Gwen
Lachelt (pronounced "Lack-ult") began her first four-year term as a
La Plata County Commissioner in January 2013. Lachelt was re-elected to a
second term in 2016. Commissioner Lachelt’s priorities have included: updating
the county’s comprehensive master land use plan and land use code; protecting
Animas River water quality through installation of a water treatment facility
for mine waste runoff on Cement Creek; affordable and attainable housing;
living wage jobs; developing permanent supportive housing for the county’s
homeless population; effectively addressing the Four Corners “Methane Cloud”
and La Plata County’s high ozone levels through reduction of methane emissions
from oil and gas facilities and pipelines on federal lands; protecting public
lands; reducing wildfire risk; diversifying La Plata County’s economy; clean,
renewable energy development; addressing the county’s declining revenue trend
through promoting the need to modernize the county’s property tax mill levy and
reverse the TABOR and Gallagher amendments.
As
County Commissioner, Lachelt was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper to co-chair
the Oil and Gas Task Force. She serves on the National Association of Counties’
Environment, Energy and Land Use Steering Committee. Lachelt represents the
county on the boards of San Juan Basin Public Health, Housing Solutions and the
Southwest Colorado Council of Governments. Lachelt has also served on the
Durango-La Plata County Library Advisory Board and Region 9 Economic
Development board.
Commissioner Lachelt moved
to La Plata County in 1981. She is a graduate of Fort Lewis College and pursued
graduate studies at Antioch University in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Prior to
becoming an elected official, Lachelt’s career was focused on oil and gas
policy reform at the local, state and national levels. She served as executive
director of Western Colorado Congress and San Juan Citizens Alliance. Lachelt
founded Earthworks’ Oil & Gas Accountability Project and Western Leaders
Network. She has served on numerous local and regional boards and was nominated
to the second-ever class of Leadership La Plata in 1989. Lachelt has two sons.