Karn Stiegelmeier, Summit County Commissioner is a fifth generation Colorado native born in Colorado Springs. She has worked for the National Forest Service and National Park Service in roles that include wildland firefighter, wilderness ranger, fire dispatcher, naturalist, and park ranger. Karn taught science to a range of ages in public, private and charter schools. Karn is NWCCOG Council Chair. She also serves on other boards and committees including the NWCCOG Water Quality and Quantity Committee, the Colorado River Water Conservation District, Colorado Basin Roundtable, Summit Water Quality Council, Friends of the Lower Blue River, Colorado Counties Acting Together, Colorado Communities for Climate Action, and Summit County Conflict Resolution Coalition. Karn believes that one of the key strengths of NWCCOG is that there is no substitute for sharing resources and leveraging grant potential to serve our entire region. NWCCOG’s many programs, such as the AAA, Weatherization, Economic Development District, Northwest Loan Fund, Emergency Management and Broadband efforts serve our communities in many ways. Karn says, “the NWCCOG Council provides a regional forum for sharing perspectives and actions in our diverse geographic area. Discussing issues in a cross jurisdictional contexts helps prevent re-inventing the wheel. We are able to learn from each others experiences, especially with current hot topics like e-bikes, short term rentals and wildfire response and planning” Karn will be termed out as a Summit County Commissioner in 2020.