The appointment of Lisel Petis to the Steamboat Springs City Council was a refreshing choice. It signals to us that the City Council wants to give young professionals and millennials a voice and wants to ensure the make-up of the council is diverse and representative of various segments of the community.

Those who applied for the council seat vacated by Tony Connell came from a wide range of backgrounds. The group included massage therapists, teachers, a public relations professional, a small business owner, a civil engineer and a former sheriff’s deputy. The council interviewed the candidates in open session, and in the first round of voting, appointed Petis to the post.

As a new member of the City Council, Petis becomes the first millennial to serve in that capacity. We believe that’s significant, especially at this point in time, when millennials make up the single largest group within the U.S. work force and are quickly becoming the nation’s largest consumer group. It’s also a pivotal time for the millennial voice to be heard in Steamboat, especially as the city grapples with a serious shortage of affordable housing as well as access to affordable childcare.

Read more at Steamboat Today.