ctEzine
Winter 2022
a publication of the Career & Technical Eduction team at the Wyoming Department of Education
CTE
Wyoming Department of Education 122 W. 25th St., Ste. E200 | Cheyenne, WY 82002 P: 307-777-7675 | F: 307-777-6234 | edu.wyoming.gov
© 2022 – Wyoming Department of Education; all rights reserved
Dr. Michelle Aldrich – Career and Technical Education Director | 307-777-3655 Mary Billiter – Perkins Manager, Career and Technical Education | 307-777-5329 Ilaine Brown – Education Consultant, Career and Technical Education | 307-777-3549 The Wyoming Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs or activities. Inquiries concerning Title VI, Title IX, Section 504, and ADA may be referred to Wyoming Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Coordinator, 122 W. 25th St. Suite E200, Cheyenne, WY, 82002-2060 or 307-777-7675, or the Office of Civil Rights, Region VIII, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Building, Suite 310, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80204-3582, or 303-844-5695 or TDD 303-844-3417. This information will be provided in an alternative format upon request.
Table of Contents Rebecca Reid speaks for the dead Laramie County Coroner..........................................................................................................................................2 R. Fred DeVore is a huge proponent of Life –
Peterbilt of Wyoming.................................................................................................................................................8
A little brutal truth goes a long way toward making a point Brian Deurloo is the president and founder of Frog Creek Partners..............................................16
The Spirit of the West is alive and well in The Cowboy State. From the Tetons to the High Plain prairies, Wyoming is unparalleled in beauty, history, and outdoor adventures. Wyoming’s workforce is as diverse as its recreational offerings. The Equality State has something for everyone. Served by seven community colleges and our state University, students of all ages can discover their new path in Wyoming. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) team at the Wyoming Department of Education strives to provide quality CTE experiences that are equitable while growing a competitive workforce. Whether it’s skilled trades, applied sciences, or a post-secondary degree, certificate or credential, we’re here to help you discover what Wyoming has to offer you in your educational and career journey. Information about each college and university is provided on pages 12 and 18. Find more information at Wyoming’s Post Secondary Education Opportunities on the cover – Brian Deurloo is president and founder of Frog Creek Partners, an environmental technology manufacturing company that specializes in innovative stormwater filtration products including the Gutter Bin, which stops all manner of pollutants from reaching streams and rivers.
ctEzine is released three times a year by the Career and Technical Education team at the Wyoming Department of Education. Publisher: Dr. Michelle Aldrich Editor: Linda Finnerty Contributing Writer: Thom Gabrukiewicz Graphic Design: Ed McCollum
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Reid was elected Laramie County Coroner in 2018, but her work with the dead is a calling she first heard as a 13-year-old growing up in Panama City, Florida. “My grandfather died in Arizona of a snake bite,” the 40-year-old said of the accident that claimed her grandfather - who was on horseback at the time. “My father is a Southern Baptist minister and does a lot of funerals. And so when we went to my grandfather’s funeral, I wanted to see him. And the funeral director was my uncle, so the business of the deceased has been in our family for years. “My uncle was like, ‘No, no, he’s been laying out in the Arizona heat for a couple of weeks, he’s pretty bad,’ and my dad said, ‘Well, she wants to see him, she wants to see him.’ So when I saw him, I said, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’” Just out of high school, she started working for a local Panama City funeral home, and had ambitions to go to mortuary school. Then a position came open in the medical examiner’s office - and it took two applications to get hired on. Panama City, of course, is the Spring Break Capital of Florida, so it has a higher crime rate than, well, all of Wyoming. Like 800-1,500 cases a year, as opposed to Laramie County, where in her first year at the office, Reid investigated about 100 deaths. In 2015, the office investigated 150 cases and in 2020, the number jumped to 416. As 2021 has just closed out, Reid said the number of cases should be close to 460 - a fact of life, with Cheyenne’s growing population. And through it all, Reid said she feels honored to serve as Laramie County through the Coroner’s Office, which has grown to include Chief Deputy Char Madden, Deputy Coroners Theresa Patterson and Justin Brown and Executive Assistant Amber Dancliff. by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education
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“It’s always been a dream of mine to work with the dead and help the families in their time of need,” she said. “And here I am now, still working in it 20 years later. I can’t think of anything I would want to do other than to do this - and give closure to the people who need it most.” One of the perks of working for the medical examiner’s office, Reid said, was the amount of schooling she was exposed to, like the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators (ABMDI); which certifies individuals who have the proven
knowledge and skills necessary to perform medicolegal death investigations as set forth in the National Institutes of Justice 1999 publication “Death Investigation: A Guide for the Scene Investigator .” Reid worked as a death investigator and assistant forensic pathology assistant in Panama City for four years, investigating deaths and helping perform autopsies. She moved to Cheyenne in November of 2013, with her husband, who is in the military.
