The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
“It comes at a critical time”
The big green shoes are officially his—Crested Butte resident Dan Morse was recently appointed as executive director of High Country Citizens’ Alliance (HCCA).
Morse has been filling in as interim executive director since Wendy McDermott resigned earlier this spring. Between 2006 and 2009 he served as the organization’s public lands conservation director.
“Overall I’m pleased and continue to enjoy working on all the issues that fall on our plate,” Morse says of his new appointment.
Prior to joining HCCA, Morse worked at a private consulting firm and assisted in the formation of several BLM Resource Management Plans. He has also worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a recreation and wilderness technician. Morse holds a master’s degree in forest economics from Northern Arizona University and a B.S. in natural resources recreation from Colorado State University.
Since he has basically been serving as executive director for the past four months, Morse says there hasn’t been much changeover at the office. “For me it’s not a tremendous change. The work continues,” he says.
Like many non-profits today, Morse admits that HCCA is facing challenging times. “With the recession, certainly budgets are very tight. We’re taking a lot of steps to make sure we remain viable and continue to do the work that’s important to our members,” Morse says.
HCCA board member Larry Mosher says he has been pleased with Morse’s “evolution” at HCCA. “He has turned into a top-notch staffer for HCCA and I couldn’t be more pleased as a board member and former president of the board to have Dan as executive director,” Mosher says. “I’m looking for a good forward motion with the organization, in addition to getting us through a tough financial time this year which has stressed everybody. Dan has stepped up and taken on additional responsibility. I can speak for the rest of the board and tell you we’re just delighted. It comes at a critical time.”
