Community & Service

County planning, a state board, rescue teams, and young skiers. Some of this is current and some is past; the dates are below.

Archuleta County Planning Commission

Member · appointed February 2026

The Planning Commission holds public hearings on land-use applications and advises the Board of County Commissioners on the land use code and the Comprehensive Plan. This year that includes the county’s 2026 Comprehensive Plan update and its water supply element.

I came to it from search and rescue, which makes me practical about risk: wildfire exposure, evacuation routes, road access, and how small development decisions add up over time. I try to hold applicants and neighbors to the same standard: predictable rules, transparent reasoning, and fairness.

Colorado Wine Industry Development Board

Chair · 2013–2017

Appointed by the Governor of Colorado. The board directs state funding to support the growth of Colorado’s wine industry. As chair I led the board and worked with its executive director, legislators, and state agencies.

Jay Christianson resting on a rock in search and rescue gear, with Saxby, a red-coated dog in a working harness, on the talus slope behind.

Search and Rescue

K9 handler · Former president, El Paso County Search and Rescue

From 2018 to January 2025 I was president and a field team leader with El Paso County Search and Rescue, a volunteer team of about 70 that answers roughly 150 calls a year. In 2020 I received the El Paso County Sheriff’s Civilian Achievement Award.

My K9 partner is Saxby. We train in area search and human remains detection, including water searches. Since moving to Pagosa Springs I volunteer with Upper San Juan Search and Rescue.

I’m an EMT and a NASAR SARTECH II. From 2020 to 2024 I also served as an operations section chief on the Pikes Peak Regional Type 3 incident management team.

Jay Christianson in a helmet and red jacket on a chairlift, with a ski run below.

Ski Coaching

Coach, Wolf Creek freeride team

I coach young athletes on the local freeride team at Wolf Creek and am a registered IFSA (International Freeskiers & Snowboarders Association) coach. The rules are the same on the mountain as anywhere else: technique first, consistency second, intensity last.