Board of Directors

John Pabst, President:  Mr. Pabst was raised on a cattle and sheep ranch in Pitkin County and has been a Grand Junction resident since 1970.  He studied history and international relations at Notre Dame and Denver University .  He is the president of Westrac, Inc. which operates some Thrifty Car Rental and Dollar Rent A Car franchises in Colorado and Utah .  Mr. Pabst has served on a number of business, civic, religious and non-profit boards.  He and his wife Cathey have two sons and five grandchildren.

Bill Prakken, Vice President: Mr. Prakken received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan and is currently a shareholder in the firm of Williams, Turner & Holmes, P.C. He has served on numerous volunteer boards and committees including the Riverfront Commission (Co-Chair), Riverfront Foundation, Inc., Legal Aid Foundation of Colorado, Inc., Grand Junction Symphony and the Canyonlands Field Institute. Mr. Prakken is a past President of the Mesa County Bar Association and a former member of the Board of Governors and the Executive Council of the Colorado Bar Association. He and his wife Judy have lived in Mesa County for over 30 years and have two grown daughters.

Miffie Blozvich, Secretary:  Ms. Blozvich is the Development Director for the Museum of Western Colorado, and also serves on boards for Colorado National Monument Association and the Wayne Aspinall Foundation.    She has lived in the Grand Valley for over 40  years, graduated from Mesa  Jr. College and  has spent more than  25  years in  fundraising .  Ms. Blozvich managed a bagpipe band  and was an active volunteer for many organizations while raising her family.   Her interests include The Women's Foundation of Colorado, Mesa County Historical Society, and KAFM Community Radio. For fun, she enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking and camping. 

Deedee Mayer, Treasurer: Mrs. Mayer received her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the U of Wisconsin and an MPA from the University of Colorado.   She worked as an educator then moved into non-profit management serving with many organizations including Hilltop Hospice,  United Way of Mesa County as Executive Director,  Distirict 51's Board of Education, the Colorado Commission of Higher Education and currently as a trustee of the  Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation.  Mrs. Mayer enjoys painting, reading, hiking, and travel.  She and her husband David have two sons and 4 grandchildren and have lived in the Valley since 1976. 

John Butler, Field Representative: Mr. Butler and his wife Doris are founding members and donated one of the Land Trust's first conservation easements in 1982 on a small farm they own and operate. Mr. Butler worked for U.S. West for 35 years and they have both been involved in land use planning efforts for over 3 decades. As active members of the First Baptist Church, Mrs. Butler serves as its Treasurer and Mr. Butler has served on church boards since 1957.

H. Lee Ambrose: Mr. Ambrose, a native of Denver, graduated from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire before returning to Colorado. After a career with a commercial property management firm and later with a firm that specialized in the development of shopping centers, Mr. Ambrose relocated to Mesa County. Currently, he continues to work as a private investor and a real estate developer. He and his wife, Kay, also recently owned and operated a 10,000 tree peach orchard in Palisade.

Barney Barnett: Mr. Barnett is a former owner/operator of the Valley Insurance Agency and received his MBA from the University of Nebraska.  He is retired after 40 years in insurance.  Barney has also contributed to the community by serving as a Rotarian for 28 years and is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industrial Development, Inc.  Mr. Barnett is currently Secretary/Treasurer of Foresight Park Owners He and his wife Tinker have 5 sons and 6 grandchildren.   Barney has been a private pilot for 34 years and also enjoys motorcycle touring on his Harley.

George Callison:  Mr. Callison brings energy and enthusiasm to the Board from lifelong interests and many years of public and private service in managing natural, historical, and scenic values of land use.  George was born and raised in the small town of Blue Rapids, Kansas.  He studied Zoology and Paleontology at Kansas State University and the University of Kansas.  He has taught biological sciences at California State University, Long Beach, done field research in vertebrate paleontology at Los Angeles County Natural History Museum, was Historical Commissioner for the California County of Orange, and has designed natural history exhibitions and nature parks. Now retired, he is a fine arts painter who loves to hike and explore with his wife, Judy, kids and grandkids, and many friends from the Grand Junction area.

Belle Chesnick: Mrs. Chesnick is the manager to Mountain Island Ranch on Glade Park.  She also serves on the McGinnis Canyons Advisory Board and Glade Park Community Services, Inc as the cemetery manager.  She has spent much of her career being involved with conserving several thousand acres of ranch land on Glade Park. Her interests are her family, the great outdoors and the countless amazing wonders that come with it.  She and her husband Tom have one son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.

Van Graham: Mr. Graham is a retired Colorado Division of Wildlife biologist with 32 years of service with the State of Colorado.  He holds a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife Management from the University of Florida.  During his career he served as a District Wildlife Manager in Brighton and Steamboat Springs before moving to Grand Junction in 1980 to work as a Terrestrial Biologist.  He is currently working as a environmental scientist/wildlife biologist as a private consultant.  He and his wife Mary Ann have 4 children. Van enjoys traveling, hunting, fishing and hiking the desert country of southwest CO and southeast UT.

