Laurel Lutz (Cole)

Council Member Laurel Lutz, District D

Term expires: November 2029
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Biography

Laurel Lutz was elected to the Grand Junction City Council in 2025 for District D and is currently serving as Mayor Pro Tem. Laurel moved to Grand Junction in 2021 to become the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity of Mesa County, a nonprofit organization that provides affordable homeownership opportunities for income qualifying residents.  Before moving to the Western Slope, Laurel managed Head Start Early Education Centers in Arizona and California and was a department head for the Orange County Department of Education.

Laurel received a Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood from National University in La Jolla, CA.  She also holds certificates in nonprofit management and fundraising and is a Certified Memory Impairment Specialist (CMIS). 

Since joining the community in 2021, Laurel has served on the ARPA committee and the Sustainability and Adaptation Plan Advisory group and currently serves on the City of Grand Junction’s Housing Stability workgroup.  She served on the Housing & Building Association of Western Colorado’s governmental affairs committee (2023-2025), Habitat for Humanity of Colorado’s Advocacy Committee (2022-present), and United to End Homelessness (2017-2020).  Laurel currently sits on the board for Habitat for Humanity of Colorado and served on the board of the Women’s National Book Association (2021-2025).  She is the city council representative for Visit Grand Junction, Grand Junction Housing Authority, and the Commission on Arts & Culture.

Laurel enjoys reading and writing in her free time, along with spending time with her family and 2 dogs. She is a retired trail ultra runner (longest race, a 50 miler).