During the 102nd Colorado Municipal League Annual Conference in Loveland June 18–21, it was announced that Cortez Mayor Rachel Medina had been elected to the league’s executive board.
According to a news release about her election, Mayor Medina is known for her “willingness to listen and passion for public service,” and her candidacy put a spotlight on Colorado cities with a population of 8,000 to 59,999, cities that have proven they play a crucial role in shaping Colorado and its communities.
She will serve a two-year term.
“Her two-year term on the CML Executive Board will strengthen ties among municipal leaders across Colorado and will empower Cortez as a city,” the city’s news release said.
Mayor Medina’s resolution was decided by the Cortez City Council on May 28, allowing the city to endorse her candidacy. To run for the position, Media had to submit a letter to the CML board and be in good standing with CML.
Each community had a delegate vote on behalf of their city at the CML executive board election, and Mayor Medina was elected with the most votes in the medium category.
Others who were elected and reelected in the medium category include Golden Mayor Laura Weinberg, Montrose Mayor Pro-tem Dave Frank and Lone Tree City Manager Seth Hoffman.
She credits her home base.
“I didn’t campaign for the board like most candidates. I think our location played a big part in my win. They recognize that Southwest Colorado and the Western Slope need more recognition on the board,” Medina said.
She hopes to improve communication between Cortez and decision-makers on the Front Range.
“Cortez is one of the farthest communities from Denver where statewide decisions get made. This is an amazing opportunity to get our voice and perspective heard directly at the state level,” Medina said. “This will be a great opportunity to improve the flow of information.”
Medina is in her second term as mayor, and was reelected to the City Council on April 2. The council voted her in as mayor.
She also works as a remote GIS analyst for a consulting company in Washington, D.C., focusing on solutions in emergency management and intelligence.
She was employed in Montezuma County from 2016-2022 and graduated from Fort Lewis College in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in geology.
Medina will take part a CML board retreat in Colorado Springs July 11-13. Regular board meetings will start up again in September and will take place in-person in Denver or remotely on the second Friday of each month after that.
