Rick Taggart has been a part of our community since the early 1980s when he managed and led Marmot Mountain Works as its CEO, Chairman, and Co-Owner. In the late '80s, Rick took the lead of Timberland Company as a Senior Vice-President for a time. After that, he was offered the opportunity to be the CEO of Swiss Army Brands until 2010. After he decided to finish that part of his professional career. he and his wife Deanna realized how much they missed the outdoor life of our Western Slope. Rick contacted Tim Foster and asked if Tim could use his help. Tim replied to Rick by saying "I need you now", and with that Rick has been working at Colorado Mesa University as a senior manager, teacher of business strategy, management, and marketing ever since.
Rick and Deanna have made Grand Junction their permanent home and he has served (and currently serves) on the city council as well as serving as mayor for a time. Rick stated that his mother wanted him to give back to the public as well as to students attending our local schools. He took on that commitment and promise, but 4 months before his election his mother passed away. He strives to keep that commitment he made to his mother.
Rick is most proud of the Dos Rios Project and the Las Colonias Project. He pushed very hard to get those projects going to help our local economy grow by creating a place businesses would like to come, and opportunities for graduates of CMU to stay in our beautiful valley. His personal goal is to keep the city council unified as much as possible with respect for people and their opinion to avoid the partisanship that is seen in the Nation's Capitol.