Mr. Graham recently retired from the Colorado Division of Wildlife after 32 years of service.  He holds a B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife from the University of Florida and was as a District Wildlife Manager in Brighton and Steamboat before moving to Grand Junction in 1980 to work as a Terrestrial Biologist.  Van is currently assisting with the moose transplant program on Grand Mesa and working as a consultant.  He and his wife Mary Ann have 4 children. Van enjoys hunting, fishing and hiking the desert country of southwest Co and southeast UT.

Chris Muhr: Mr. Muhr is the owner of All Metals Welding & Fabrication, which he purchased from his father.  He is a fourth-generation Grand Valley native and graduate of  Mesa State College, with a degree in Geology.   With a background in Environmental and Geological Sciences, Chris is the current chairperson of the Mesa County Air Quality Planning Committee, serves on the Cinema at the Avalon board, and is President of the Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association (COPMOBA).  Chris lives in a solar powered, straw bale home with his wife Jen and enjoys skiing, golf and mountain biking.  Chris is the proud father of a 17 year old daughter and two stepsons ages 8 and 12.

Mel Rettig: Mr. Rettig is a farmer on East Orchard Mesa and holds a degree from Colorado State University in Agricultural Engineering, specializing in irrigation and drainage. A lifetime resident of Grand Junction, he raises mainly sweet corn and tomatoes on 70 acres. Mr. Rettig currently serves on Boards for the Mesa County Farm Bureau, the Mesa Soil Conservation District, and the Gunnison/Grand Valley Water Forum. His wife Maurine has been a teacher at Central High School for over 20 years and they have three children.

Angelina Salazar:  Ms. Salazar is a graduate of the University of Colorado twice and began her career in education.  After moving to Grand Junction in 2000, her experiences led her into the nonprofit sector.  From protecting farm and ranchland through the American Farmland Trust to running the local PBS television station, Angelina gained extensive experience in marketing, fundraising, special events, and public relations.  Angelina now works at Ryan, Whitney & Associates.  She says she is “looking forward to working with the Mesa Land Trust staff, board and volunteers to further educate our community and save more of this beautiful valley we call home."

Max Stites:  Mr. Stites is a fifth generation resident of Mesa County.  He graduated from Mesa Junior College and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Western State College.  Max taught a total of thirty-two years in School District #51.  Since retirement he as served on several boards including Kids Voting, the Grand Mesa Christian Camp, and the Mesa State Alumni Association.  Max enjoys fishing, hiking, snowshoeing and most of all, being with his family.  He and his wife Vicki have a son, and a daughter and son-in-law, and one granddaughter. 

Gus Sublette: Mr. Sublette holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Olivet Nazarene University and master’s degree from Colorado State University.  He taught mathematics and served as an assistant principal in the Mesa County School District for twenty years.  After his career in education, he worked in the securities business for seven years. Mr. Sublette joined the Board after serving several years on the financial advisory committee.  He and his wife Gwen are now enjoying retirement.

Nancy Wilson: Mrs. Wilson is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon and worked in education and accounting before receiving a Master’s Degree in Counseling and working in that field for 10 years.  She is active in Grand Valley Audubon ,serves on the Session of her church., and was a volunteer and Board member with United Way for 10 years.  She and her husband, “Bluebird Bob”  retired and between them have 6 children and 7 grandchildren.  Nancy is also a Master Gardner, avid birder, and enjoys travel and bridge.

   Emeritus Board Members  

Blaine Derrick: Mr. Derrick, a Grand Valley resident since 1943, is a retired contractor and carpenter. He is a founding member of the Board, and is very active in local agricultural affairs. He serves on both the Palisade Irrigation District and the Grand Valley Unit of the Colorado Basin Salinity Control Project. He has one daughter and enjoys hunting and camping.

Elvis Guin: Mr. Guin was a retired petroleum engineer who worked in 149 countries before moving with his wife, Patty, to Palisade. He was past president of the Palisade Lion's Club and on the board of the Grand Valley Anglers chapter of Trout Unlimited. Mr. Guin served as an unofficial representative of Palisade with the Riverfront Commission, and volunteers with the Partners program and in local schools.

Michael Mechau:  Mr. Mechau, a western Colorado native, has been involved in land and water issues for many years, and is a past president of the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association.  He retired from his position as Mesa County Probation Officer in 1996.  Mr. Mechau holds a Master's degree in Political Science and has taught at both the high school and college level.  He and his wife own a small farm near Palisade.  He served on the Board from 1986 to 2001.

Ivan Wood: Mr. Wood has been a Palisade resident since 1974.  In addition to being a real estate investor, small business owner, and electrical and general contractor, he and his wife Jane own and operate a small peach farm.  He is very active in the business community, and was a Board member from 1980 to 2001.

   Advisory Committee Members