Who We Are

In 1980, people from across western Colorado came together to create a unified voice, organizing people to build grassroots power over the decisions that impact their lives. Joined together as Western Colorado Congress, we won precedent-setting victories for landowners, consumers, our environment, and everyday people in our communities.

Now, we are launching the next 40 years of grassroots community organizing as the Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action.

We believe that now, today, we can build a future where engaged local voices are leading communities across Western Colorado that are healthy, just, and self-reliant. Join us as we bring people together to build grassroots power through community organizing and leadership development.

Building Grassroots Power

All too often, people feel like they can’t change anything: “What can one person do?” Through community organizing and leader development, our Alliance supports people as they build and exert their collective political power.

Community organizing brings people together – first to see that they’re not alone, and then to learn how to effectively join with others to make change happen.

Our organizers provide our members with leadership and skills training, then support them as they identify issue campaigns with clear goals, plan strategies and deliver on those plans. In this way, we seek to make positive change, strengthen democracy and develop leaders who will become the decision-makers of the future.

We may work on different issues depending on the place and the time, but all of our efforts come together to help build grassroots power and a Western Slope that is healthy, just and self-reliant.

1980-2019: A Few Highlights

  • Helped Launch Mesa County Solar Co-op

    Helped Launch Mesa County Solar Co-op

    Western Colorado Alliance helps Solar United Neighbors dramatically overshoot their goal of 30 members in their new Mesa County solar co-op. Eventually, 220 Mesa County residents and businesses join the co-op, making it one of the most successful solar co-ops in the state!

  • Passed Comprehensive Oil and Gas Reform

    Passed Comprehensive Oil and Gas Reform

    Historic oil and gas regulation is passed in Colorado in the form of SB-181, the Protect Public Welfare Oil And Gas Operations Act, legislation which redirected the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to protect public health, safety, and the environment. Western Colorado Alliance was a critical part of the coalition sending members like Leslie Robinson (seen here speaking at a Capitol rally) to Denver from the Western Slope in order to protect our local communities.

  • Launched Youth Voter Initiative

    Launched Youth Voter Initiative

    Led by students in local high schools, the Western Slope Youth Voter Initiative focuses on (pre-)registering teenagers to vote, and working on ways to make the ballot more accessible and less intimidating to first-time voters.

  • A Name Change: Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action

    A Name Change: Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action

    After conducting an extensive strategic planning assessment in 2017, our members launched some new and exciting work that we believe will refocus the organization on its original mission of creating a healthy and resilient Western Slope. It seemed a perfect time to change our name as well — from Western Colorado Congress to WESTERN COLORADO ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY ACTION!

  • Raised Colorado Minimum Wage

    Raised Colorado Minimum Wage

    As the Western Slope member of a statewide coalition, our members help pass Amendment 70 on the November ballot, increasing Colorado’s minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020.

  • Supported Cottage Food Businesses

    Supported Cottage Food Businesses

    Drafted and successfully lobbied for the Colorado Cottage Foods Act in the state legislature, which gives farmers and home producers safe and equitable marketing opportunities.  In 2015, we passed a follow-up bill that covered products like pickles and salsa so small producers have more ways to market their fruit and vegetable crops.

  • Established Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area

    Established Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area

    The culmination of more than a decade of citizen action by our members and allies, the US Congress officially designated over 66,000 acres of Dominguez Canyon as wilderness within the 209,000 acre Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area.

  • Created Watershed Protection Ordinance

    Created Watershed Protection Ordinance

    Our members drafted a watershed protection ordinance for Grand Junction, then demonstrated over-whelming community support for it by gathering 4,270 petition signatures in just three weeks. The city council adopted it unanimously.

  • Defeated Flawed Water Project

    Defeated Flawed Water Project

    After our members challenged flawed proposals for over 20 years to divert water from the Gunnison River for the AB Lateral Hydroelectric project in Montrose, the proponents withdrew their application and canceled their conditional water rights.

  • Set Renewable Energy Standard

    Set Renewable Energy Standard

    As part of a statewide coalition, we helped pass the ballot initiative which established the first-ever Renewable Energy Standard for Colorado, requiring 10% of the state’s energy come from renewable sources by 2015. The legislature has increased the amount of renewable energy required three times since 2004, including a bill in 2010 which required investor-owned utilities to generate 30% of their electricity from renewable energy by 2020.

  • Published “Your Land, Your Rights”

    Published “Your Land, Your Rights”

    Our staff and members researched and published the handbook, “Your Land, Your Rights,” to help landowners who are impacted by oil and gas development in Garfield, Delta and Rio Blanco Counties. In 2005, we followed up with a second version for Montrose, Ouray, Mesa and San Miguel Counties.

  • Established Black Ridge Wilderness

    Established Black Ridge Wilderness

    Our members successfully lobbied for wilderness designation of Black Ridge Canyons in Mesa County — which was made part of McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in 2005.

  • Hosted Sustainable Living & Energy Fairs

    Hosted Sustainable Living & Energy Fairs

    Our members organized a weekend-long Energy Fair in Delta to spark greater interest in clean and renewable energy options. The event was repeated in three subsequent years, expanding to become a Sustainable Living and Energy Fair which included ideas for alternative building materials and healthy living.

