A Pledge to Serve, A Vision to Unite
Oviatt brings diversity of experience to this campaign, pulling from his multiple deployments as a civilian contractor on our United
States oversea bases in Antarctica, to his Wyoming entrepreneurship in the construction and energy fields. He believes that the position of
Secretary of State should be held by someone who is as committed to upholding the Constitution as they are ensuring that WY strives to live up
to is name as the equality state, someone who will work tirelessly towards building bridges rather than celebrate burning them.
A True Family Man
Qwenton Eagle Oviatt and his wife Jenny currently enjoy living in Hudson, where she works as a health care provider, and he splits his time between working as an academic advisor for Central Wyoming College, and as the part time care giver for his mother Catheron, who suffers from multiple sclerosis.
A true Wyomingite, Qwenton attended high school in Lander, where he was fortunate to meet his now wife Jenny. Together they moved to Laramie so Oviatt could attend UW, and there completed Bachelor programs in Psychology and Environment and Natural Resource Management, he then attained certification in mediation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To fulfill the internship portion of his degree, Qwenton completed an unpaid fellowship program with the National Outdoor Leadership School at their Mexico Branch in Baja California. After Graduation, Oviatt undertook the first of his deployments with the National Science Foundation to McMurdo Base on the Antarctic Continent. He is quite proud of the work he accomplished with both the NSF and NASA, and feels honored to have been able to support the very important research our country does there.
Dedicated to Country and Constituents
Between seasonal deployments to Antarctica, Oviatt became an entrepreneur and started his own contracting and painting company in Laramie. After his final deployment, Qwenton and Jenny decided to move back to Lander and go into business with his father and brother. Oviatt’s father was a combustion engineer who held multiple patents for his inspired designs. Together they formed the Pyrohelix company, and used his designs to manufacture and distribute the most environmentally efficient flare stacks and waste gas burners the coal bed methane industry had ever seen. These were so well designed and efficient that many have over tripled their working life expectancy and can still be seen functioning on the Pinedale Anticline today.
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After the sudden passing of Qwenton’s father, his aspirations changed and he decided to focus on helping his family and community to the best of his ability. He became the primary care giver to his mother, who though despite suffering from M.S. is able to maintain a more positive attitude than anyone else he knows.
Prior to University, Qwenton was awarded the rank of Eagle Scout while a member of Lander’s Troop 52, and says that his core values were shaped by the 12 points of the Scout Law which he tries to embody in his everyday life. He credits this award and a subsequent meeting with then Senator Mike Enzi with convincing him to not leave the state for his college education, and ultimately to seek this political office. “Senator Enzi is a political role model of mine, and I am a firm believer in his 80-20 rule. I want to carry that spirit forward, focusing on the 80 percent of issues we as neighbors agree on, instead of fighting over the 20 percent where we may differ. Wyoming needs this now more than ever.”
Qwenton has deep respect for Wyoming’s devoted County clerks, staff and volunteers who oversee our honest and accurate elections. Oviatt promises to ensure a data driven approach to maintaining our election security, and listening to the locals on the ground over out of state instigators who wish to “fix” something which has shown no sign of being broken. He believes that the US constitution is quite clear that the power to regulate voting starts and stops with state legislatures.
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As an entrepreneur, he believes that the state has a duty to support its Wyoming businesses with commerce friendly legislation thatmaintains a high level of integrity. “We can keep WY open for business while still supporting our civic responsibilities. Upholding our duties tothose in vulnerable populations in our state, such as our children and our retired communities is imperative, and the benefit our state receivesfrom its’ expenditures on public safety, social services, and public education is necessary and invaluable.”Qwenton is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys camping, fishing, hiking and biking in the summertime, and snowboarding, reading andgaming in the winter. He is an avid supporter of Fremont County Roller Derby, and volunteers as their in-house announcer/ colorcommentator.