Members

Charles Spielman has been a member of the Roundtable since its inception in 2006, and represents industrial water interests, and some municipal water users. As Chair of the M&I Committee in 2015, Charlie coordinated the compilation of the M&I section of the Rio Grande Basin Action Plan. He is a geological engineering graduate of the Colorado School of Mines and has worked throughout the western US and Australia in the mining industry. A fourth-generation Valley native, Mr. Spielman has interests in both mining and real estate in Colorado, serves as President of the Monte Vista Economic Development Corporation, and is involved in several other community organizations in Rio Grande County, where he resides. Charlie enjoys landscape painting, traveling into the high country, and watching the cranes come in at sunset at the Monte Vista Wildlife Refuge.

Dale Pizel has served on the Roundtable from its inception. He is the owner of Broken Arrow Ranch and Land Co. a guest ranch and Creede’s oldest real estate company. Dale also manages the Rio Oxbow Ranch above Creede a fishing and cattle ranch on 6 miles of the Rio Grande where he was awarded the 2003 Colorado Riparian Associations ‘Excellence in Riparian Management’ award for his grazing practices. Dale is honored to be the current Commissioner to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He was former Assistant Director of the Wolf Creek Ski Patrol, a founder of 1st National Bank of Creede and Lake City, and a former Director of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District. Dale love’s big elk, big fish, a good powder day, team roping and moving cattle at 9,000 feet on a good horse, and his wife Anne and daughters Abbey and Emily.

Dwight Martin is the Roundtable Representative for the Alamosa-La Jara Conservancy District. He resides in La Jara, Colorado. He is a farmer and rancher who holds a B.S. in Animal Science and retired from the United States Department of Agriculture. He is an active participant in water meetings.

Water Views: Water is the lifeblood for farmers and ranchers.

Heather Dutton grew up on a potato and barley farm in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado, where she gained a love for the outdoors.

Heather is fortunate to work as the Manager of the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District. In this role, she manages an augmentation program for domestic, commercial, and municipal wells in five counties of the San Luis Valley. One of the greatest rewards of this position is the opportunity to work with friends in the water community to find creative ways to manage water and natural resources in the Rio Grande Basin.

Heather previously worked to improve the health of the Rio Grande as the Director of the Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation and the Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project. She represented the Rio Grande Basin on the Colorado Water Conservation Board from 2017-2023, and currently serves on the board of the Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation and the Rio Grande Watershed Emergency Action Coordination Team.

Heather earned a Masters of Agriculture and Bachelor of Science Degrees in Natural Resources Management and Rangeland Ecology with a concentration in Restoration Ecology from Colorado State University. She is happiest when exploring the surrounding mountains on foot, bikes, and snowmobiles with her husband, Tanner.

Judy Lopez is a native Coloradan who currently lives with her husband and 2 dogs on their ranch east of Alamosa. Judy has served as the education representative and the PEPO liaison for the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable since 2008. Judy is a graduate of Adams State University where she holds degrees in Geology and Education. Her accomplishments include: San Luis Valley Educator of the Year 2000 and 2004; Colorado Association of Environmental Education Environmental, Program of the Year — 2009; CACD Educator of the Year 2007-2009; Division of Water Resources, Division 3, Water Educator of the Year – 2012; Colorado Association of Environmental Education Environmental, Lifetime of the Year — 2016. She currently works as Conservation Project Manager, for Colorado Open Lands, where she works to conserve the natural assets of key San Luis Valley properties. Judy enjoys fishing, camping and exploring the backcountry with her family.

Kevin Terry is a fisheries biologist born and raised in northern New Mexico with a fly rod in his hand. After attending Oregon State University and receiving a bachelors in Fisheries Science, Kevin moved to Colorado. Kevin and his wife Stephanie are raising their twins on the banks of the Rio Grande where Kevin is working for the Western Water and Habitat program of Trout Unlimited. In his role, Kevin splits his time working to protect and restore populations of the native Rio Grande Cutthroat trout and working within the water community to strategically identify and implement water transactions for in-stream flows with ecological benefits while simultaneously providing water and services to farms and ranches of the San Luis Valley. Kevin is the recreational representative to the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable.

Mike Gibson is a graduate of the Royal School of Mines, London University, London, England, where he obtained a Mining Engineering Degree. Upon graduation he joined a mining operation in Sierra Leone, West Africa. He came to the United States to attend Graduate School at Stanford University where he obtained a MS and MBA Degrees. Mike’s subsequent mining career was in the Western United States where he served in engineering and environmental management positions in the energy and metals sectors. After retiring from the mining industry in 1999 Mike and his wife, Gigi Darricades, came to the San Luis Valley when he joined The Nature Conservancy after they had acquired the Medano-Zapata Ranch. He was with The Nature Conservancy three years before joining the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy. He retired in December 2015 from the San Luis Valley Conservancy District after 12 years. Mike served as Chairman of the Rio Grande Roundtable for ten years and he served on the Board of the Colorado Water Congress, representing the Rio Grande Basin.

Peter Clark is an At Large Member for the Roundtable. He farms and ranches along the Rio Grande/ Alamosa County. Peter has B.S. in Range Management from Humboldt State University and enjoyed a successful career in the United States Forest Service. He enjoys hunting with vintage or replica firearms and preparing the ammunition.

Water Views: Like soil, water is a basic resource and is necessary for every aspect of our lives. Managing water properly ensures a stable economy, an abundant food supply and diverse recreational opportunities.