vailsymposium

Jon Stavney, as Executive Director of Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, is a leader passionate about improving local government through information sharing, innovation and best practices. Since being hired in November of 2016, Stavney has worked closely with program directors at NWCCOG to develop clear goals and maintain the highest possible scores from the state and federal agencies that review each program, and to increase the visibility of services and of the organization as a whole.

Stavney learned public service on the job over more than 20 years in various roles. Elected to the Town of Eagle Board of Trustees in 1998, 2002 and Mayor in 2004, he served on the Board in Eagle until 2008.

In that time while working as a Superintendent and then Project Manager building custom homes, serving the town of Eagle provided his night class where he studied governance, land use, law and public policy by doing as the town grew more than 15 percent each year. That decade included multiple major development negotiations as the town more than doubled its historic footprint. The town grew dramatically but community surveys showed the quality of life measurements increasing for residents during his tenure.

He is most proud of Eagle’s renovation of Broadway–with an award-winning streetscape, and a concert stage in town park.

Stavney served five years as an Eagle County Commissioner from 2008-2013 where his proudest accomplishments were establishing Castle Peak Senior Center (a 120 unit assisted living facility), working closely with stakeholders on the Colorado River to purchase five key river access points and conservation parcels, and also spearheading the Eagle Valley Land Exchange, a ten-parcel, 1,549-acre multi-party agreement involving the USFS, Colorado State Land board and four local jurisdictions.

Stavney also served on the Colorado River Water Conservation District board when it negotiated the historic Colorado River Cooperative Agreement involving Denver Water and 15 Western Slope entities. He was on the Public Lands Committee at CCI. Stavney stepped down as Commissioner in 2013 when he was hired to serve as Town Manager in Eagle. During that time, the leadership team Stavney led at the town drafted and completed Annexation and Development Agreement negotiations for the 800 unit Haymeadow Development, concept planning for the future Eagle River Park, and de-evolution of Highway 6 through town.

Prior to joining NWCCOG in 2016, Stavney performed an office assessment for the 5th Judicial District, he trained and worked as a raft guide with Sage Outfitters and framed homes in Gypsum for Habitat for Humanity.