Baugh Retires From AARP Wyoming After 21 Years of Service

AARP Wyoming

The small pad of paper that Bret Baugh carries in his shirt pocket that acts as a mobile to-do list has about two pages left in it as of March 2. That should be just about all he needs as his days at 1800 Carey Avenue come to an end.

Exactly 21 years to the day that he started, Bret Baugh retired from AARP Wyoming on March 4. Baugh is the second in his family to retire in the past six months. Baugh’s wife, Gayle, retired from the FBI at the end of 2022.

“It’s been incredible,” Baugh says of his final week in the office. “I’m looking forward to what’s next, living my life, and spending time traveling with Gayle.

“She is the only boss I have now,” Baugh says with a grin.

Baugh leaves AARP after having helped to open the AARP Wyoming State Office in September 2001, along with Tim Summers (now the State Director for AARP Montana), and Rita Inoway. 

Baugh was born in Pocatello, Idaho and moved to Casper in his senior year of high school. The Natrona County High School alum (Class of ‘77) joined the National Guard full time in 1981 working in supply and administration based out of the Casper Armory. He was transferred to National Guard headquarters in Cheyenne in June of 1990 and finished out his 20 years of service to the military. 

Baugh and his wife, Gayle’s family has a strong military tie as their son, Robert, is a Marine in Turkey; son, Daniel is a Navy veteran now living in Cheyenne; son Andrew is in the Air Force. The Baughs also have two other children who have stayed out of uniform in Bridgett and Stevie

After taking early retirement from the military at age 37, Baugh landed at Green Thumb, which was a non-profit dedicated to helping older adults find employment. Baugh says his director, Peggy Aucker, told him AARP was starting a Wyoming office and had a job that might be a good fit. 

“I was told that when I applied for the job, Rita (Inoway) and Tim (Summers) both selected another person for the job, then over the weekend they thought about it more and decided they should offer me the job instead,” Baugh says.

Baugh says in Sept. of 2001, Inomway and Summers were working out of their homes as they got the state AARP office rolling. In March, Baugh was hired and was told AARP Wyoming would be based in 2020 Carey Avenue, the US Bank Building in Cheyenne which remained AARP Wyoming’s offices until 2019. 

Over the next 21 years, Baugh was a fixture at AARP, helping to organize everything from shredfest fraud prevention events to Legislative Receptions. Baugh also handled the majority of interactions with AARP’s national offices in Washington, DC and Lakewood, Calif. In the realms of human resources, payments, and even buying snacks for the office. 

“Volunteers have been the highlight through the years for me,” Baugh says. “I thought I did well in working with the public. I enjoyed the outdoor events and I loved it when you get to meet members. We have the most amazing volunteers anyone could ask for.”

In recent years the Baugh family has engaged in more travel both in and outside of the US, returning from Rome last month. Baugh says other trips are in the works as well.

“We will be traveling through the states and we will go overseas too,” he says. “We’ll go to Italy and Greece and back to France and tour the states to see friends and family at our leisure.”

During his last week on the job, Baugh was honored with a retirement luncheon with AARP staff and volunteers at The Metropolitan in downtown Cheyenne before going to the Capitol. It was there that his long-time friend and fellow National Guard colleague, State Rep. Kevin O’Hearn asked his House of Representative colleagues to recognize Bret’s service to older adults in the state and they did so with a standing ovation. 

“That still floors me,” Baugh says the day after the trip to the Capitol. “I never in my life thought anything like that would happen to me. I’m still in awe. I’ve never had anyone giving an applause like that. It was amazing.

“It’s been phenomenal,” Baugh says about his time at AARP Wyoming. “There are a lot of good memories to look back at and I’m proud of what I’ve done here.”