Paul O’Brien

Paul O’Brien is a fourth-generation Pikes Peak Region native and an avid outdoor enthusiast.

Since 2022, Paul has served as a Project Leadership Consultant and contract employee for El Pomar Foundation, focusing on conservation and open space initiatives. His primary work supports the Security Open Space and Agriculture Resilience (SOAR) program, which seeks to conserve 80,000 acres around military installations in Colorado Springs. He also plays a key leadership role in establishing the Pikes Peak Sentinel Landscape, a federal designation designed to strengthen environmental resilience around Department of Defense assets through collaboration with five military installations and more than 50 local partners across the Pikes Peak region. 

Previously, Paul spent 22 years as the Colorado Director of a national service dog organization. In that role, he oversaw fund development and program management while leading several national initiatives, including a veteran service dog program and the creation of seven prison-based puppy-raising programs across the western United States. 

Earlier in his career, Paul worked for the United States Golf Association, helping develop a national $10 million grant-making program and a prestigious fellowship program. He is also a former El Pomar Foundation Fellow and has served on numerous national, state, and local nonprofit boards. 

Currently, Paul is the CEO of Summa Land and Cattle Company, President of the Cheyenne Mountain Heritage Center, and Manager of Water Rights for the 12-Mile Ranch.