I’ve recently completed two terms as a La Plata County Commissioner and now serve as the executive director of Western Leaders Network, a growing organization of 450 local and tribal elected officials addressing conservation issues in America’s Interior West.

I started my career in community organizing in 1987 and I’ve worked on everything from modernizing oil and gas policies and practices to addressing homelessness. I’ve directed organizations ranging from 3 employees to 450 and with annual budgets ranging from $250,000 to $100 million.

Serving as an elected official was an honor and gave me the opportunity to work on the breadth of issues facing communities from water contamination from abandoned mine blowouts to wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a challenging eight years with highs and lows but I have a huge appreciation for those who choose to run for elected office and serve their communities. It is the hardest job you will ever love.

As I open this new chapter running an organization that addresses conservation issues across the vast Interior West, I look forward to meeting tribal council leaders, county commissioners, mayors, electric board cooperative directors and all those officials working so hard to protect the West’s land, air and water from Ajo, Arizona to Fort Belknap, Montana.

I hope you enjoy reading through my website and learning about the organizations that I’ve worked for, the issues I’ve worked on and the Interior West that I love so much.

For more information, visit Western Leaders Network.