JOHN WITCHEL FOR LPEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Hi! Thank you for being here. I am seeking re-election to the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors in District Four. Many of you know my family – my wife, Jessica, and our daughters, Violet and Georgia –  but I’d love to introduce my family to those of you who are new. Since 2009, my family and I have been proud community members of Animas Valley, living just off CR-250 past the Bar-D Ranch.

 

Jessica’s roots in the Western Slope run deep, with family connections dating back to the 1800s when her great-great grandfather, Otto Mears, built Colorado’s earliest mountain roads. Since 1974, her family has owned and operated Wolf Creek Ski Area, serving as a cornerstone regional employer and advocate for community-first values. Jessica brings that same ethic to every aspect of her public service and the John Witchel for LPEA campaign. 

 

While raising our daughters, Jessica built a reputation as a nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience in grantmaking, strategic planning, fiscal oversight, and driving regional impact. Her nonprofit work centers local education, equity, and economic opportunity for Colorado and she recently served on the City of Durango’s Financial Advisory Board, offering oversight and guidance on capital expenditures. 

 

Jessica also co-founded CAUSE, a paid summer internship program that partners with the Community Foundation Serving Southwest Colorado. Each year, CAUSE pairs exceptional high school students with local nonprofits to produce Colorado Gives Day campaigns, while teaching work socialization and financial literacy.

 

Although pickleball has truly taken over all of her free time, she also can be found skiing, mountain biking, and paddleboarding when forced to leave the courts.

 

My daughter Violet attended Mountain Middle School and Durango High School. She is a professional content creator focusing on sustainability in culinary arts, investing for women and creating community through intentional gathering.  You can follow her on Substack, TikTok, and Instagram.

 

My youngest daughter Georgia also attended Mountain Middle School, Liberty School, and Durango High School.  She is an accomplished Ice Climber, software developer, and artist. You can read about her on Wikipedia or follow her on Substack, and Instagram.

 

Needless to say, I am an incredibly proud parent! 

 

Since 2014 I’ve been pursuing my passion for clean and renewable energy, founding start-up Common Assets which was then acquired by SolarCity. I continued as part of the SolarCity team until Tesla acquired it in 2017.  

 

Today, I am the CEO of King Energy,a national leader in providing energy solutions for multi-tenant properties. King Energy was recently featured on The Capitalist Hippie and Climate Now podcasts. As a local business leader, I have helped drive over $30 million in local investments.

 

In addition to my business pursuits, I formerly served on the Board of Directors at Animas High School. I attended Stanford University thanks to a full athletic scholarship, and later earned a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of San Francisco.

 

During my free time I enjoy skiing and mountain biking with my family, and can usually be found on Lake Navajo wakesurfing in the summers.

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