Saying goodbye is hard… especially when the people to whom we’re saying goodbye are so enormously special.

In late 2019, we bid adieu to Kelly Dougherty, our intrepid Membership Coordinator, who moved with her family to pursue new
opportunities in Denver.

And this month, we said farewell to Leah López, our Community Organizer working on public lands and local agriculture, who will soon be farming hemp in the San Luis Valley.

To say we will miss these two amazing and unique people is just a huge understatement. Whether it was Kelly’s sly, dry humor and passion for justice, or Leah’s serene professionalism and genuine compassion, the qualities they brought to their work will be simply impossible to completely replace.

We miss you both!

But saying hello is easy… when we’re saying hello to an amazing new Board member like Gabriel Otero!

Gabriel joined our Alliance’s Board of Directors in late 2019. He’s a 4th generation Coloradan and grew up on a farm in Fruita. He’s worked in congressional and senatorial campaigns. He also worked for five years in the oil and gas energy sector. Gabriel received his BA in Political Science from Colorado Mesa University.

Gabriel currently works in conservation on oil and gas development, land management plans, conservation designations, defending National Monuments and bedrock conservation laws across the Colorado Plateau.
Gabriel, an outdoor enthusiast, loves hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and spending time with family.