CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Three officials at the Wyoming Healthcare Commission resigned last week, including both Executive Director Anne Ladd and Chairman T. Chris Muirhead, although Muirhead said the timing was coincidence.

"It's just time to retire," said Muirhead, who has served on the commission for 2.5 years and said he wanted to spend more time with his accounting practice. "I have a busy practice in Casper, and I just need to devote more of my time and energy to my practice."

Ladd said it was "a difficult decision" to leave the commission, but that she felt her opinion was no longer valued by Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

"I think everybody has their own reasons," Ladd said. "For me, it became clear that my advice was no longer valued by the governor, and I felt I was an impediment to getting the important work of the commission accomplished."

The third official, Commissioner George Bryce, simply said the commission's work was changing and that, with his term close to ending anyway, someone else would be better suited to serve.

In a written statement, Freudenthal thanked all three for their service without directly addressing Ladd's concerns.

"I'm very grateful for the hard work Anne and the members of the Healthcare Commission put into improving health care in Wyoming," Freudenthal said.

"Their expertise will be missed, but this choice was theirs to make," he said. "Although differences in philosophy may have presented themselves, the work of the commission remains of the highest importance."

Information from: Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, http://www.wyomingnews.com