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Michael B. Enzi
Senate Service
Michael B. Enzi was sworn in as
Wyoming's 20th United States
Senator on January 7, 1997.
Since that time he has cast
votes and worked on some of the
most pivotal and historic issues
of our time including
resolutions authorizing the use
of military force in the Middle
East, the impeachment of a
President, dramatic overhaul of
the Medicare system, innovative
educational reform and
legislation connected to
September 11, 2001, the date of
the most brutal terrorist attack
on American soil.
At the start of the 109th
Congress Enzi became the ninth
Wyoming senator to ascend to the
rank of chairman on one of the
16 standing Senate committees.
Enzi has been a member of the
Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions Committee, since
his arrival in the senate in
1997. In his role as Chairman,
Enzi will lead the Senate in its
efforts to help ensure that
everyone, no matter their age,
can receive a quality education.
Enzi will work to help provide
Americans access to affordable,
quality health care while
protecting workers and providing
them training to get the best
jobs. Enzi will also work to
oversee the security of
pensions. Enzi has been a quiet
leader moving the U.S. forward
in its battle against AIDS on
the world front. He continues
efforts to open Cuba up to
travel, trade and most
importantly new ideas.
Enzi helped author the
reauthorization of the Workforce
Investment Act which creates a
streamlined job training and
employment system vital to
employers and workers. He formed
the Rural Education Caucus and
strives to ensure the unique
challenges small population
schools face are not overlooked
in federal education
legislation. He was one of only
two Congressional
representatives to the U.N.
General Assembly in the 108th
Congress. He has authored
innovative legislation that
would reinvent our medical
justice system.
Pre-Senate Service and Family
Enzi was born on February 1,
1944 in Bremerton, Washington
while his father was serving our
country in the naval shipyards
during World War II. Enzi and
his family moved to Thermopolis,
Wyoming shortly after his birth
where he attended elementary
school. He graduated from
Sheridan High School in 1962. He
continued his education in
Washington, D.C. at George
Washington University. After
completing his accounting degree
in 1966, he went on to the
University of Denver where he
earned a Master's Degree in
Retail Marketing in 1968. Enzi
is a Rapport Leadership
Institute Master Grad.
After marrying Diana (Buckley)
in 1969, Enzi and his wife moved
to Gillette, Wyoming where they
started their own small
business, NZ Shoes, with stores
later in Sheridan, Wyoming and
Miles City, Montana. Gillette
has been his home ever since. He
served as president of the
Wyoming Jaycees (1973-1974). At
age 30 he was elected to the
first of his two four-year terms
as Mayor of Gillette, providing
leadership as the city more than
doubled in size. He served on
the Department of Interior Coal
Advisory Committee (1976- 1979),
traveling to Washington, D.C. to
give advice on coal leasing and
other coal issues. He has served
his county and state as a State
Representative, elected three
times beginning in 1987 and a
State Senator (1991-1996). Enzi
also served his country in the
Wyoming Air National Guard
(1967-1973), and he is now
cofounder and chairman of the
U.S. Air Force Caucus for the
U.S. Senate. He was president of
the Wyoming Association of
Municipalities (1980-1982), a
member of the Energy Council
Executive Committee (1989-1993,
1994-1996), a commissioner of
the Western Interstate
Commission for Higher Education
(1995-1996) and served on the
Education Commission of the
States (1989-1993). He was a
member of the founding board of
directors of First Wyoming Bank
of Gillette (1978-1988) and an
employee of a small business,
Dunbar Well Service (1985-1997),
where he worked as accounting
manager and computer programmer.
He was a director of the Black
Hills Corporation (1992-1996), a
New York Stock Exchange Company.
Enzi was a spokesperson for
WyBett, an organization which
successfully opposed gambling in
Wyoming. Mike is a champion of
small business and community
service.
Enzi has two daughters and one
son. Amy holds her master's
degree in Education from the
University of Wyoming, is a
certified school principal, and
teaches seventh grade English in
Sheridan. Emily graduated from
the University of Wyoming with a
degree in communication and
works at the University as a
recruiter in the admissions
department. Her husband, Michael
McGrady, attends UW law school.
His son Brad, a graduate of the
University of Wyoming, is the
COO of South Park Construction.
Brad and his wife, Danielle, a
fundraising consultant, are the
proud parents of the Enzis’
first grandchild, Trey.
Enzi's wife Diana has a
bachelor's degree from the
University of Wyoming as well as
a master's degree in adult
education. Diana is part of
Senate Spouses, former President
of the Congressional Club and
past President of the
International Club and a
volunteer for several
organizations. Diana is also
working hard to save lives. In
partnership with the Marshall
Legacy Institute she is working
to provide countries infested
with land mines with specially
trained landmine detecting dogs
and handlers to find and
eliminate the mines. Diana
started the CHAMPS or CHildren
Against the Mine Problem
program. School children across
Wyoming gave a quarter and
helped raise enough money to
send a dog, aptly named
“Wyoming”, to Sri Lanka. Diana
hopes schoolchildren in other
states will follow suit.
Enzi is an elder in the
Presbyterian Church and taught
the high school Sunday school
class for more than 10 years.
Enzi's love for Wyoming grew as
he became an Eagle Scout. He has
been honored as a Distinguished
Eagle by Scouts and Significant
Sig by Sigma Chi Fraternity. He
is an avid hunter, fly
fisherman, bicyclist, and
reader. He now co-chairs the
Congressional Sportsmen's
Caucus. He and his son Brad
built their own canoe as a
family project. He was a youth
soccer coach for 10 years.
For more information about
Senator Michael B. Enzi, please
visit his website -
www.enzi.senate.gov
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