San Juan Region
Counties: Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray, San Miguel
Cities: Delta, Gunnison, Lake City, Montrose, Ouray, Telluride
The San Juan Council recently shifted its focus to preventative youth mental health programming. Most recently, the Council provided grants to, and deepened its relationships with, the Midwestern Colorado Mental Health Center for Parent Child Interaction Therapy. The Council also supported CASA of the Seventh Judicial District for young adult supportive housing and financial literacy.
Meet Our Regional Council Members
William “Bill” Ward is Vice Chair of El Pomar Foundation. He is the retired President of Ward Transport, Inc., a family-owned trucking company, and is a past Chairman of the American Trucking Association. Bill’s activity in the nonprofit sector includes serving as Chair of the Colorado College Board of Trustees. In that capacity, he was actively involved in a record-setting capital campaign of $93 million and provided leadership during a successful presidential transition. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of Denver Seminary, twice serving as its Chair.
Bill grew up in Pueblo and attended Colorado College, graduating in 1964 with a bachelor's in political science. He received a juris doctor from the University of Colorado in 1967.
William Ward
Vice Chairman, El Pomar Foundation
As a lifelong resident of Delta County, Doug has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people in his community. He worked for 36 years in the banking industry working up the ranks to president and eventually supervisor over five banks. He currently serves on the boards of the Uncompahgre Development Company Incorporated and Delta County Memorial Hospital Foundation. He has served previously on the Board of Directors for Colorado Counties Incorporated and the Bureau of Land Management’s Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area Advisory Council. Finally, from 2011-2019, Doug served as a Delta County Commissioner. Doug attended Colorado State University graduating with a bachelor's degree in agricultural industries management.
Doug Atchley
Former County Commissioner, Delta County
Hap Channell began his teaching career in Fort Worth before he moved to Gunnison County in 1976. After a stint in the lumber business, Hap resumed his teaching career as an eighth-grade science teacher at Gunnison Middle School and earned his master's degree in science education at Western State Colorado University. As a community leader in Gunnison, Hap has been on a number of nonprofit boards and was the founding President of the Gunnison Council for the Arts. After retiring from teaching in 2004, he has served two terms as a Gunnison County Commissioner.
Hap received his undergraduate degree at Austin College in Texas.
Hap Channell
Former County Commissioner, Gunnison County
Born and raised in Montrose County on a family farm/ranch operation, Don Coram has a background in ranching, mining, environmental relations and business. Don assumed the office of Colorado State Senator in 2017 for the 6th District, where he serves on the Agriculture, Livestock, & Natural Resources Committee, Water Resources Review Committee, as well as the Judiciary Committee. Prior to joining the Senate, Don served as a state legislator for six years, Director and Treasurer of School District RE-1J, and as Treasurer and President of the Delta-Montrose Vocational Center. He also served as Second Vice Chairman of the Montrose County Central Committee and was selected by CRC Chairman Dick Wadhams to serve on the Colorado Republican Committee Executive Committee.
The Honorable Don Coram
Colorado State Senator, District 6
Linda Gann is a western Colorado native, growing up in Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction and Redstone. She has lived in Montrose since 1978. Linda was co-owner and operator of family farms and ranches in the Montrose area for over 20 years. After a successful career in the Montrose and Olathe school district, including raising over $10 million in grants for capital projects and two school-based health centers, Linda retired in September 2010 as the district’s Communications and Special Project Coordinator. She is currently Senior Manager, Outreach & Community Engagement on the Western Slope for Connect for Health Colorado.
Linda Gann
Retired Communications & Special Projects Coordinator for Montrose & Olathe Schools & Senior Outreach Manager for Connect for Health Colorado
Betsy Marston, a resident of Paonia, Colorado since 1974, works as the editor of Writers on the Range, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She also writes Heard Around the West, a column for High Country News, which covers public land issues in 10 western states.
Betsy Marston
Editor, Writers on the Range
Dee Williams’ long list of service activities includes two years on the Ouray City Council and two years as Co-President of Women in Support of Education and three-time member of the Ouray Chamber Board. Dee helped launch a ski program for children in Telluride. She has driven the successful campaign to purchase and preserve Ouray’s historic Wright Opera House. She is a founding member of the Ouray County Nordic Council. A longtime member of Ouray’s Community Development Committee, she helped implement the city’s economic development plan. Dee served on Ouray’s Home Rule Charter Commission. From 2003 to 2015, she served as the School to Work Alliance Programmer, which helps high school students with special needs prepare for graduation and transition to the workplace, and continues to be involved in helping youth transition from high school. For 28 years, she and her husband operated a beloved Main Street establishment, V&S Variety Store.
Dee Williams
Retired SWAP Coordinator with UnBOCES
Senior Staff, San Juan Regional Council
Contact Mike:
719-577-7026
Mike Buth
Vice President and Director of Historic Properties, El Pomar Foundation
Contact Emily:
719-577-7066
Emily Wagner
Program Associate, El Pomar Foundation