About Us

Sharon Bucinno

Interim Executive Director

Growing up in central Florida, Sharon soon realized she needed more mountains in her life. Standing on top of Yosemite’s Half Dome convinced her to pursue environmental law. From California, Sharon went to Alaska where the mountains were even bigger. She worked for the Alaska Supreme Court as it dealt with the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Sharon came to see that deserts and sagebrush can be as awe-inspiring as mountains. The coal-bed methane boom brought PRBRC and Sharon together in the early 2000s. As an attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Sharon partnered with local organizations and landowners to limit the impacts of proposed drilling on federal lands. While managing NRDC’s Land and Wildlife program for two decades, Sharon’s work was grounded in finding solutions that work locally in community. She is excited about the role Powder River can play in the community work needed to build a prosperous and resilient future for the region, state and country.

Most recently, Sharon led the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration. In that role, she helped distribute $11.2 billion of federal infrastructure funds to coal communities for reclamation and repurposing of abandoned mine lands. She also facilitated federal approval of Wyoming’s proposal to include used wind turbine blades as part of coal mine reclamation.

Sharon has taught natural resource law, local government and legislation as an adjunct at the University of Wyoming College of Law and Georgetown Law School. She is currently a fellow with the Wallace Stegner Center at the University of Utah. She also serves on the Planning Commission for the City of
Laramie.

Sharon is splitting her time between Sheridan and Laramie where her husband teaches law at the University. Her two daughters are pursuing careers in health care – one treating animals; the other healing people. Both share Sharon’s love of the wild and the solitude found in Wyoming’s open spaces.  Every once in a while, they will even sleep on the ground with her under the stars. Sharon hasn’t bagged an antelope, but she did pass hunter education and had a great time with the folks at the First Hunt Foundation.

Katherine Schrock

Office Manager/Member Relations Coordinator

A graduate of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. in Parks and Recreation Administration, I served in an administrative capacity for both municipal and private recreational entities. The highlight of my career in Recreation was in the creation, ownership and operation of Minnesota’s first Swim School Organization alongside my husband Peter.  Together we operated three locations teaching thousands of young ones to love swimming over a 28 year period of time.  We share with pride how Regan Smith, 2024 Olympic Silver Medalist, developed her early swimming skills at our Lakeville pool. Our Family Swim School was unique in its time with very small classes, warm water, amazing curriculum and a dedicated mature staff.  Recreation continues to be an important part of my life with lap swimming, yoga, biking, hiking, camping, fishing and gathering with friends and family.

My husband Peter and I raised our son and daughter in Lakeville, Minnesota.  Carrie works for Salesforce and resides in Milwaukee, WI with her husband and Frank is a BSA Camp Director  in the beautiful Olympic Peninsula, WA.   We all take turns visiting each other in our respective unique areas of America.

Employment with the Powder River Basin Resource Council allows me to meet and work with the people of Wyoming who are passionate about this land, protecting it now and for generations to come.