Wesley E. Duran, Lake County Trustee

One of Colorado Mountain College’s newest trustees, Wes Duran is a resident of Twin Lakes and a retired officer of the U.S. Air Force. He has three business degrees, extensive financial and managerial experience, and a strong background in criminal and constitutional law. He has been a director of Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc., since 2005, and is an active member of the Rotary Club of Buena Vista, Colo.

Duran was sworn in as Colorado Mountain College’s District 6 trustee in December 2007. He is a decorated 30-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force whose service includes five years in the Viet Nam combat zone, experience as a combat crew commander and plans officer in the Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile system, and a tour of duty in Europe. He managed a $22 billion budget in his terminal assignment as director of accounting and finance at the Space and Missile Systems Division at Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. 

Duran has a particular appreciation of and commitment to education at all levels. He enlisted in the Air Force as a high school graduate and after twice dropping out of college, went on to earn three business degrees. He has double bachelor of science degrees in business administration from the University of Arizona, plus a master of science degree in management from Troy State University in Troy, Ala. (European Division). He also is an enrolled agent, accredited by the U.S. Treasury Department to represent taxpayers in practice before the Internal Revenue Service and in tax court. He also completed three years of law school at Arizona State University, but did not sit for the Arizona bar examination for health reasons.

"Education is the golden key to economic success and self-actualization," said Duran. "With the costs of formal education escalating at an exponential rate, it falls to the junior colleges such as Colorado Mountain College to make higher education accessible and affordable for the citizens of Colorado. I serve as trustee solely to make that possible."

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