Fire district shake up after last week’s board meeting

Lodovico resigns, Caffrey moving on at end of year, two new board members

by Mark Reaman 

There are some big changes going on within the Crested Butte Fire Protection District. Board chair Ken Lodovico submitted his resignation at the last meeting on June 9. CBFPD chief executive officer Sean Caffrey also informed the board last week that he would not be seeking the renewal of his contract that ends at the end of 2026. He has been in the district’s top job for eight years. Add to all that, two new community members were appointed to the board as well.

Caffrey said his next move is back to Denver where he and his wife own a home and she has been working for the last eight years.

“The work we have accomplished together has been extraordinary. This fire district looks nothing like it did when I arrived in 2018, and all of us are collectively responsible for where we are now,” Caffrey wrote in a letter to the CBFD staff. “We are stronger, safer, smarter and more professional than ever before. We have a deep bench of committed leaders, more modern equipment and a new state-of-the-art facility. I look forward to leaving this collective legacy to all of you and our next generation of leadership.”

Lodovico said after more than 11 years on the CBFPD board, his decision was one based in time and priorities. “I truly enjoyed being on the fire district board, and I’ve learned a ton about fire, EMS and community through this position,” he said. “And I’ve learned to care about them all immensely. But the time has arrived for me to focus on stronger priorities like my family and business. After 24 years of serving on boards in the valley, I decided I needed to take the time to focus on some other priorities. The district is in a good position, and it’s been a very satisfying part of my life.”

With Lodovico’s resignation, the board appointed two new members at the June 9 meeting: Jeff Issac and Ryland Bradley. Board member Matt Halvorson is the new chair. With the recent turnover, the entire board is up for election next May with three four-year terms and two two-year terms.

Caffrey said his last day on the job will be no later than December 31 of this year. “The board will be working on the transition of my role over the next couple of months,” he said. “Not much detail on that yet as there is a desire to get the new board members up to speed before decisions are made. I’ve really enjoyed serving the Crested Butte community and look forward to my next adventure.”

Caffrey will be in his current CEO role for several months, and he said he is looking forward to closing out several key projects and helping prepare the organization for its next chapter. “I have recommended, and the board agrees, that my successor be the chief of the District. While we have had a 40-year history of separating District administrative and operational leadership, it is time to combine those functions into a single accountable leader,” he explained. “The board will be discussing that selection process in the coming weeks. While no decisions have been made, it is clear the board recognizes that we have one or more well-qualified internal candidates. More to come on that.”