CODY, WYO. — The head of Park County’s tourism marketing agency has submitted his resignation and plans to accept a job offer from the tourism bureau in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Ryan Hauck, executive director of the Park County Travel Council, or Cody/Yellowstone, was selected Monday as the new CEO of Experience Fayetteville, and tendered his resignation Thursday from his Cody job, according to a letter of resignation obtained by Yellowstone Gate.
Hauck joined PCTC in June 2021 to replace retiring director Claudia Wade. He had previously worked as director of sales for Western Leisure, a Utah company that creates custom tours for tour operators. A Wyoming native from Gillette, he worked previously for Visit Casper, and has lived in Oregon, Colorado and New Mexico.
Hauck attended a community meet-and-greet in Fayetteville on Sunday and sat for a candidate interview Monday, and described the city as “a very welcoming community, a lively SEC college town with world-class outdoor recreation and a highly motivated team.”
In his resignation letter, Hauck said he planned to accept the position of CEO of Experience Fayetteville after a Thursday board meeting of the Park County Travel Council. He recommended a news release about his job change be sent on Monday.
Hauck said in his letter that he was committed to a smooth transition, and asked the board to allow him to remain in his Park County position through June 30. July and August are the busiest months in the tourism-focused town of Cody, with up to 1 million visitors to Yellowstone descending on the park in a single month during its peak summer period.
Experience Fayetteville had been searching for a new head since January with assistance from Winner Partners, an executive search firm, according to public documents posted on the city of Fayetteville’s website. The Ozark Mountains community of approximately 100,000 markets itself as “the entertainment capital of Northwest Arkansas.”
Hauck said in his letter that he was proud of his work for Park County and did not make his decision lightly. He had on Tuesday attempted to downplay and cast doubt about news of his selection for the Fayetteville job.
DISCLOSURE: Ruffin Prevost formerly served on the Park County Travel Council, and stepped down in October 2024.
