Jim Geringer

JIM GERINGER was born in Wheatland, Wyoming, and raised on the family farm. He received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Kansas State University. He was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1977, working on aerospace programs for the Air Force and NASA, including launches of reconnaissance satellites, the NASA Viking Mars Lander, and the beginning of the Global Positioning Satellite System. During this time, he also served as chief of computer programming at a ground receiving station for early-warning satellites. In 1979 he went into farming and cattle feeding full time in rural Wyoming. He was elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 1983 and had served for six years when he was elected to the state senate. During this period, the Geringers continued to operate their farm, and he participated in the Air Force Reserves. He was first elected governor in 1994. Governor Geringer focused on local communities as central to each government service and action, with the state providing resources and support for local programs. He pushed for higher standards, proper assessment of achievement, and effective use of technology for basic and distance learning. Governor Geringer is a past chairman of the Western Governors' Association and the Education Commission of the States. He served on John Glenn's National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century.