Frequently Asked Laramie County Coroner How do I get copies of records? Copies of coroner dockets and autopsy reports can be requested by filing the proper form, which can be email, mailed, or faxed to our office. The request must be in writing and be completed in full. A photocopy of a valid ID is required. Please click here for the Records Request Form. Taken from the Laramie County Coroner’s Office official website and used by permission
Are coroner files public record?
Public records and information are defined as of July 1st, 2011 by State statute. Cases that are under investigation, or in the process of adjudication, are not available as public information by Wyoming and Federal Statutes until those processes are complete. Medical records obtained by the coroner’s office are not subject to secondary release as restricted by Federal Law. Once a case has been closed and/or completed the judicial process, coroner dockets are public record by Wyoming Statute. See Statutes as referenced on the “Request for Records” page for details on what is or is not public record.
Where can I get copies of Death Certificates? Families should request copies through the local funeral home/registrar that handles the remains. While the coroner provides information, and certifies the death, our office does not provide the certificates. In the case of past deaths, copies of death certificates should be requested from the Wyoming Department of Health, Vital Statistics.
Why are there two different death certificates? Often, toxicology results are necessary in determining cause of death. The initial death certificate may have to be filed with the status of “pending toxicology” then the final certificate will be generated after the results are available.
Why is the Coroner’s Office involved in the death of my loved one? The Coroner’s Office is required by State Law (WS 7-4-104) to investigate all deaths that were not anticipated
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“I had never been out of Florida, well, Arizona,
“It’s always been a passion of mine, it really is,”
so I wasn’t used to all the snow and cold - I was ready to kill my husband for the first six months we were here,” she said. “But there was an opening at the Laramie Country Coroner’s Office, so I started out here part-time.” That part-time position led to a full-time position, then chief deputy coroner - then being elected after longtime Laramie County Coroner Ron Sargent retired. She is up for reelection this year.
she said. “Some people say, ‘You’re doing God’s work,’ only certain people can do this work’ since we deal with a lot of stuff - decomposing bodies, fire deaths, child abuse, domestic violence, car crashes, those types of things. “You really have to detach your emotions from a lot of things - not to say that we’re cold-hearted, but you have to learn to separate your emotions from the job, and get that family some answers,”
Questions and may involve any of the following: Violent or criminal action; Apparent suicide; Accident; Apparent drug or chemical overdose or toxicity; Unattended death; Apparent child abuse; The deceased is in State custody in any manner; Cause is unknown; Public health hazard; Deceased is unidentified or unclaimed. The Coroner’s Office has trained investigators who are responsible for determining the cause and manner of death, confirm identification of the deceased, and provide notification of next of kin.
Is an autopsy needed? While this office always tries to accommodate the wishes of a family, sometimes an autopsy is necessary to determine the cause and manner of death. In many cases an autopsy will resolve many of the questions a family has about the nature of the event or death. Autopsies are at the discretion of the Coroner depending on the nature of the event or death.
When will we get autopsy results? The final written autopsy report is usually available six to eight weeks.
What are the costs? Any investigation costs, including autopsies, and other services such as transportation of the deceased, consultation on results or the investigation, are all provided by the Coroner’s Office at no cost to the involved families. If the coroner’s office does not deem an autopsy necessary the family may request a private autopsy at their own expense through the Laramie County Coroner’s Office.
How do I receive or claim property or personal possessions?
Any property recovered and held by the coroner’s office can only be released to the legal next of kin, or their designee, by proper identification and signature.
Will the coroner’s office work with organ donor organizations for anatomical gifts? Yes. However, the coroner’s office has a duty to determine the cause and manner of death. Therefore, the coroner will not release or permit the procurement of any organ that would hamper the coroner’s ability to determine cause and manner of death.
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she added. “I do guess it takes a special person to do it.”
