Meet the Lecturers:
Fighting for Every Drop
Greg has worked on the Arkansas River as a guide and outfitter since 1985 and is one of the founders of ArkAnglers in Salida and Buena Vista. With a life and career built around water, he now serves as General Manager of the Upper Arkansas Water Conservancy District and as a director of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District. He has been twice appointed by the governor to represent the Arkansas River Basin on the Colorado Water Conservation Board, serving as Chair in 2023-2024. In 2016, he was elected Chaffee County Commissioner and finished his second term at the end of 2024. During his time as commissioner, he led county response to the Decker Fire, served as Board of Health Chair through the pandemic years of 2020-2022, and was co-lead of the Envision Chaffee County process. He lives in Salida with his wife, Susan.
Greg Felt
David Kelly grew up on the Kelly Ranch in Buena Vista. He attended school in Buena Vista and graduated from Buena Vista Highschool. He attended Colorado State University and graduated with a degree in Fishery Biology. After graduation he worked for the Colorado Division of Wildlife in fisheries for 20 years. In 2003, he moved to the Colorado Division of Water Resources and spent 11 years serving as the Water Commissioner for the Buena Vista region. He was an Envision team founding member and served on the boards of Chaffee County Economic Development Corporation, Town of Buena Vista Water Advisory, Ranchers Task Force, and Chaffee County Planning Commission. He is currently a board member of the Central Colorado Conservancy.
David has spent his life living and working in Chaffee County. His family ranch is going on five generations now. He and his wife Laura spend their free time with their family hunting, fishing, camping, and enjoying the mountains that surround his ranch and this valley that he calls home.