by Page Buono

With two new commissioners and three staff members all brought on board in the last six months, La Plata County approaches 2013 with fresh faces, backgrounds, perspectives and approaches to both new and lingering issues.

Fellow Democrats Julie Westendorff and Gwen Lachelt were sworn in as county commissioners on Jan. 6 in front of a packed courtroom filled with colleagues, friends, family members and interested citizens. They join Republican Bobby Lieb, who was elected in 2010, to serve together as the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC).

“To me, this represents a shift to heart from ideology,” said La Plata County resident Werner Heiber at the swearing in ceremony. Heiber, board chair of the Sustainability Alliance for Southwest Colorado (SASCO) and citizen-at-large on the board of 4Core, went on to say that the new faces represented a shift to focusing on rights of the individuals, and the greater good of the people and the land.

Karola Hanks, fire marshal for Durango Fire and Rescue Authority, who estimated that the courtroom was filled to capacity, said regardless of politics, the new candidates are both dedicated to serving their community.

Lachelt, who represents District 2, the seat previously held by Republican Kellie Hotter, has lived in Durango for nearly 32 years, moving here the day after she graduated high school to attend Fort Lewis College. She studied English and political science, an interest that was sparked by President Nixon’s visit to Anchorage, Alaska when she was a young girl.

Since graduating FLC, Lachelt has spent a significant amount of time as director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance, advocating for regulation of the oil and gas industry and working with La Plata County citizens concerned about the drilling.  

“My phone has been ringing off the hook for years with people affected by the drilling,” Lachelt said.

Through her experience with the Citizens Alliance and later as the founder and director of Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project, Lachelt gained experience and knowledge about many of the issues affecting La Plata County. Aside from oil and gas, Lachelt said her experience with public lands, affordable housing, green energy and a local food economy gives her a strong understanding of the overall needs of the community.

Westendorff, a lawyer, represents District 3, the seat previously held by Democrat Wally White, who is term limited.

Originally from the Cleveland area, Westendorff moved to La Plata County 17 years ago after having spent a summer working in Farmington for Navajo Legal Services while attending law school at the University of Virginia. Her parents had previously moved to Durango, and she regularly visited them on the weekends.

Westendorff remembers her first visit to Durango for a family vacation in 1981, eating dinner at Francisco’s and watching couples two-step to a cover band’s version of “Driving My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt.

Her curiosity for LPC grew through her work, and when she finished school, the Southwest was high up on her radar.

During her first job interview with local attorney Doug Shand in 1995, Westendorff recalls standing on the corner of 9th and Main and saying, “someday I want to know everyone who walks down the street.” And, through her work with the Southern Ute Tribe, the Town of Bayfield, Coldwell Banker, Rotary Club of Durango and more, she is close to her goal.

Westendorff said her desire to understand and know people from diverse backgrounds in both her personal and professional life is one of the things that will contribute to her success as a commissioner.

“When you know who you represent, the work you do is not theoretical or hypothetical. It is concrete,” she said.

Lachelt and Westendorff aren’t the only new faces at the county level. In the last year, the county also gained a new county manager, Joe Kerby, hired in June; a new director of planning, Damian Peduto, who began in October; and a new director of general services, Mark McKibben, who began in July.

Although Kerby’s start date was officially last  June, he suffered a waterskiing injury in July that stalled his start. However, while a difficult time for him personally, Kerby’s injury proved a team-building exercise of its own. “The staff rallied around me through a very trying time in my life,” he said.

One of Kerby’s immediate tasks was to assist with the hiring of two new directors, a director of county planning and a director of general services.  
Peduto worked previously as the director of planning and zoning for the Town of Juno Beach, Fla. McKibben was responsible for transportation, facilities and food services for the Duneland School Corp. in Chesterton, Ind.

“They are both seasoned professionals with a lot of expertise in their respective areas,” said Kerby.

“I have received nothing but positive feedback about either of them.”

Since his hire, Peduto said a lot of his attention has gone to organization within the Planning Department.

“There is a lot of talent within the department,” Peduto said. “We’re focusing on synthesizing that talent to create a more solid and effective department.”

Peduto said that having limited knowledge and experience of La Plata County, but extensive experience in communities with similar needs has allowed him to see objectively what is working and what isn’t.

“The culture in La Plata County is the most down-to-earth and comfortable I have worked in,” Peduto said. “And the people are awesome.”

Both Peduto and Kerby praised county administration as highly organized and effective, playing a crucial role in the smooth transition.

Peduto also said that the combination of Assistant County Manager Joanne Spina and Kerby create a unique and effective leadership with a broad knowledge base. Spina served as interim manager after Sean Nau quit his post in August 2011.

Spina said she looks forward to the new era of collaboration. “We welcome the new energy, enthusiasm, ideas and commitment," said Assistant County Manager, Joanne Spina.

In addition to Peduto and McKibben, the county is in the process of hiring a new financial director. Thus far, applicants have come from local, state and national levels. Kerby said they hope to have someone in place in the next 30 to 45 days if all goes according to plan.

County commissioners and county staff had their first team-building exercise Mon., Jan. 14. The goal of the six-hour meeting was to learn each others’ working styles and begin building a foundation for effective governance. The new commissioners and the county manager left the meeting optimistic about the dynamics as a whole.

“We have diverse experiences, backgrounds and skills. Things that I don’t know, Gwen and Bobby do,” Westendorff said. “I am very optimistic that we will work well together.”

Some of the major issues identified by county staff and commissioners to be addressed in 2013 are the Comprehensive Plan and an inter-governmental agreement between the city and county in the face of falling property values and oil and gas revenues. Additionally, many members of the new staff and commission emphasized a desire to increase and encourage engagement with members of the community.

“They are a very thoughtful, dynamic, reflective and strategic board,” Kerby said. “They all came together with optimism to open a new chapter in the history of La Plata County.”