Anna Vargas

Bio: Anna Lee Vargas is a sixth generation San Luis Valley (SLV) Native born and raised in Manassa, Colorado. She is currently the Project Manager for the San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) and the Lead Recruiter in the San Luis Valley for the Colorado School of Public Health. While with SLVEC and the CO School of Public Health, Anna Lee has helped gather quantitative and qualitative data by actively recruiting hundreds of SLV participants in a citizen science effort to offer free water sampling for well owners, an Agriculture Worker Study to learn about resources and connections supporting behavioral health and total worker health in agriculture workers, and a MEMCARE (Metals and Metals Mixtures: Cognitive Aging, Remediation and Exposure) Study, a citizen science effort to collaboratively collect and assess individual metals and metal mixture levels from drinking water samples from pregnant women, newborns, and children. Being passionate about environmental issues has led Anna Lee to the Mountain West Climate-Health Engagement Hub, a collaborative partnership to promote resilience and health equity for rural and urban communities. Under the Mountain West Hub, Anna Lee is part of the Climate Conversations Core Project Team to engage communities in conversations and collective storytelling to facilitate learning and build momentum for climate action. With over a decade of experience in community organizing, facilitation, advocacy, and project management, Anna Lee has been a strong organizer and advocate for environmental, social, economic, and food justice issues. Anna Lee currently serves on the Board of Directors of Great Old Broads for Wilderness, the Steering Committee for Soul Players of the Valley, Capulin, the Capulin Leadership Development Team, the San Luis Valley Agricultural Coalition, the SLV Co-Chair for the Mountain West Climate-Health Engagement Hub, and the AJL Foundation 2024 Grant Making Committee.

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Recreational Hobbies:

Hiking

Shooting

Trails