated in extra curricular activities from all of Carbon County District No. 2 needed the spotlight the same as the athletic teams since they also go to meets and competitions.

The team has done well the past two years and the Saratoga Sun has covered their success.

His mother made an impact when she explained why he should submit his application. After they talked, he made the submission.

"I very much look up to Mom for the work that she did at the paper and for the volunteerism we did while we were growing up," Joshua said. "My brother and I often joked we could make a full time job out of being "volun-told" to do things, whether she worked as assistant CEO for Valley Chamber of Commerce under Stacy Crimmins, or whether it was when she was a member of the Platte Valley Arts Council, where we set up the Art Show before Laura M took over. There was always something that needed to be done and Mom was always more than happy to volunteer our services to an organization, which I would say put that volunteering aspect into me at an early age."

When Joshua put in the submission, he had no inkling if he would be selected.

"I honestly had no idea," Joshua said. "I thought there was a possibility, but understanding there a number of young entrepreneurs and professionals throughout the state of Wyoming and not knowing who else might have been nominated, my thought was I really didn't stand a chance."

Joshua said even with his job and volunteerism, he wasn't sure he met the parameters of what the Wyoming Business Report was looking for in their search of candidate for the 40 under 40.

"I had to be a business leader, whether it was an employee or manager in the business or the owner, but it also included was what they did for their community outside of work," Joshua said.

Joshua said coming to work for the Saratoga Sun got him back into the pulse of the Valley community and volunteerism.

"There was a time I left the Valley for work and then came back, but worked in Rawlins, so I found I lost touch to some degree to what I had done all my life in regards to volunteerism," Joshua said. "But one of the goals I had when I came to the Sun, was not only to do the best possible job I could for the paper and representing the towns we present to the reading audience, it was to also be involved in the communities as much as I possibly could, while balancing my professional and family life."

Joshua knows his son Jareth, who turned six, requires father quality time.

"It is a balancing act, because of the nature of this job," Joshua said. "I do what I can to spend as much time with Jareth, but there are times when I am missing dinner or bedtime, so I when I get the time I do with him, I do what I can to enjoy those moments," Joshua said. "It is important to me that later in life, that Jareth never says I put everything else before him."

Joshua admits he is humbled by winning the award.

"It was humbling when I saw the other profiles that won because many were longer," Joshua said. "It was difficult too, when after the nominating process started, I had to fill out paperwork on why I felt I deserved the award. That self-analyzation is always hard for me, so when I did win, I was humbled more."

He received letters from both Wyoming senators that added to his feeling of being humbled by their recognition.

Joshua said it is still hard for him to believe he was selected.

"There is still some expectation inside me half way, is envisioning Wyoming Business Report to come and say to me, 'Nope we made a mistake, sorry we are taking it back. It was a joke and we all had a good laugh'," Joshua said. "But then I will go out into the street and people will tell me how something I did was positive for the community, I take in the selection was deserved after all."

Joshua said a lesson he learned from doing all the volunteerism over the years and keeping the communities abreast of important events, isn't about getting recognition or an award.

"The community you live in, is only as good as you work to make it," Joshua concluded.

*This article was not edited by Joshua Wood editor of the Saratoga Sun.