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City Council Members
Mayor Matthew Breman (970) 314-5991
mbreman@fruita.org
Personal Information:
Matthew, along with his wife Catherine and their son Marcus, has called Fruita home since 2005. Grounded in the principles of servant leadership, Matthew has been actively engaged in our community. He dedicated 12 years to the Board of United Way of Mesa County, serving as its President for four years. Additionally, he contributed five years to the Grand Junction Chamber of Commerce (GJCC), where he held the position of Chairman for one year. Currently, Matthew serves on the boards of GJEP and the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce.
Since 2020, Matthew has been a valued member of the Fruita City Council, currently holding the position of Mayor Pro-Tem. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida. Matthew began his career in the entertainment industry at Nickelodeon Studios and later pursued his MBA at Rollins College. His professional journey led him to executive roles at Walt Disney Resort. Since settling in Fruita, he has successfully operated his own company and is a senior-level leader in a publicly traded company.
Mayor Pro Tem Aaron Hancey (970) 261-5413
Personal Information:
Aaron Hancey, a Colorado native, has been a resident of Fruita since 2014 when he was hired by West Star Aviation to serve as the Financial Controller for the Grand Junction, CO and Chattanooga, TN facilities. He currently resides on a small farm with his wife, Lori, and their four children who currently attend FMS and FMHS. In 2018, Aaron started a consulting practice to support growing businesses as a consulting/fractional Chief Financial Officer. His volunteer activities have included serving as an FWorks on-site coordinator, youth leader for his church, BSA leader for 13 years, and missionary service in Norway for two years. Aaron and his family have loved living in Fruita and have enjoyed its small-town feeling!
Aaron has a passion for supporting small, locally owned businesses, and his ownership of the Fruita Sno Shack, as well as his professional consulting work with several local businesses and organizations, gives him a unique perspective on the future of our community.
From May 2021 to October 2022, Aaron served on the City’s Planning Commission where he successfully fought for the property rights of the existing community and growth of Fruita.
Aaron was appointed in October 2022 by the Mayor and City Council to fill a vacancy on City Council. With this appointment, he has continued to support the community by increasing transparency and engagement, helping to increase housing options with non-single-family developments, increasing parking in the downtown area, minimize regulations, and many other community-centered successes.
Councilor Jeannine Purser (970) 260-5413
jpurser@fruita.org
Personal Information:
Hi, my name is Jeannine Purser. Fruita has been home to myself, my husband of 25 years, and our two amazing daughters for almost 21 years. I love this town and I can’t imagine living anywhere else. (Yes, this does sound like a Wheel of Fortune introduction.)
I have worked at Mesa Valley Community School, a wonderful D51 charter school, since 2012. My job title at the school is community liaison which entails me working directly with our families, staff and the community at large to bring them all together in a cohesive and meaningful way. In addition to my day job, I have been an integral part of Cavalcade, an all-volunteer Performing Arts Venue in downtown Fruita, for over ten and a half years, and currently serve as Cavalcade’s director.
I have also been a board member on the Downtown Advisory Board (DAB) since its inception in 2011 and have been the chair of that board for most of that time frame. Prior to the start of the DAB, I also was a member of several community groups such as Bricks, Homegrown Fruita, and the president of the Shelledy PTO for many years. I have a heart and passion for this town and would be incredibly honored to be elected to serve this community as a Fruita City Councilor.
Councilor James Williams (970) 858-7675
jwilliams@fruita.org
Personal Information:
Originally from Oakland, CA, James moved to the Grand Valley in 2000. He married Samantha Stockert, a fourth generation Fruita resident in 2001. Together they started Rhema Music & Clothing Co in 2005, and their fitness facility, Fit 4:13, opened in 2014. The older of their two daughters, an FMHS graduate is currently in her second year at Duke University, studying neuroscience & psychology. The younger daughter, a freshman, is on the school Senate at Fruita 8/9, as well as a member of the City of Fruita's Youth Action Council.
James has served two terms on the Fruita Tourism Board and was the annual recipient of Fruita's Arts & Culture Award in 2019. More recently, he served on D51’s Back to School Task Force as a consultant during the pandemic. In addition to being an award winning, critically acclaimed songwriter and touring artist with The Williams Brothers Band, James has thirty years’ experience as a concert promoter, including booking and producing the entertainment for several local events, such as The Fruita Fall Festival, Mike the Headless Chicken Festival, Thursday Night Concert Series, and the Fruita Farmers Market for the past several years.
