Bruce Knell Appointed Casper Vice Mayor, and Two Others Appointed

On Tuesday, councilmember Bruce Knell was appointed vice-mayor of the Casper city council, and two new people, Kenyne Humphrey and Michael McIntosh, were appointed to serve as councilmembers until January.

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The appointments were made following the departure of former vice-mayor Steve Freel and councilmember Shawn Johnson, who are both running for county commissioner.

Both new council members were interviewed for the new position in the council's pre-meeting and each answered the same set of five questions: why do you want to serve, what qualifications do you have, what relevant experience do you have, what current issues does the city face, and what is your availability.

Following the interview process, the council deliberated in an executive session, closed to the public, afterwhich they announced the two new appointments, and swore in them in along with Knell as vice-mayor.

Kenyne Humphrey, who will be representing Ward 2 and had previously served on the council from 2006 to 2016 and four years as mayor, said she specializes in the aging population.

"We have an aging population, so I look forward to helping if we have any of those issues pop up," Kenyne said. "I also run an assisted living and memory care building where I run the budget, I hire the staff, I train them, it's a little mini community all its own. So I'm familiar with budgeting and following the process and employees that want pay raises and bonuses and all those kinds of things."

Michael McIntosh, who is representing Ward 3 and currently serves on the planning and zoning commission, said that because he has travelled to several different countries throughout his life, he has a broader understanding of issues.

"I have what I refer to as a very good international IQ, rather than just a narrow view of the world," McIntosh said. "Having been raised here in Casper yet having lived in many other places, I've grown a much broader understanding of the world, and I have aquired the ability to see every situation from more than one viewpoint, which allows me to empathize and be open to learning more and seeing other people's points of view. Which allows me to make a much better informed decision, which will hopefully be the right one for the community."

At the end of the meeting, all the council members welcomed Humphrey and McIntosh to the council, and Knell said he appreciated the council putting their trust in him to serve as vice-mayor.