Stacy Kourlis Guillon’s agricultural background and professional career have prepared her to lead a statewide land trust dedicated to serving agricultural producers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Karina Puikkonen, karina@ccalt.org, 720.557.8277

July 10, 2024

LAKEWOOD, Colo. – The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust, a statewide nonprofit, conservation service organization, has elected Stacy Kourlis Guillon to become its seventh president. Guillon started her term on July 1. Her rural roots and lifelong love for production agriculture have shaped her personally and professionally. Guillon will help CCALT navigate a new chapter in working lands conservation as CCALT continues to expand its staff, services, and programs.

 “We are thrilled to welcome Stacy Guillon as the new President of the CCALT Board of Directors. Her extensive experience and deep commitment to agricultural land conservation will be invaluable as we continue our mission to work with Colorado’s farm and ranch families to conserve productive agricultural land,” CCALT Executive Director Erik Glenn said. “Stacy’s background, experience, and leadership will allow CCALT to further build upon the incredible foundation and accelerate our ability to serve the membership of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Assocation and other agricultural families across Colorado.”

Guillon becomes the first female president of CCALT since its founding in 1995. She replaces Koger Propst who helped guide CCALT through a period of unprecedented growth and success. Guillon joined CCALT’s Board of Directors in 2017 and has served as a corporate officer since 2019. She has co-chaired the board’s Relevance and Strategic Partnerships Committee and Governance Committee for the last two years. She said she is excited to help CCALT advance to its next step as a conservation organization that not only serves agricultural producers, but also finds ways to include all Coloradans in its mission.

“I am honored and humbled to lead this innovative, influential organization. As Colorado grows and evolves, CCALT’s mission to support Colorado’s farm and ranch families in their stewardship of productive lands becomes even more urgent and important,” Guillon said. “I look forward to building additional partnerships with agricultural families to conserve even more working lands for the benefit of all Coloradans.” 

Guillon is a well-known and respected arbitrator and mediator in the Denver area. Before co-founding Decisioncraft, an alternative dispute resolution firm, she was an attorney at Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP, litigating complex cases of all varieties, with a focus on agricultural disputes. Before entering private practice, Guillon clerked for Judge Timothy Tymkovich of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. She was named one of Denver’s Top Lawyers, agriculture section, by 5280 Magazine from 2020-2022, and included in the 2019 Who’s Who in Agriculture from the Denver Business Journal.

Guillon grew up on a sheep and cattle ranch in Northwest Colorado. She has worked and lived on both coasts but returned to her home state and has resided on the Front Range for the past decade. Guillon sees how Colorado has changed in the last few decades but believes the state and its people are still closely connected to its agricultural roots and western history, and that CCALT will play an integral role in connecting the agriculture and conservation industries.

“While there are many organizations out there working to help consumers make the connection between food and ranching, CCALT is uniquely positioned to connect ranching to classic Colorado vistas and to environmental conservation and stewardship,” Guillon said. “Making that connection between agriculture and conservation is an important part of this organization’s mission to benefit future generations.”

CCALT’s Board of Directors is made up of 20 dedicated individuals who share a deep commitment to agriculture and conservation. Notably, 60% of board members are agricultural producers, a unique aspect facilitated by appointments from the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. Directors with varied professional and personal backgrounds ensure CCALT prioritizes landowners in conservation strategies and that its efforts are tailored to the needs and values of Colorado’s farm and ranch families.

About the Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust
The Colorado Cattlemen’s Agricultural Land Trust (CCALT) is a nonprofit land conservation organization whose mission is to “…conserve Colorado’s western heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.” CCALT has partnered with hundreds of farm and ranch families in the protection of more than 800,000 acres statewide to date.