“The Grand Valley, especially Fruita, has always been so supportive of our family. It is a blessing to live here, raise our family here, and be a part of this wonderful community. It's an honor to be asked by the community to step up and serve in this capacity.”
Councilor Amy Miller (970) 640-0751
amiller@fruita.org
Personal Information:
My Fruita roots run deep. I am a proud 4th generation Fruitian (Maiden name Snover). I have the unique honor of being able to say I was born in Fruita, in the same Lower Valley Hospital room and delivered by the same doctor as my mother 25 years before me! I met my amazing husband in an FMHS classroom and 26 years later you can still find us decked out in our Fruita blue, cheering our Wildcats to victories in sports, the arts, academics and agriculture. We are thrilled to now have 3 sons who also proudly carry on the Wildcat tradition of excellence.
My life experiences in the Lower Valley have given me several unique perspectives. Having been raised on a local dairy, I understand the important role agriculture has played in Fruita’s history and the valuable contributions it still makes. Working in the elementary classrooms of our school district allowed me to see and hear firsthand the needs and desires of families. Being a small business owner has given me insight into the many unique challenges our local entrepreneurs face. As a Realtor, I also see the needs and desires of our growing population and the importance of personal property rights.
I love the Fruita way of life and hope to be able to serve my community in a way that will allow many future generations the same enjoyment.
Councilor Rich Parrish (970) 210-1036
rparrish@fruita.org
Personal Information:
Rich was born and raised in Utah. He graduated from the University of Utah with a B.A. and M.B.A. He married and brought his family to Grand Junction in 1979 to be the branch manager of a regional wholesale distribution company. Shortly after retiring in 2013, he went to work part-time for CASA of Mesa County where currently he is a part-time volunteer coordinator. He and his wife, Val, have eight children (6 graduates of FMHS and one 12-year-old at FMS) and 13 grandchildren. He and his family have lived in Fruita for the past 11 ½ years.
He has served on the following boards of directors: Crime Stoppers of Mesa County (40 yrs.), CACI Educational Foundation, Family Health West, Western Colorado Horticultural Association and Charisma Chorus. He has served in various leadership positions with Boy Scouts of America, on committees with United Way and Mesa County Valley School District 51 and as a lay leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has volunteered with the FMHS Booster Club and at Grand Junction Community Food Bank, tutored at Mesa County Library, company advisor at 6 sessions of Colorado Business Week and served on the Mesa County Citizen Review Panel.
Rich loves to live in Fruita as it is a great place to raise children and enjoy wonderful places to exercise, to work, have fun and worship. He would like the opportunity to serve this community on the city council.
Councilor Andrea Stolarczyk
astolarczyk@fruita.org
Personal Information:
Andrea Stolarczyk is a Colorado native and six-year Grand Valley resident. She has gratefully called Fruita home for the past three years alongside Tony, her husband of two decades, and their teenage children, Hudson and Isabel.
She is a seasoned business owner, working mainly as a creative entrepreneur in fine art, graphic design, and visual arts instruction, with notable collaborations including those with Hayden Outdoors, Colorado Landscapes, and Smith Fork Ranch.
From 2021-2023, she taught over 150 art classes at the Fruita Community Center through Fruita Parks and Recreation. She enthusiastically supports local arts and business, serving on the Fruita Arts and Culture Board since 2021 and the Fruita Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors since 2022.
The impact of her work extends across the Valley. Andrea was Art Director for The Wellspring Project for two consecutive years and Artist-in-Residence for the Bureau of Land Management and Colorado Canyons Association from 2022-2023, an effort that culminated in a nearly sold-out exhibition of over 250 attendees.
In 2023, Andrea received recognition by the Community Impact Council of Mesa County for her "exceptional philanthropic contributions" and won the inaugural Fruita Fall Festival Art Award that same year. Her commitment to local arts abounds through active engagement in Art Tag Fruita and as a Grand Valley Creative Alliance Open Studio Tour Artist.
She is currently the Creative Director for Our Lady of Perpetual Motion.
Andrea’s greatest strength is her creativity, especially as expressed locally and collaboratively. She loves Fruita with a passion.
