Colorado Mesa University (CMU) MassCommunications professor Greg Mikolai was elected asthe mayor of Palisade earlier in 2020.
“Unfortunately, you know, I was elected right in themidst of the COVID experience. So right now, our biggestissue seems to be centering about what we’re going to doto deal with the pandemic.”
He maintains a healthy balance of his duties at boththe university and Palisade.
“It had very little effect on anything I do here at [CMU],”Mikolai said. “Our meetings are held in the evening, […] soI have no time conflicts.”
Before Mikolai was elected, he served on the Boardof Trustees in 2018. His predecessor, Roger Granite, wasserving a limited term and had recommended him for theposition of mayor.
One of Mikolai’s biggest goals for Palisade was todiversify and develop the town business-wise, beyondtheir agricultural staples. Right now, it’s difficult to do so.
“Unfortunately, my timing is also somewhat terrible inthat we also had a peach freeze,” Mikolai said. “We lost 90%of the peach crops in Palisade. So, I have a lot of friends whojoke with me that say, ‘boy, you’re picking the worst time tobe mayor of Palisade.’ That’s what I was thinking. So rightnow, we haven’t really tried to do much outreach in terms ofbringing in other businesses or industries.”
Mikolai doesn’t need to get anything out of the politicsof being mayor.
“I don’t want to get anything out of it. I’m doing itbecause I like Palisade. It’s been my home for 25 years now,”Mikolai said. “Palisade is a growing community [that] isstarting to feel some of the stresses of that growth, and Iwant to help any way I can, to ensure that the characterand personality of Palisade remains what it is — but at thesame time, embraces growth, because it is inevitable.”