LEADERSHIP FOR OUR LOCAL RECOVERY
Eagle County Commissioner, District 2
BIG TEAMWORK. BIG RESULTS.
I believe in good government that serves its citizens. Since 2013, I have pushed for more transparency and greater involvement of citizens in decision-making, We have a strong team of Commissioners and we‘ve accomplished a lot together. We‘ve made Eagle County Government the most transparent it‘s ever been, with televised work sessions, open book financial records, and stronger Citizen Advisory Councils.
Some of the most important issues to our community - like healthcare, childcare, and housing - are some of the most difficult to solve. While these problems are daunting, I have helped lead the county by opening housing for seniors and rental housing for locals. We are now providing incentives for child care providers, and are working regionally to bring down the cost
of healthcare.
I am committed to protecting our natural resources. I am working tirelessly to keep water in our headwaters county by serving on the Board for the Colorado River District and as Chair of the regional water Quality and Quantity Committee.
We‘ve been successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and are committed to bold action to stop destruction of our environment. We purchased open space in both the Eagle and Roaring Fork River valleys, which we can use to promote local agriculture, to sequester carbon, to provide safe haven for our wildlife, and to provide peace and respite to
our souls.
I believe every Eagle County resident should be able to make a sustainable livelihood in our community. I'm working hard to make our economy strong and resilient. We‘ve built an amazing addition to the air terminal, we‘re helping to strengthen broadband, we‘re working with our local business organizations, and the county now hosts the Small Business Development Center. We‘re creating a place where service workers, entrepreneurs and location-neutral businesses all can thrive.
We‘re facing huge challenges now with COVID-19, but we are working on recovery hand-in-hand with local businesses and regional, state and national resources.
Making Eagle County
a Great Place to Live for All
Protecting our Air, Land,
Water and Wildlife
Promoting a Sustainable
and Diverse Economy
FROM HARDEST-HIT
TO MODEL FOR
RECOVERY
In March of this year, Eagle County found itself at the epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis in Colorado, with per capita cases leading the state.
We were among the first to act and we shared our innovative approach to community health monitoring with counties and towns across the nation.
Thanks to a smart all-of-community plan, our county was able to limit the suffering and mortality of this pandemic and to minimize the pain of quarantine measures for businesses, families, and the vulnerable. We know that mental, economic and physical health are inextricably linked, so as we‘ve worked tirelessly to strengthen the public health system, we‘re also supporting the efforts of behavioral health providers and the business community.
We‘re now entering a new phase of recovery. Working with our community members, the Vail Valley Partnership, Basalt Chamber of Commerce, Vail Valley and Aspen Community Foundations and healthcare partners throughout the county, we are committed to the goals of reopening schools in the fall and having a successful ski season while protecting health. We’ve partnered with our neighboring counties and communities for a unified testing strategy, and know that we can only be successful through a concerted approach.
A LIFETIME
OF LOCAL SERVICE
I had the luck to grow up in Eagle when it was a small town. We spent a lot of time on the family ranch and exploring the mountains around Eagle. It was a different world back then. My dad worked at the fledgling Eagle Airport as an FAA Air Traffic Controller and, for a time, my mother was the only medical provider in town.
Those roots are still with us. When you live in a small town, everyone pitches in to help the community thrive. From volunteering for school events, to leading service organizations, to helping neighbors get their harvest in or picking rocks off the ski slopes in the summer, we were proud to be active members of this special place.
For me, carrying that legacy forward has meant helping others discover the joy of community connection and teamwork. From helping found Eagle County United Way to decades supporting the County Fair & Rodeo, service on the Colorado River Basin Roundtable to work with the Eagle County Economic Advisory Council, it‘s an honor and a pleasure to get to weave Eagle County‘s past and future into common purpose.
Serving as your County Commissioner has been the honor of my life. Together, we‘re tackling big challenges and building some of the best quality of life in the West.
The world has changed, but our guiding stars haven‘t.
After high school, I left Eagle County to earn my education and start a career. When I first packed up, hugged my folks, and drove away, I was saying goodbye to 7,000 neighbors here in the county. When I returned, there were 24,000. Now, 55,000 people are proud to call this wonderful place home.
Ask any of them why they‘re here, and they‘ll tell you some version of the same. What all of us – you, me, and our neighbors – are building is something very special. We‘re blazing a trail for what the future of the West can look like.
Our rural roots, open skies, and mountain town values are attracting the next generation of people passionate to make a difference here. Their energy and talent enriches all of our lives, diversifies our economy, and supercharges innovation here.
Our challenge now is protecting that small town quality of life and spirit of Western independence, while preserving Eagle County as a place of open skies and big dreams.
BUILDING THE FUTURE
OF THE WEST
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Protecting our Land and Water.
Our land and water are part of our soul here in Eagle County, and protecting those resources also protects our economy. These are regional and national issues, and I‘m proud to represent Eagle County as:
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Vice Chair of Land Management Committee of the National Association of County’s Public Lands Steering Committee
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A Director of the Colorado River Water Conservation District Board, the body charged with protecting the resources of the Colorado River intra- and interstate.
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Appointed member of the Economic and Local Government subcommittee for the Colorado Water Conservation Board Investigation of Demand Management
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Chair of the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments Water Quality/Quantity Committee (QQ)
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Chair of the Ruedi Water and Power Authority
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Member of the Governing Committee for the Upper Colorado River Wild & Scenic Alternative Management Plan
Preserving Open Space.
We added over 1,500 acres of open space with the acquisition of Brush Creek Valley Ranch and Ridgway Open Spaces. Building these treasures for generations to come was a community-wide effort with help from outside funding partners. These lands will be used for agriculture, wildlife protection, education, open space and trails, and access to other public lands.
Strengthening Economic Diversity.
We completed the new terminal at the Eagle County Regional Airport and are bringing in new direct flights to EGE. Creating partnerships with low-cost airlines to build new markets will help make Eagle County a premier location for ”location neutral” and work from home businesses.
Engaging our Residents.
We are using a community empowerment model to build leadership capacity among our vulnerable populations.
Building our Communities for the Future.
We are streamlining and strengthening land use regulations and updating our Comprehensive Plan, with direction from community residents and planning commissions throughout the County.
Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
We support the community-wide Climate Action Collaborative, and Eagle County is on track to have four electric buses on the roads this fall.
