Dan Furphy, a longtime Laramie native, resident, banker and local leader, announced Thursday afternoon he is officially retiring from serving as senator after eight years in the Wyoming Legislature.
Furphy, R-Laramie, represented Senate District 10 for a term from 2021-24 after serving House District 14 for two terms from 2017-20.
During his tenure with the Legislature, he served on several committees, including: Transportation, Highways and Military Affairs; Judiciary; Corporations, Elections and Political Subdivisions; Labor, Health and Social Services; Minerals, Business and Economic Development; Revenue; and Management Audit. He also served on many task forces, including as chair of the Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology.
Sen. Dan Furphy, R-Laramie
Prior to state government, Furphy was a longtime CEO of First National Bank of Wyoming; president of First Capital West Bankshares Inc.; president and CEO of Laramie Chamber Business Alliance, and also served on the Laramie City Council.
At the same time Thursday, Furphy also announced his endorsement of another longtime Laramie resident and banker, Gary Crum, to replace him in the Wyoming Senate.
“I am pleased to endorse fellow banker, Gary Crum, as my replacement in Senate District 10,” Furphy said in a Thursday news release. “Gary is well-qualified based upon running his banking corporation and the leadership he has demonstrated in many of our local organizations.”
Crum, who has an extensive banking background and list of accomplishments in the industry since 1986, announced Friday morning that he will officially campaign for that Senate seat.
Among many roles in the industry, Crum co-founded Wyoming State Bank, which is now known as Western States Bank, for which he was CEO and headquartered in Laramie. He also served as president of First Interstate Bank in Laramie, and was executive vice president for administration, wealth management and sales for First Interstate BancSystems Inc.
Gary Crum
“I will be strong advocate for protecting our individual rights and property rights; working to ensure that these constitutional rights are not infringed upon,” Crum said in a Friday news release. “As well, I want to address escalating property taxes, (and) the state needs to lead the way toward developing a more solvent and efficient rural health care delivery system that keeps health care workers in our communities.”
Follow-up stories about Furphy and Crum will be published in the Boomerang in the near future.
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