The Difference Between a Coroner and a Medical Examiner
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According to Mopec, the manufacturer of medical and laboratory equipment, each state has their own system to examine a questionable death. It is fairly universal that any deaths revolving around injury, poisoning, unexpected circumstances, in-custody situations, or unusual conditions be further investigated. Some jurisdictions follow a coroner system, some a medical examiner system and others utilize both. The process can even differ down to the county level. The coroner position has been around the United States since the 1600s. An individual is elected by the jurisdiction for a two- to four-year term and is responsible for inquests on bodies of those who appeared to have died due to harm or violence. It’s important to note that in most states the coroner needs no definitive medical training or qualifications. They are responsible for identifying the body, notifying next of kin, handling personal belongings and arranging the death certificate. On the other hand, a medical examiner undergoes thorough forensic pathology higher education training and receives board certification. They frequently perform autopsies to provide valuable data on cause of death. They examine tissues, toxicology, medical history and other pertinent information. A medical examiner is appointed, but he or she does not have a term length and can remain in the position for the extent of their career.
Still, Reid said a coroner must stay current on training and education opportunities. In fact, she makes sure her staff is always up-to-date on certifications, and encourages them to continue their education. “I’m always a student - I’m still in school right now, I’m a full-time student at (Laramie County Community College) getting my physiology degree - well, pre-med,” Reid said. “For us, we have to keep our accreditation up, so I just got us accredited through the International Association of Coroners & Medical Examiners, so what that means is that we have to meet a national standard. We’re audited every five years. There has to be me and one other person in the office that is board certified - and that is the American Board of Death Investigators - and we are in the process of getting everyone in the office board certified.”
What’s Involved In Being Laramie County Coroner?
“A typical day for me is… who knows,” Reid said. “Every day is different. One day, I might actually be in the office for 10 minutes all day long. Recently, you know, we had our fire death, which was my case, since I was on call. I worked the scene the night of, came in for the family again, started the identification process, doing X-rays, scheduling an autopsy, getting medical records - it all depends on workload. Right now, we’re averaging one to three calls a day.” The coroner gets any and all cases, except where a physician has stated a cause of death, unless the death occurs at the hospital, and the patient has been admitted for less than 24 hours.
All COVID-19 deaths also go to the coroner’s office, since it’s an infectious disease. In addition to the physical work, Reid and her staff ran several loads of laundry for the family touched by fire - so they could have clean clothes to go about the business of burying their loved one. “It’s really an honor and a privilege to do what we do for the dead, and for the living,” Reid said.
Advice for Students Who Want to Pursue a Career in the Medical Field
“Once advice I would give - and I wish I would have done it right out of high school - finish my college degree,” Reid said. “Look at me, I’m on my career path, but I’m still going to college. The coroner is the highest office, unless you go to medical school. “ It’s hard being an older student, it really is. My advice, go to college right after high school, when
everything is fresh in your mind. Here I am, nearly 40, and I’m trying to remember, yeah, what did I learn in algebra class or chemistry class.” Reid said a lot of death investigators come to the career path through a criminal justice degree, but said she feels like a medical background is more advantageous. “It gives you the law enforcement background, but we’re not cops,” she said. “We don’t have arrest powers. So if you’re going for a criminal justice degree, make sure you minor in a science, or some sort of medical background, because what our job is, we review medical records from physicians and we have to know what hypertension is (high blood pressure), what hyperlipidemia is (your blood has too many lipids,or fats, such as cholesterol and triglycerides)? We have to know the definitions, the causes of death.”
The Last Word
Is being a coroner worth it? “You know, I get asked that question a lot,” Reid said. “A lot of people say you have to separate your emotions, but for me, the hard part is not dealing with the death itself, or the families, it’s being able to catch up on all my work, make sure all my reports are done. Some people deal with it differently. I have people in the office who can’t do baby cases, but it’s my specialty, and I understand that, we all have our limits. “I tell all my people, yes it is a job, but we are here to give these families closure in their time of need,” she added. “We are speaking for the dead - and we are giving answers to the family, since the dead can no longer speak and we can seek justice for these grieving families. We don’t judge, we don’t place blame on anyone.” Reid said she tells her staff to come to the office fresh - and focus on the task at hand. “In the end, we are there for the families,” she said. “That’s why I started the grief support group through the coroner’s office. We have the national organizations for homicides and suicides, but not for just natural deaths, or car crashes, or drug overdoses. We have these great volunteers who help while we investigate the case. They go through all the next steps, like finding a funeral home, or taking clothing to the cleaners so their loved one has something nice to be buried in.” The main thing to remember in this career, Reid said - check your emotions at the door, and find your one way to de-stress. “You know, I do have hobbies,” she said, laughing. “Sometimes, I sit on the couch and watch TV. When I’m working, I’m working, when I’m not, I’m having fun. I just enjoy my time, because when you work in this field, you never know what it’s going to be your time - you never know when it’s going to be your day. “None of us is getting out of here alive,” she added. “I tell all my people here, we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring - so make today the best. Knowing that we’ve helped people, that’s what counts in the end.”
