Marketing man Upton native starts job with Wyoming Business Council

Upton native and business leader Kade McMillan began a statewide role on April 1 as the market development advisor for the Wyoming Business Council.

McMillan, who now works in Cheyenne, told the News Letter Journal that it’s not his first time working with the WBC – he’s had several opportunities to work with them while working in Upton economic development. He got a taste of the vision WBC has for Wyoming’s economic growth, experience that inspired him to apply for the job. He is looking forward to continuing his work in helping Wyoming businesses expand. I

“I knew that it was an organization that I wanted to be a part of,” he said.

McMillan said that his experience growing up in Upton and in the family that owns the grocery store Joe’s Food Center has helped him understand the everyday challenges businesses face. His ability to help businesses has catapulted him from the local level to a state level, and he said he enjoys helping celebrate people’s “small wins,” which might otherwise be overlooked because people are so busy trying to keep their businesses running. 

Examples of little victories in the business world include launching new products and hiring first employees, according to McMillan.

“Everyone deserves to be celebrated,” he said.

McMillan graduated in December 2021 from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, general sales, merchandising and related marketing operations, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was a student manager for the women’s volleyball team, a member of Alpha Kappa Psi and the founding president of the university’s Sales Club in 2021, according to the WBC. 

After graduating, McMillan worked for the Upton Economic Development Board as an administration specialist for marketing and economic development from January through August 2022 and an economic development coordinator from November 2022 through September 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile. From September 2024 to April 2025, he was the Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce’s programs coordinator in Denver.

Buffy Helwig, McMillan’s mother and a past president of the Upton Chamber of Commerce, said her son “grew up being very community-minded.” 

He “jumped at the chance” to be the vice president of the Upton chamber when she was the president and confidently took on the job when she decided she was ready to step down from her post, according to Helwig.

“Kade is the most personable, charismatic young man I know,” she said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with my son in that role and watch him flourish. He is missed in our community, but I know he will do great things in his new role.”

Clark Coberly, the superintendent of Weston County School District No. 7, told the NLJ that he believes McMillan did a great job with the Upton Economic Development Board and will flourish in his new role with the WBC. Coberly served on the board during McMillan’s time with the board.

“Kade is a great individual dedicated to helping all he works with reach higher than they knew they could,” Coberly said. “He loves Wyoming and understands the communities he will be working with.”

Karla Ludemann, an Upton High School business teacher and the school’s Future Business Leaders of America adviser, taught McMillan, who was a four-year member of FBLA. He served as a local chapter officer and later as a Wyoming FBLA state officer. He even earned national recognition in the Partnership with Business Project event. 

“I had the privilege of watching Kade grow from a bright and driven student into a poised, professional leader,” Ludemann said.

Now, at the WBC, “he continues to exemplify what FBLA hopes to instill in its members: leadership, responsibility and a desire to make a positive difference,” Ludemann told the NLJ. “We’re proud to count him among our alumni – and we look forward to seeing all he continues to accomplish for Wyoming.”

McMillan said one of the most exciting aspects of his job is that he still can make a difference in Upton and Weston County, an area that has given him “so much” and encouraged him to feel confident in his role at the WBC.
“No matter who you are, you feel at home (in Weston County),” he said.