Meet the Board
Bennett Sondeno – Executive Director
Bethany Sondeno – Treasuer
Wyoming has been my home since my family moved here from the north face of the Crazy Mountains when I was four years old. I grew up in Cody, met my lovely wife here, we went to Laramie for higher education, and now we are back. For most of my life I have dealt with chronic digestive disease, and I know the efficacy of cannabis. Over the years, I have known many people who have treated a variety of disorders very effectively with medical marijuana. Access to this God-given medicine is a right of all free people, and I am working with Wyoming NORML to return that right to the citizens of this state.
-Bennett J. Sondeno
First and foremost I am a mother of five and grandmother of six. I have lived in Wyoming for all but two years of my life and grew up on my grandfathers ranch in Carbon county. I formed my first corporation at the age of 28 and currently own two businesses in Rawlins. I have been sick and in pain since 1998. After spending half a million dollars for specialists after specialists and surgery after surgery I found out I had been misdiagnosed for 16 years. Then I was diagnosed with chronic lyme disease in 2014, and four years into treatment using marijuana for pain control I have finally gotten my life back. My new goal in life is to share my personal experience with lyme disease and how marijuana saved my life.
- I graduated Campbell County High School Gillette, WY 1974.
- I graduated Wyoming Technical Institute Laramie, WY 1975.
- I married in 1975 and am the proud father of two children.
- In 1978 I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
- 1979 I started my own auto mechanic business Frank’s Alignment and ran it successfully for 20 years.
- 1988 I became actively involved in community matters and ran for City Council. I served 8 years on the Council.
- 1995 I ran for Mayor and served 2 consecutive terms.
- 2002 I ran for State House Representative and served in that position for 2 terms.
- During this time I was an active member on many boards, the whole time dealing with my MS.
- I have received awards from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for the National Volunteer of the Year; Top Friend of Education from the Gillette Community College and Top Elected Official from the local Contracting Association.
- Currently I own and operate 3 different businesses in Gillette, Wyoming
- Graduate of Northwest College Powell, Wyoming
- Degrees in: Business Management and Office Administration
- Honors Certificate
- Office Manager Park County Fairgrounds
- Business Owner
- Planned, organized, and implemented Park County Speedway
- Promoted Park County Speedway for 6 years
Brittany Thorpe – Legal Director
I was raised in Cheyenne, WY. I Graduated from East High School in 2010, married my husband in May of 2013, and graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 2020. I spend my free time writing and hanging out with my husband and our four dogs.
Max Esdale
I grew up in Humboldt County, so to to me cannabis has always been a normal part of a healthy community and economy. Spent 5 years in China studying and working (helped build one of the first craft breweries in China). Received an MA in Chinese Language & Literature from University of Edinburgh (Scotland), then a Masters in policy from UCSD’s School of Global Policy and Strategy. Started working on cannabis reform at the local, state and Federal level in 2015. Currently head operations for Meadow, a cannabis tech company.
Holly Butler
Holly is a tribal member of Northern Arapaho from the Wind River Indian Reservation. She had served 22 years in the military which included two combat deployments. Upon retirement in 2015 she and her family decided to move and settle back into Wyoming.
Holly has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and is a graduate of the University of Maryland’s School of Pharmacy’s Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science & Therapeutics (MS, MCST) Program.
The Butler family owns a hemp farm/agricultural business and a hemp derived therapeutics business (Tribal Hemp Co.). Holly is married to Corey Butler (retired Army) with two sons (Max & Ben) and a clingy pit bull (Odin).
“I am excited to be a part of the Wyoming NORML movement, we are going to bring about significant cannabis legislation. Cannabis is a beautiful natural medicine, suffering patients (like myself) must have safe and affordable access.”
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