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R. Fred DeVore is a huge proponent of Life -
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you know, the board game Milton Bradley created in 1860, and ominously (originally) named The Checkered Game of Life. DeVore, 58, is a principal owner of Peterbilt of Wyoming, a fully authorized Peterbilt dealership serving the Casper, Cheyenne, Rock Springs, and Riverton areas. This family-owned, thirdgeneration business has been around since 1949, when DeVore’s grandfather, Stanley, opened White’s Trucking in Casper. DeVore and his brother, Bill (Peterbilt of Wyoming’s other principal owner), bought the business from their father, Stan Jr. in the 90s - and there’s already fourth-generation family members learning the business. So, this whole Life thing… “So, yeah, you and I grew up playing a board game called Life, remember that?” he said. “In the game of Life, you’ve got a choice - you can take the shortcut, or you can go a little longer and land on one of those things that tells you what sort of wages or what sort of rewards you’re going to get - and yeah, you’re going to be a little further behind on that thing, but… you have to, you can’t take the shortcut. I think every kid in high school should have to play that game. “I think about that game all the time. I tried it, when I first started playing, I tried taking the shortcut all the time. You never get ahead by taking the shortcut - you’ve got to put in a little extra work up front. You want to go on and get more education, whether it’s a tech program or a university degree - you just have to get through it, because in this day and age, just having a GED isn’t going to do it.” The main thing, DeVore said, is you really have to get behind the wheel, give it some gas, and experience Life, first-hand.
by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education
“I feel really lucky to have had the upbringing I’ve been given,” he said. “It’s been a good journey for me.”
Growing Up in the Trucking Business
Family businesses have a way of connecting family - and putting life into focus. “When all of our friends were out at the lake, or up in the mountains screwing around, we were here pushing a broom, or working under a truck with a mechanic, running parts - I remember working out here every summer as far back as I can remember,” DeVore said. “I’ve swept that back lot so many times - we actually found out, well, we’d always find money out there, and dad would seed a few bucks out there so we’d find it and get rewarded.” After Stanley DeVore bought out the White Motor Company franchise, he moved the business to the original Casper location on Yellowstone Highway in 1955. The family expanded to Cheyenne in 1994, Rock Springs in 1999 and Riverton in 2011. “It just keeps growing, growing and growing,” he said. The company has seen its share of challenges and change - starting out as a White dealership, then Freightliner. And then, Peterbilt came along. “It’s like selling Yugos, in our opinion, then BMW comes calling,” DeVore said. “We should have done that years ago. It’s made all the difference. Our customers demand a little bit more, and so does Peterbilt. We finally met their requirements, so we went for it.”
DeVore, who has his Commercial Drivers License, said there’s nothing he’d rather be doing than be in the trucking industry. “I have been to every state, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii of course, and I absolutely love trucks,” he said. “It’s really a mobile business. You’re literally all over the place. I’ve always said, if you’re in the trucking business, you could be dropped anywhere in the United States and be home in three days. Trucks will get you home - and truck drivers, they are truly the gentleman of the Interstate - still.” And Devore said it’s a great career path for those willing to put in the time and effort. Here’s some trucking industry facts, by the numbers: Truck driving is the most common profession in 29 out of the 50 U.S. states. 29.3% of truckers are between the ages of 45-54. Only 4.9% of drivers are younger than 24.
The average annual salary for truck drivers is $66,196 per year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics opines that the number of truck driving jobs is set to increase by 21% by this year.
There is currently a shortage of 48,000 truck drivers in the United States. The trucking industry loses $50 billion per year because of traffic.
The top commodities transported via truck are food/agricultural products, machinery/electrical products, furniture and clothing.
“It’s a great way to make money, see the country, and pay the bills,” DeVore said. “And with the new laws coming, it’s more training, and that means more opportunities.”
