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I am running for County Commissioner because of one question I keep coming back to. Will San Miguel County remain a place where the people who work here can afford to live here, and have a real voice in the decisions that shape our future? I have spent more than twenty-five years here, raising five children who went through Telluride schools, running two Main Street businesses, working in rural healthcare, and leading both our school board and our hospital board. That time ta

Thank you, and happy belated Fourth of July. Thank you to the San Miguel Democratic Party for all your work to organize this. There is something fitting about gathering the day after Independence Day, because what we celebrate is not just freedom in the abstract. It is self‑governance. People coming together to make tough decisions and shape the future they want to live in. That is what this race is about. I have lived in San Miguel County for more than twenty‑five years. I o

Our region's elected officials recently sat down to talk about a reality that rarely makes the front page: how large-scale projects ripple outward long after they are approved. When a major development creates hundreds of jobs in one community, the need for housing, water, roads, and public services does not stay neatly within town borders. It travels. It shows up downstream in Norwood, in Naturita and Nucla, and increasingly in Ouray, Dolores, and Montrose Counties. Too ofte

Most people in San Miguel County do not follow local government closely. They have jobs, kids, and bills. They tune in when a decision hits their street or wallet, but by then it is often already made. That is no one’s fault; it is just how local government has long worked. We post notices, hold weekday meetings, and open public comment after the real work is done. We call it engagement, but often it’s just procedure. The trouble is who is left out. Midday meetings draw the s

A Community Worth Fighting For I have lived in San Miguel County for 25 years, and Christine and I raised our five children here. I have owned small businesses, worked in mental health for a decade, and served on school and hospital boards. Much of that work has crossed town and county lines, because where people live, work, and feel the consequences of decisions does not always line up on a map. That is the vantage point I bring. I understand the fear I hear from others, tha

Will San Miguel County Remain a Community to Come Home To? Will the people who work in San Miguel County still be able to live here? That question has been with us for years. This past year gave it new urgency. Teachers, healthcare workers, tradespeople, service workers, and young families face a difficult choice: commute long distances, work three jobs, or leave altogether. Longtime residents and retirees, even those who own their homes, feel the pressure of rising property

A Community to Come Home To This winter’s record-low snowpack across Colorado is not just a headline. It is a reminder. In San Miguel County, environmental stewardship is inseparable from public safety, economic stability, and long-term livability. San Miguel County has established measurable climate and resilience goals, and we should continue leading regionally in this work. The county has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving energy efficiency, enhancin

Rights, Dignity, and Inclusion for All A Community to Come Home To A strong community is one where everyone who calls this place home, and everyone who works here, is treated with dignity and respect. It is a place where people can access services, participate in public life, and feel confident that their voices matter, regardless of background, language, income, or where in the county they live. In San Miguel County, rights, dignity, and inclusion are not abstract ideals. Th

A Community to Come Home To A healthy community is not defined only by the absence of illness. It is defined by stability, access, and the conditions that allow people to live with dignity and security over time. In San Miguel County, community health is shaped by where people live, how they work, and whether essential services are accessible locally. Housing affordability, economic stability, education, healthcare, and environmental conditions are not separate issues. They a

The ski patrol strike has been resolved and the mountain has reopened, but the effects of the past month will linger. Workers lost wages. Small businesses lost revenue. Families postponed plans. Even as normal operations resume, many people are still feeling the aftershocks, and our community remains divided. What we experienced was not simply a labor dispute. It was a reminder of how interconnected and fragile life in San Miguel County can be, and how quickly decisions or di

A Community to Come Home To Why this matters: A local economy is only strong if it can support stability when disruption occurs. A strong local economy is not measured only by visitor numbers, investment, or a good season. It is measured by whether people who work here can build stable lives here, whether small businesses can plan beyond the next month, and whether the community can absorb disruption without unraveling. The recent closure of the ski area has laid bare how fra

Over the past several months, one message from voters across San Miguel County has been unmistakable. Too many people feel that government decisions are happening to them, not with them. That sense of exclusion, whether justified or not, erodes trust and divides communities. Restoring confidence in how decisions are made is one of the central reasons I am running for the Board of County Commissioners. Recent events have made that clear. In Telluride, the closely watched ballo

San Miguel County is a place people fall in love with. It should also be a place where the people who make it work can afford to live. San Miguel County’s housing crisis is no longer abstract. It shows up every day in our classrooms, clinics, businesses, and neighborhoods. Teachers commute farther than they should. Healthcare workers struggle to stay. Long time residents wonder whether they will be able to age in place. This is not sustainable, and it is why housing is the ce