Dear Editor:

Holding public office was never, in and of itself, one of those life goals for me. My native space of service has always been more utilitarian: designing electronics for commercial and aerospace products, running a sound board for live bands, spinning music and operating a radio station, and collecting water samples along the Uncompahgre River as a volunteer citizen scientist.

Now, as an elected official, I have the opportunity to serve the community that I care about in new ways. The...