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Wyoming Trucking Requirements in 2022
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The interior of Peterbilt of Wyoming has evolved since the space first opened in 1955.
Peterbilt of Wyoming provided the tractor for the University of Wyoming’s football equipment truck.
Starting in February , prospective drivers who wish to obtain a CDL license will be required to complete Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT). Additionally, those who currently have a CDL but want to upgrade to a new class, like Class A, or add specific endorsements – such as school bus, passenger and/or hazardous materials – will be required to take the training. Training must be completed with a registered training provider. Prospective license holders will receive training in driving theory, like hours-ofservice requirements, as well as behind the wheel. While there are no requirements for minimum length the training can take, drivers can expect it to take about six weeks. These ELDT requirements are implemented by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), a federal act which was first signed into law in 2012 and was most recently updated in 2016. This training is not retroactive; if drivers received a Commercial Learners Permit (CLP) or received a CDL prior to February 7, 2022, these Federal training requirements will not apply. While DeVore does have his CDL license - and does go out on the road to pick up and deliver
trucks all over the U.S. - jumping from sweeping the back lot to sitting in the cab of a monster Peterbilt wasn’t quite what happened. “I was an MIS (Management Information Systems), Accounting, Computer Science major,” he said. “I really didn’t know what I was going to do with it, but I started here writing a lot of software - I started here at the dealership with two computers in 1987 - I wrote all the invoicing software and stuff like that. Then I went into truck sales, I’ve always been on the sales side, and my brother came up through the parts side.” And as the company has grown, so has the specialization of the industry. “I can outsource just about every job I have here, except for the guys who know how to work with their hands,” DeVore said. “I’m talking about printing your own money if you know how to work with your hands. And I’m talking about my technicians and my mechanics.”
it is revealed how inadequate the term ‘mechanic’ really is in describing all that today’s techs do.” A technician’s role involves exactly what the name suggests – a more technical focus requiring comprehensive training and utilizing complex tools to diagnose and repair vehicle issues. Examples of vehicle complexity today’s technicians are tasked with include driveability concerns, electrical system diagnosis, pinpointing various vehicle computer system issues, and more. “When these hybrid trucks get here, we are going to have electrical engineers working for us,” DeVore said. “I’m serious. The more my guys learn, the more I have to pay them - and that’s a good thing. I mean it, if I don’t pay them, they’re going to go somewhere else where they will get paid. We’ve got guys pulling in $45-$50 an hour because they know what they are doing, they keep on learning - and they know how to work with their hands.”
Mechanics vs Technicians
Advice for Students Who Want to Pursue a Vocational Career
The role of the person who services and maintains commercial vehicles has shifted significantly over the last several years, as has their title. While some will use both mechanic and technician interchangeably, there are notable distinctions between the two. According to experts at TechForce Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on recruiting and supporting the vehicle service workforce, “Technicians are all about critical thinking, focus, attention to detail, and using deductive reasoning to ‘put the pieces together’ in a strategic approach to their work. Whereas mechanics are thought mostly to be doing physical work. As the industry has evolved,
“I like what (the Wyoming Department of Education) is all about - being college, career or military ready,” DeVore said. “I think a kid needs to look at everything. Don’t spend the money on a university education, unless you have a really good idea of what you want to do. And research what these jobs actually pay. What do you want to do - what is your passion? “Hey, look, I’m not a very serious guy,” he added. “But you have to look at that as well - you have to have fun at work. We have a lot of fun around here, and I think that’s really important. If you’re not having fun at what you’re doing, you’re in for a whole lot of unhappy years.”
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Check out the opportunities at these Wyoming colleges and university
Casper College –
Central Wyoming College –
Eastern Wyoming College –
Laramie County Community College –
Your Life, Your College, Your Future, Starts at Casper College.
Since 1945, Casper College has provided access to higher education resources that strengthen, support, and enrich the community. As the world’s economy changes, Casper College is training individuals to meet the demand for new skills and new ways of thinking. Casper’s Technical Education provides several paths to follow. There are more than 140 options to set your career in motion. Take a look to see what programs are offered that may fit your interests.
Real People. Real Experience. Real Value.
Explore educational opportunities including certificate programs, associate’s, and bachelor’s degrees. Central Wyoming College offers Career and Technical Education that is industry driven and hands-on. Career Services are available for your job search. Their main campus is located in Riverton with outreach centers in Lander, Jackson, and Dubois designed to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
A Great Decision for Your Future!
