Profile of Grand Junction Mayor, Duke Wortmann:
It is clear when talking with Duke Wortmann that he is truly invested in our community and that he enjoys Grand Junction immensely. He remembers the exact day he arrived in Grand Junction, July 9, 1976. He came to study at Mesa College and to play baseball. He was a part-time starter at first base. His good friend Jamie Hamilton was the 2nd base starter.
He graduated with a Bachelor's of Business Management with a minor in Economics and Marketing. Then he was off and running, learning how to make things work in the economy. He married Cyrie J Gieske, and they started a family. He spent his days paying bills, buying a house, and making things happen to survive the oil shale bust that began on May 2, 1982.
He joined the Grand Junction City Council in May of 2017. Mayor Wortmann feels fortunate to hold this position, at this time, and he says that is due to our amazing community. This year has been hard, but our community has seen hardships before. Our community has made comebacks after being down economically. Our community is resilient and invested. Once doors are able to fully open back up, Mayor Wortmann is confident that we will be better than before because we have a very community-focused way of life.
Mayor Wortmann’s vision is to keep things moving forward with infrastructure and safety development. He is proud of the community and their ability to say yes to important changes. This community wants a choice. They want to make things happen. Our community wants to enjoy the life we have here. What a great life it is!
