Dwayne Dillinger, CGCS, executive director of Campbell County Parks and Recreation in Gillette, Wyo., is retiring this fall after more than four decades in the golf industry, but he has no plans to slow down.

Dillinger, a 40-year GCSAA member, is running for the Republican nomination for Wyoming’s State Senate District 23.

District 23 is primarily a rural area, covering southern Campbell County and 18,636 residents. It was previously represented by State Sen. Eric Barlow, who stepped down to run for governor of Wyoming.

As a fourth-generation county resident, and with his own children and grandchildren living there, Dillinger said he is running for office to serve the people of Campbell County.

“I didn’t like the direction things were headed; I’m doing this so that future generations have the same opportunities I have had,” Dillinger said.

He announced his candidacy in March, and his schedule leading up to the Aug. 18 primary has been packed ever since. After finishing up his workday, his evenings are filled with “meet and greets” and other campaign events.

He said working as superintendent (he spent 32 years as Bell Nob Golf Course prior to his current position) and getting involved in GCSAA helped prepare him for his Senate run.

“It’s a public service that we do,” Dillinger said. “The people you meet and the paths you cross, a lot of things I have done in my career, like serving on committees and the public speaking, helped get me ready.”

Among the GCSAA members who have crossed Dillinger’s path is current GCSAA Director Gregory B. Jones, CGCS, MG, director of agronomy at Champions Run in Omaha, Neb. Jones worked as an assistant superintendent under Dillinger at Bell Nob for five years.

“He was my mentor,” Jones said. “He gave me the tools I needed to be a successful superintendent, but it was more than that. He showed how to be a good person and to give back to your community. There is no slowing Dwayne down or stopping him. He’s always on the go and working for the good of others.”

In addition to previously serving as a GCSAA Grassroots Ambassador and on national committees, Dillinger has also been a chapter delegate, a presenter at the GCSAA Conference and Trade Show and was part of the steering committee that established the “Best Management Practices for Wyoming Golf Courses”.  

“I know it sounds simple, but the more you get involved in GCSAA, the better it is for you,” he said.

During his tenure at Bell Nob GC, a municipal course in Gillette, Dillinger oversaw a water conservation project that saved taxpayers more than $1 million. As he makes the potential transition from superintendent to lawmaker, water will still be on his mind.

“I think you always have to be protecting your natural resource,” he said. “Water has always been a huge issue in Wyoming, and it always will be.”

In an interview with the Gillette News Record, Dillinger, who believes in smart economic growth and conservative spending, said, “I built my career on finding practical solutions and answering to the people I serve, and I will bring that same standard to Cheyenne.”

No matter the results on Aug. 18, Dillinger said he encourages his fellow GCSAA members to get involved in their communities.

“I think it’s easy to sit back and have an opinion,” he said. “But the best way to really make a difference is to throw your hat in the ring.