An innovative learning environment, Eastern Wyoming College provides academic excellence and community enrichment that champion’s student success. At EWC, you can start on the path toward your goals. Their variety of programs are aimed at helping you learn a new career or transfer to a four-year college or university. With affordable tuition rates and an easy transition from high school to college, EWC’s student experience is designed to foster personal growth with many outreach sites in the Community Service Area.
LCCC lives through the power of inspired learning.
You can find your path at LCCC through the various program of studies based on your interest and goals. You can complete an associate’s degree, certificate or credit diploma, as well as prepare to transfer to a University. The Career Coach tool provides you with an opportunity to take a career assessment and browse careers and pathways that will lead you to that career.
Northern Wyoming Community College – Your future begins now at NWCC.
Welcoming all learners, NWCC empowers student success through a focus on career goals and educational programming. By broadening your career options and discovering occupations that match your personal preferences and attributes, NWCC supports their students’ personal needs and goal.
Northwest College –
Your future, our focus – discover Northwest College.
Northwest College is a two-year residential college located in Powell, which is a close drive to Yellowstone National Park. With a strong focus on technical studies that builds a foundation for information systems, NWC students learn innovative practices for today’s workforce. NWC takes career advising to the next level. continued on page 18
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Brian Deurloo is anything but a gloom-and-doom kinda guy.
a little brutal truth goes a long way toward making a point.
But with that said, sometimes
by Thom Gabrukiewicz, Wyoming Department of Education
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Deurloo, 49, is president and founder of Frog Creek Partners, an environmental technology company that offers innovative products that protects clean water - like the original Gutter Bin and Mundus Bag, a system that can remove a broad spectrum of sediment, trash (like cigarette butts - more about that later), and hydrocarbons from stormwater before it reaches stream and rivers. He’s more of a gregarious guy - with a tremendous smirk when he speaks - who looks a little like former Athletics and Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire. This is a guy who keeps a couple of Australian frogs in an aquarium at Frog Creep Partners HQ in the Old Yellowstone District of Casper just for kicks. He’s quick to laugh, and loves to tell a story - and so, yeah, we’ll let him tell that brutal truth tale: “I was doing my presentation to a bunch of grade-schoolers, and I always start out with bad news, you know, Debbie Downer, this is what’s happening in the world - albatross babies are dying, coral reefs are dying, the world, it’s in bad shape - I’ve got two slides that show that it’s not good,” he said. “I had this 10-year-old kid raise his hand and said, ‘How much longer do we have to be here, Mr. Deurloo? I said, ‘I dunno, about 10 more minutes, why? “‘I kinda want to go, I’m really kinda sad.’ You’re sad? Why are you so sad? And he says, ‘I kinda don’t like what we’re doing to our planet.’ Well, I’m glad you’re sad, because we need people to be sad. Maybe one day, you’ll be in a position where you can go in and be the person who solves these problems. And he brightened up, because he was cool with that.”
The Evolution of Frog Creek Partners
By now, the story of how Deurloo created the Gutter Bin has become something of a legend. Deurloo has a thing about cigarette butts. Like, he really, really hates them.
“It really started many years ago, when I saw a lot of cigarette butts littering the ground,” the Sheridan native said. “Why do people throw this trash on the ground? I grew up in Wyoming, luckily we have a pretty clean environment. I don’t know, trash, litter, it’s always been a pet peeve of mine “Did you know that if you put one smoked cigarette butt in a liter of water with 10 minnows, five of them will die within four days? Five dead fish in just four days. Nicotine is one of the strongest insecticides known to man.” Deurloo, who has a mining engineering degree from the Colorado School of Mines, didn’t set out to create a fantastic stormwater capture system - which he has now built into a multi-million dollar business. Nope, he wanted a way to magnetize cigarette butts so they could be easily picked up with a simple magnet. Deurloo was working in Casper as the North America and South America general manager for an oil and gas company based out of Brisbane, Australia. When energy prices tanked in 2015, Deurloo was tasked with laying off all of his employees - and then was laid off himself. “When I shut my computer down, that was the end of that company in America,” he said. “The next day, when I was traveling back from Denver to Casper, I swung by the (Wyoming) Secretary of State’s office and filed papers to start Frog Creek Partners. It was all based on the idea for the magnetic cigarette filter. At that point, I had done hundreds of hours of research - I actually own a patent - all based around this idea. Anyway, I hired a consultant from the Colorado School of Mines, my professor Dr. Terry Lowe, and I told him my idea. “Well, he said, ‘Brian, that’s a great idea, but it’s not a very good business model, since you only have three big customers here in America - Phillip Morris, Altria Group and RJR.’ I was mad and sad at the same time, but he was right. I needed to find something a bit more commercial, a bit more mainstream. “But I still wanted to change the world.”
