Creating a statewide initiative to increase the number of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) in Wyoming, a vast state with just over a half-million people, required many things-- private-public partnerships, the development of an extensive support network for candidates, and a statewide coalition of stakeholders. It also required a reliable car. The Ellbogen Foundation works to strengthen the quality of classroom teaching in Wyoming's public schools by increasing the number of NBCTs in the state. The choice to pursue National Board programs was a natural one based on evidence that effective teachers are the single most important school-level influence on student learning and findings from numerous studies showing National Board Certification's positive impact on student learning. This paper describes how the Wyoming National Board Certification Initiative (WNBCI) helped improve teaching in Wyoming.