Meet Liza
Liza's Story
Liza Marron came to live in Colorado as a Ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. She moved to the San Luis Valley with her husband and two small children to work at the High Meadows Buffalo Ranch near Center. She has worked in several ranches and dude ranches and worked potato harvest for Perrin Farms. She is one of the founders of the San Luis Valley Local Foods Coalition. The Coalition works in rural agricultural Colorado to foster an equitable local food system through the Rio Grande Farm Park and the Valley Roots Food Hub, and she is serving on the steering committee to conduct a resilient and regenerative food and ag action plan in all six counties here.
Liza was part of a community cohort in 1999 that conducted assessments and founded the Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development (ScSEED). She served 9 years on the Mountain Valley School Board. She has raised her beloved children in Saguache including her three natural children, four foster children, her niece and her adopted son.
Marron has retired from the SLVLFC and now serves as a Saguache County Commissioner working together to build a resilient future here. She has been a Rocky Mountain Farmers Union member since 2016 and is active in the San Luis Valley Chapter.
Marron lives in Saguache with her horses, elder dogs and cat, chickens, garden and her bicycle.
Liza habla inglés y español.
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Get to Know Liza: A Q&A
1. Who are you, and why are you running for County Commissioner?
I moved to Saguache County 38 years ago to put down roots for my family and to work in agriculture. I fell in love with the rural nature of this place — the mountains, open spaces, strong sense of community, and the non-commercialization of this place. Over the years, I have worked in social services, youth prevention and mentoring, public health, and local economic development. Alongside many community members, I helped found organizations including Saguache County Sustainable Environment and Economic Development (ScSEED) and later the SLV Local Foods Coalition, which created jobs, strengthened our agricultural economy, and built projects like the Valley Roots Food Hub and Rio Grande Farm Park, and is working on a food and ag plan implementation for the SLV.
I am running for re-election because I care deeply about this county and the people who live here. My approach has always been to show up, listen, educate myself, and work hard to make decisions that protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people, and the long-term resiliency of this place.
2. What are your highest priorities for the county?
My highest priorities are people, land, and responsible government. I want to continue the work to expand housing options, to support families through public health and social services, support those working on childcare and recreation opportunities, and support our youth and families to be successful. I will continue to support family farms and ranches and look for ways to add value to what we grow here. It is important to protect our private and public lands and wildlife, to support renewable energy, to work on wildfire preparedness, and aquifer recovery. Finally, I believe in fiscal responsibility and finding creative revenue sources that do not fall entirely on taxpayers. During my tenure and at my urging, we hired a grant writer who has already brought more than $1 million into local projects, and the county recently partnered with ScSEED to further compatible economic development. A vote for me is a vote to work together for a more resilient Saguache County.