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And here’s where the legend really begins ...
At exactly 2:38 a.m. on his daughter’s 8th birthday in 2016, Deurloo said he woke up with an idea: a stormwater filter that could be installed just about anywhere in the world, a filter that could be easily serviced and successful in stopping stormwater pollution - without causing any urban flooding. Less than 10 minutes later, he was in his garage building a prototype - which is proudly displayed at Frog Creek Partners HQ. By 4 a.m., he was at Walmart buying more supplies to tinker with his prototype. A few weeks later, he was one of the winners of the Wyoming Technology Business Center’s Startup Challenge, earning seed money, mentorship and office space in the business center for a year. “I have a good talent for spatial orientation in my head, ‘’ Deurloo said. “I can throw things around in my head, move gears and see how things work. By like 5 a.m., I pretty much had a working prototype. Over the course of a month or two, I filed like three provisional patent applications - I was working 18, 20 hours a day, but I didn’t have a job - and I told my wife, ‘Honey, I need you to be 100 percent behind this - and she was.’ “Then I won the challenge, got some grant money, got an office and, well, here we are.” Here we are, indeed. In 2021, Forbes chose Deurloo, and his business partner/Chief Financial Officer Christopher Tippie, as one of the “Next 1,000, a Forbes list of entrepreneurs from across America with less than $10 million in revenue or funding.” “Brian is a little like a mad scientist,” Tippie said. “Ideas and innovations come to him constantly. While killing time on one long business trip, I was telling him about a documentary I saw about origami. He got ‘that look’ on his face and about two hours later he outlined how we could incorporate origami into our products by creating hand-foldable stainless steel components.
The original Gutter Bin in its final production design.
“His steel origami idea resulted in significant reductions in manufacturing costs and created massive shipping efficiencies as our bulkiest products now ship flat. “Brian is a creator at heart and is driven to solve problems,” Tipple added. “But not in a duct tape and baling wire way. He’s driven to find the best, more straightforward and lasting solution to any problem. He’s always thinking many years past the immediate fix.”
What Frog Creek Does
“The idea is really pretty simple,” Deurloo said of his original Gutter Bin concept. “We like to think of it as a coffee filter, but for storm drains.” While not the only catch basin in production, Frog Creek Partners employs a patented Mundus Bag water filter (Latin for “clean world”). So the
Frog Creek Partners donated a filtration system to the city of Cheyenne and the state of Wyoming, complete with a Steamboat logo, that was installed in front of the historic Capitol Complex. Governor Mark Gordon, Secretary of State Ed Buchanan, and State Treasurer Curt Meier attended the dedication on July 14, 2021.
contents can be easily measured, geocoded and imported into GIS software, letting the municipality see where pollution is coming from. The Mundus Bag also is designed to allow water to drain from the streets even if it becomes completely full. No flooding. There are even different kinds of Mundus Bags, for trash and vegetative waste to plastic, sediment, hydrocarbons and heavy metals, which means it’s customizable to location and season. Customers can put their logos on it too, which helps build public awareness.
The Gutter Bin retails from around $500-900 per unit, but Deurloo does give volume discounts. Each unit has a rated life of 25 years. The first Gutter Bin was installed in 2016 in Sheridan to protect the Goose Creek watershed, where they’re still in use. There also are installations in other parts of Wyoming, along with Colorado and California.
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A few highlights about Frog Creek Partners: F ounded in 2016, the company has raised about $1.7 million in investment.
T he company’s valuation increased seven-fold in our years.
2 020 was a record year for sales. T he company set a sales record in the first half of 2021. I t has a 300% average year-over-year growth for the last three years.
T here are only 12 fully approved stormwater products
that have both Full Trash Capture and mosquito vector control certification within the state of California; Frog Creek Partners manufactures three of the approved devices.
B esides the Gutter Bin, Frog Creek Partners builds and sells these other stormwater products: the Channel Filtration System; the Curb Inlet Filter; the Drop Inlet Filter; as well as the original Mundas Bag.