  • Added Public Voice on Oil & Gas

    Added Public Voice on Oil & Gas

    Our members drafted and passed a bill in the state legislature that required the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to include a seat for a representative of the general public, and established an emergency environmental response fund for abandoned oil and gas wells.

  • Defeated Radioactive Waste Dump

    Defeated Radioactive Waste Dump

    After hearing months of opposition organized by our staff and members to a proposed radioactive waste dump in the West End of Montrose County, the US Environmental Protection Agency selected a more suitable facility in Utah to receive Denver’s radium waste.

  • Reached Agreement Over Timber Sales

    Reached Agreement Over Timber Sales

    After six months of negotiations, our members signed the Keystone Agreement with the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests which resolved issues of monitoring timber sale impacts and water quality, providing protection for ecologically sensitive areas, and creating a citizens advisory committee.

  • Blocked Unnecessary Powerline

    Blocked Unnecessary Powerline

    We successfully blocked Colorado Ute Electric Association’s proposal to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to build a 345KV power line from Rifle, CO, to San Juan, NM. The commission rejected the proposal as “an unnecessary investment” that the utility was unable to finance.

  • Western Colorado Congress Begins

    Western Colorado Congress Begins

    Representatives from citizen groups across Western Colorado (our “Founding Humans”) met in Montrose to outline the purpose and goals for a new organization that could unite them under a common banner. They named the new group the “Western Slope Public Interest Congress”, which would be shortened to “Western Colorado Congress” after just a few months.

Our Staff Team


Nick Allan

Regional Organizer


Nick Allan is excited to join Western Colorado Alliance’s staff after having previously worked with our Alliance as a volunteer and contractor. Before Nick moved to Grand Junction, he was a teacher on the Front Range. He and his wife moved to Grand Junction two years ago and have “loved living here ever since.” Nick fell into political campaign work here in the Grand Valley, and while working on a congressional campaign, was able to travel around the Western Slope and learn more about what he calls “the best side of Colorado.” Nick worked with Western Colorado Alliance both in the Grand Junction community center campaign and helped during our most recent People’s Lobby Trip to the state capitol. Nick will be working on local foods and agriculture and on public lands issues.

Hanna Arauza

Community Organizer


Hanna worked as a geologist in the environmental industry for a decade before shifting her professional focus to community organizing. A huge fan of hiking and camping, she is always happiest outdoors. Her love of nature led to her studies and career in Earth science, but more recently she decided that she could better serve broad environmental interests, such as extractive industry practices, renewable energy, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture, by getting involved with her local community. She is excited for the opportunity to connect with people in Garfield County and help bring the various voices of the community together to create change that benefits all residents and preserves the beautiful Western Slope. In her free time she loves exploring new trails, gardening, and chasing around her two young children.

María Luiza Peréz Chavéz

Community Organizer


María Luiza Peréz Chavéz (who sometimes goes by Mary) works closely with the Western Colorado Alliance of Mesa County affiliate group. María is fluent in both English and Spanish and sometimes works as a skilled interpreter. But her love for language goes beyond just English and Spanish; currently, she is also studying French and Japanese! One day, she hopes to attend law school as an avenue to help those in need. Even with her busy schedule, María’s priority is her family. As the eldest of seven children, she has always felt the need to support her parents in any way she can. And somehow, she still finds time to read, swim, listen to music, watch movies, draw, play video games, and hang out with friends!

Bianca Diaz

Community Organizer


Bianca Diaz hails from northeast Florida, and brings a background in volunteer management, activism, and community building. She worked in the procurement world for a few years before making the big leap to move out west. She landed a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Colorado Canyons Association and the Bureau of Land Management to connect youth and families to the three National Conservation Areas here on the Western Slope. During her year of service, she realized that helping people and working to solve the root causes of our most pressing social issues was her true passion. Off the clock, she loves reading random Wikipedia articles, listening to music, taking care of her worm compost bins, walking her dog, and stargazing!

Tyler McDermott

Regional Organizer


Tyler grew up in Grand Junction, graduating from Fruita Monument High School and attending Colorado Mesa University where he graduated in 2016. Since then, Tyler has spent the last six years working on political campaigns of all types from city council and school board up to presidential campaigns at the state level. Tyler is passionate about issues including conservation, energy, and responsible growth of the Western Slope.

Brian Williams

Regional Organizer


Brian Williams has a professional background in elections and the court system. Having grown up on the Western Slope, he is committed to working toward a strong, sustainable future for our community. Brian also volunteers with Mesa County Library’s literacy and pathway to citizenship programs. As an avid board game enthusiast, he enjoys opportunities to strategize and build winning coalitions. Brian received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado Mesa University, and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. Brian will be organizing in Garfield County and with our members across the Slope to shape future oil and gas policy.

Arn McConnell

Communications Coordinator


Arn's 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. Arn also teaches Film Expression at the college level. He lives with a dramatic pit bull and a grandiose cat and enjoys painting, animating, and exploring cinema in his spare time.

Our Board of Directors