Rector hopes to keep focus on economic development and diversification

RANGELY | Jeff Rector will represent Rio Blanco County’s District 3 when he takes Jon Hill’s seat

on the board of county commissioners after narrowly defeating Hill in the Republican primary last year.
Rector isn’t the first member of his family to serve as county commissioner. His mother, Democrat Peggy Rector, was the first woman ever to be elected to the county commissioners. She served from 1987 to 1991, and has been described as a “dynamo.”
Despite his mother’s influence, Rector was never interested in politics.
He decided to run for commissioner because he feels like “it’s his turn to serve.”
Rector brings years of business experience to the table and a head for numbers, as well as a family history where his parents, one a Democrat and one a Republican, were always “reaching across the aisle.”
Rector went to work for his father in the oilfield during the summer months at the age of 11. At 18 he went to work for one of his father’s competitors, a decision his father later said was probably “good for him.”
Rector later owned and operated the Suzuki/Polaris motorcycle store in Grand Junction. In 2002 he bought his parents’ business, DUCO Well Services. He believes his business acumen will serve him well in helping lead the county forward.
In spite of—or maybe because of—his years of experience in the oil field, Rector is a proponent of diversifying the local economy.
“We need to find some diversity from energy so we don’t have to base all our good times on natural gas and oil prices. We need to find something that will provide an even keel,” he said.
He cited a Chevron proposal in 1979, wherein Chevron offered to provide the natural gas to operate commercial greenhouses in Rangely. He would like to revisit that idea as a commissioner.
He’s also a strong proponent of the Wolf Creek Reservoir project, and wants to “stay on top of” the broadband initiative.
“Until the (current) commissioners started this process I didn’t really understand how important it (broadband) was to me,” he said, adding that the broadband project’s potential for economic development is substantial.
Rector hopes to promote greater transparency on the board.
“Everybody is trying to get through their meetings so fast. All the business is being done behind the scenes, and that’s not right. If you make stuff public where people can see it and not jump to conclusions it keeps you out of the doghouse,” he said.
While he is ready to make some changes, Rector praised the current board for the work they’ve accomplished.
“I think these guys did a pretty good job, they got a lot of things moving and tried to streamline some things.”