Deurloo said the company is focused on expansion in three areas of the U.S.: the Intermountain West, Pacific Coast and Chesapeake Bay area. Sales also have begun in the Southeast, as well as the Great Lakes region. In Denver, a dozen Gutter Bins removed close to 2,500 pounds of pollution in a single year. “To put this in even greater context, we estimate there are about 40 million catch basins in the United States and the vast majority are unprotected,” Deurloo said. “That puts the approximate pollution capture potential for the U.S. at 41 million tons or 8.2 billion pounds per year.” “The two missions of my company are quite simple: To clean stormwater is number one; number two is make money so I can clean more stormwater,” Deurloo said. “Two things make Brian successful: One is his passion for what he’s doing and why he’s doing it - it is genuine, pure and infectious - and his drive is relentless,” Tippie said. “Two, he’s nimble and doesn’t fall in love with his ideas, meaning he’s not afraid to abandon them if a better solution appears. It might sound silly, but falling in love with your own idea is a massive blindspot that plagues many creators in business.”
Wyoming colleges and university continued from page 12
Western Wyoming Community College –
University of Wyoming –
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Western is where passion meets purpose.
Find your passion at WWCC through an array of technical courses. Their two-year program provides a firm foundation to solve real-world problems. WWCC has a broad discipline of courses that prepare students for rewarding careers in almost any industry. Western is an award-wining college in both their on-campus and distance learning programs.
The world needs more cowboys. Rooted in the traditions of the West and surrounded by the rugged Rocky Mountains, the University of Wyoming is nationally recognized for their expert facility, top-ranked academics, and world-class campus. UW offers hands-on training and opportunities for students to earn certifications and hone their craft in their industry.
The Final Word
“The problem is absolutely enormous and I don’t think people get it,’ Deurloo said. Let’s take cigarette butts, Deurloo’s biggest bugaboo. Read these facts, from the research paper, “Toxicity of cigarette butts, and their chemical components, to marine and freshwater fish” from San Diego State University: “Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter in the world, as approximately 5.6 trillion cigarettes are smoked every year worldwide. Cigarette waste constitutes an estimated 30% of the total litter (by count) on US shorelines, waterways and on land (LitterFreePlanet, 2009). In fact, cigarette butts are the most common debris item collected along waterways during the Ocean Conservancy’s yearly International Coastal Cleanup. “A study performed by Moriwaki et al found that arsenic, nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals are released into the environment by littered ‘roadside waste’ cigarette butts. Moreover, previous studies have shown chemicals in cigarette butt leachate can be acutely toxic to aquatic organisms.” “There’s only 3 trillion trees on this planet - and there’s over 4 trillion cigarette butts littered all over the world in a year,” Deurloo said. “According to the Centers for Disease Control, Casper had the highest number of smokers in the U.S. in 2014 -30.6 percent of Casper residents smoked. I estimate that 44 million cigarettes are littered in Casper every year - 44 million!” To be sure, each time a Mundas Bag is removed, it is weighed, Deurloo said. On average - and just in Casper - every Gutter Bin/Mundas Bag bag stops some 200 pounds of debris from reaching the North Platte River. “We’ve got 5,000 storm drains in Casper, that’s a million pounds of pollution hitting the North Platte River from just 55,000 people,” he said. “We’ve got to do something - it’s our fault, it’s human’s fault - and we can’t help it. But we have to make some changes.
“I have chosen to focus on stormwater pollution,” he added. “Others are focused on agriculture waste, carbon capture and air pollution. But for me, it’s water, because there’s no such thing as Democrat water or Republican water. It is everybody’s water. It should be clean. Because clean water is a good thing.”
See Brian and a demonstration of Frog Creek Partners products here.
What Students Need to Know About Entrepreneurship and Life
Simply, Deurloo said, what you do matters. Make a choice to do good things.
“ Learn the soft skills in life,” he said. “Call people back. Say please and thank you. Show up to work on time. Be civil.
“ Whatever you do - whether you go to college, go into the military or go straight into the workforce, we need you to be involved,” he added. “Not everyone needs to go to college. We need people who know how to weld. You thought that everything you needed to know you learned in high school - you’re dead wrong. You’ve got to keep on learning. Teach yourself a trade - but never stop learning. Read a lot.”
“ Find something that you’re passionate about and do it,” Tippie said “ I’ve been in the business world for more than 30 years, and I can tell you with certainty that passion is often the difference between success and failure.”
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