With success comes growth. And Western Colorado Alliance is growing! The new year sees two new staff members join our ranks.

Arn McConnell has joined our Alliance as full-time Communications and Marketing Coordinator. Arn was most recently a creative services producer for Gray Television, but his career includes more than 35 years of experience in broadcast media, online advertising and branding in both Western Colorado and New York City. He is a four-time Colorado Broadcast Award winner and has also won multiple Colorado Press Association Awards. (Trivia buffs, be advised: Arn was the original editor of MTV’s Beavis and Butthead and directed the late actor James Gandolfini in his film debut.)

Also newly hired (but not new to the organization!) is Joel Dyar, who joins the Alliance as an organizer for clean and renewable energy.

A 15 year veteran of community organizing in Colorado and six countries, Joel has worked to help social movements and everyday citizens discover their power and make their voices heard on a broad spectrum of sustainability, social, and legislative issues.

Joel brings a Masters of Community Development and graduate studies in renewable energy and green business to his work on behalf of our energy future.

McConnell says he’s happy to be a part of an organization devoted to helping local communities be healthy, just and self-reliant., “I’m thrilled to be a part of a group helping bring meaningful change to our communities — even if it has made the Alliance office awfully crowded.”

That problem may see a solution in the near future, as the Alliance actively looks at other office space possibilities.