Brown named county treasurer

Teresa Brown

On Oct. 1, Teresa Brown officially took over as Gunnison County treasurer, following the retirement of former Treasurer Debbie Dunbar in early August. After being appointed to fill the vacancy by Gunnison County commissioners this month, Brown will serve the remainder of Dunbar’s term until Dec. 31, 2026.

The Times connected with Brown to learn more about her background and her vision for the office.

(Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

Can you tell us a little  about your personal story and background?  Where are you from? What’s your educational background?

I am originally from Aspen, Colorado, but also spent a portion of my childhood and adulthood in Florida. My love of the mountains brought me home to Colorado to stay.

How did you come to Gunnison?

How I made my way to Gunnison is a bit of a funny story. In 1997, I was living and working in Montrose, Colorado when my daycare provider informed me that she was moving to Gunnison. We all know how difficult it is to find good daycare, so I followed her to Gunnison and it has been my home ever since. 

What is your professional background? When did you first start working for the treasurer’s office and was that your first experience in the field?

I began my tenure with Gunnison County in 2000. Through my 25 years in the Treasurer/Public Trustee Office, I have worked for three treasurers and with several amazing co-workers. I started out at the entry level accounts clerk collecting tax payments and receipting deposits brought to us by the other county offices. In 2006 I was given the task of running the Public Trustee Office. This would include facilitating Deed of Trust foreclosures and executing Release of Deeds of Trust. I have continued with this roll to this day. It is not well known that when you are elected treasurer you are also elected public trustee and that these are two different offices housed together in the same office. Before working in the Treasurer’s Office, I was employed by a title company. Working at the title company gave me an understanding of legal descriptions of property and real estate in general, which was very helpful when I started working in both the treasurer and public trustee sides of the office.

In your words, how do you view the office of treasurer? What does a treasurer do? Why is it important to citizens? What do you see as your top priorities and responsibilities in the office?

I guess the best way for me to describe the Treasurer’s Office, at least through my eyes, is that we are the bank for Gunnison County. We collect the tax dollars that we are asked to collect and then we disperse those tax dollars to the entities that are supposed to get them. We make sure that all the county bank accounts are in balance. We are also charged with investing county monies. That being said, the treasurer’s and public trustee’s duties are set by statute, so we don’t get to make any big decisions. The statute books make most of them for us.

Since you were not elected, what message do you have now for the people of Gunnison County as their new treasurer?

I was appointed, which means that the voters of Gunnison County did not choose me and I realize that those are two very different ways of becoming treasurer. The message I would like to send out there to all the Gunnison County voters is that I plan to move forward just as I have for the past 25 years. I want my office to be one to show empathy and compassion to those showing up at our counter or calling us. Whether you are paying taxes or possibly dealing with a foreclosure, I want you to always feel like you can come to us for answers. I will continue to work closely with the other county offices to make the transition from Debbie Dunbar to myself as easy as possible.

How will you do things differently in your new role? Are there any pertinent changes you plan to make? What are your core values as treasurer? 

Debbie has done such an amazing job as Treasurer that for now I am going to lead by following her example. I am sure there will be changes down the road, but for now I am going to concentrate on learning on the fly and getting the job done. Along with compassion and empathy, my work ethic is a driving force for me to succeed. I plan on continuing to work hard for the county just as I have for the past 25 years. 

Are there any new or exciting things happening at the Treasurer’s Office?

As far as the Treasurer’s Office is concerned, nothing else new or exciting. Just business as usual. I would also like to take a minute to thank Debbie Dunbar. She has been an amazing treasurer, mentor, and friend. She is going to be greatly missed, and I wish her all the best in her new adventure as a retiree. 

(Gia Wright can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or gia@gunnisontimes.com.)