Bill Jerke might as well be Mr. Weld County, as far as I’m concerned. He was born there, he went to University of Northern Colorado and earned his degree in political science, he’s raised Christmas trees there, he’s represented his district in the Colorado State House of Representatives, he’s served as a Weld County Commissioner, and he’s currently the Executive Director of Fostering Unity, Energizing Leadership (FUEL) an advocacy group based in Weld County. Bill has experience with agriculture, oil and gas, water, governing and advocacy.

If that doesn’t qualify Bill Jerke as the man in Weld County, I don’t know what does. He’s also one of the most genuine, sincere, hard-working men I’ve ever had the privilege of doing business with. It’s this rare combination of resume and character that made Bill one of the guests I most wanted on my show.

And on this week’s episode, we hit all those points and more. Among the subjects covered:

• Why having a rain barrel on your property could ultimately lead to bad things for Colorado’s agricultural economy.
• How a ditch dug in Weld County in the 1800s became a catalyst for part of the Colorado Constitution and the foundation for how we understand water law.
• Why your right ear and left ankle are important in trimming Christmas trees.
• The questions you need to ask yourself before you subject yourself to a political campaign.
• What it’s like to be a government official when you realize there’s a hole in your defense and 9News investigative journalists grill you for several hours straight.
• Why Bill never wanted the paltry pay state legislators raised, and what he did to prevent it.

Like I said, there’s a ton of ground covered in this episode. So do yourself a favor, listen to Bill Jerke, learn something, and then share it with your friends. You can Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe on iTunes, or stream on Stitcher. And be sure to follow FUEL on Facebook, as well.

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