Eagle County swears in new commissioner, bids a fond farewell to Kathy Chandler-Henry

Tom Boyd is the first Eagle County commissioner in a decade to be elected, not first appointed, to his seat. Before taking the oath of office, there was time for a fond farewell to her predecessor.

Kathy Chandler-Henry was first appointed to her seat in July of 2013 to succeed former commissioner Jon Stavney, and held the seat for more than 11 years. She was honored on her way out with personal and video tributes from her fellow commissioners as well as local, regional and federal officials.

As a testament to Chandler-Henry’s wide-ranging influence over her years of service, tributes came from Vail Valley Partnership CEO and President Chris Romer, Colorado River District Director Andy Mueller and Elyse Howard of Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley. Tributes also came from U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, whose thanks included Chandler-Henry’s work, including creating the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument.

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Rep. Joe Neguse’s video tribute included thanks for Chandler-Henry’s work on housing and child care, noting that she’s been “on the front lines every day,” adding “I’m grateful to her for her exemplary public service.”

Commissioner Matt Scherr was appointed to his seat in 2019, after former Commissioner Jill Ryan was appointed by Gov. Jared Polis to lead the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

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Speaking via Zoom, Scherr noted that he and Chandler-Henry had known each other before they were in county government. He learned a lot from their meetings over coffee in those days. And, he acknowledged, he didn’t take enough advantage of her knowledge and advice as he could have in those days.

The good news, Scherr said, is that Chandler-Henry lives right across the street from the county administration building, so she’s available for advice in the future, unless she and her husband, George, are traveling too much.

Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney said it’s been an “honor and privilege” to work with Chandler-Henry over the past 10 years.

McQueeney was on the Democratic Party vacancy committee that was charged with replacing Stavney in 2013. She recalled that there was stiff competition to fill the seat. And, she said, while other candidates sat while they answered questions from the vacancy committee, Chandler-Henry stood the entire time, a reflection of her “core character,” McQueeney said.

Eagle County Manager Jeff Shroll recalled that before he took his first municipal management job in 1991, his grandfather asked him, “Why in the hell would you want to do that?”, adding that he was going to have the people in town mad at him at any given time.

Working with Chandler-Henry over the past seven-and-a-half years has shown him another way, Shroll said.

Shroll said Chandler-Henry is “fearless” about crossing divides, whether the subject is land use, water or another topic.

“She’s never been afraid to step across and listen,” Shroll said.

Just because of that willingness to listen, her seat is going to be hard to fill, he added.

After being sworn in by District Judge Rachel Fresquez, Boyd said of his predecessor that when someone sets out to take care of others and the environment, they’re bound to have success.

“With (Chandler-Henry), we have all that,” he said.

Chandler-Henry for some time has hoped that her colleagues wouldn’t make a big deal over her departure. It was a vain hope, of course. In her last moments at the commissioners’ table, she said “It has been my honor” to serve as a commissioner.

Addressing both her commissioner colleagues, the county’s other elected officials and the organization’s employees, she said, “I can’t imagine better folks to work with.”