Beginning March 6, Fraser will have a new town manager — and he is already a familiar face at town hall. Assistant Town Manager Michael Brack will step up into the lead role, replacing current manager Ed Cannon.

The Fraser Board of Trustees chose Brack for the role after interviewing two other candidates on Jan. 30. Brack is well prepared for the role, as Cannon has mentored him since Brack became assistant town manager five years ago.

Under Brack’s leadership, the town of Fraser will concentrate on issues such as economic development, infrastructure investments, water sustainability and affordable housing.

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The town stated in a news release that Brack also “plans to focus on promoting transparency and communication between residents and town officials.”

“I’m humbled to be selected to serve the Fraser Community through this new role, help address its unique challenges, and spearhead relevant opportunities,” Michael Brack stated in the release, after accepting the position. “Through collaboration and transparency with our residents, stakeholders and elected officials, I believe we can accomplish great things for Fraser.”

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Originally from Iowa, Brack holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver. He also served in U.S. Army, rising to the rank of staff sergeant, and served as an intelligence operations manager in Afghanistan. In 2017, he became assistant to the town manager to become more involved in local community, then was promoted to assistant town manager in December 2018. He has spearheaded the town’s environmental and water sustainability projects, and was nominated for the Sky-Hi News 20 Under 40 award in 2019.

During his interview on Jan. 30, Brack told trustees he was drawn to town government because “it’s fun, it’s diverse, there’s a lot of great challenges … I really enjoy the work I do.”

Brack stated that he views town government as a democratic process, where he will work together with other officials to accomplish goals.

“The role of the town manager is not to be a subject matter expert in all individual areas … but to lean on your subject matter experts to make informed, good decisions,” he said.

Brack added that during his near-decade long tenure at Fraser Town Hall, he has already formed relationships with many leaders in Grand’s business, nonprofit and environmental realms. He would also welcome hiring and coaching a new assistant town manager to replace him in the role he is vacating.

“When you’re looking at hiring someone … what I usually look for is, can they problem solve, can they figure things out?” he said. “That type of drive I think is great, and if you can align that drive with the passionate work they want to do for the town, it’s a win-win for everybody.” 

Brack told trustees he is excited to be at the helm of current projects, such as the Victoria Village affordable housing development, the master plan for Cozens Ranch Open Space, plus enhancing downtown and upgrading the water and wastewater treatment plants.

“I think it’s very important that we continue to spearhead environmental stewardship in the Fraser valley,” he said. “My approach to that has been what makes sense, what’s reasonable, what’s economic.”

Brack stated he has been contacted by Grand County government officials who see Fraser as the lead for sustainability and environmental stewardship in the area.

“That’s a great thing to preserve and encourage moving forward,” he said. “Fraser’s growing and it’s just important for us to grow responsibly.”  

Brack and his wife, who are raising two young children in Fraser, are invested in the town on many levels. Brack stated he plans to make Fraser an ideal place for families like his own. Two of his main goals are creating more access to childcare centers and establishing a support system for parents — his wife started the popular Grand County Moms Facebook page.

“What I bring to the table is the perspective of a young professional with a family in the valley and how relevant that is based on our challenges,” he said. “Being able to attract and retain families in the Fraser Valley is so beneficial on a variety of fronts … to the local business community, nonprofits … and a lot of the values that we have inherent to our valley.”

Lastly, Brack stated he is prepared to settle the lawsuit between the town of Fraser and the Grand Park developer. In 2021, Clark Lipscomb entered into the legal battle with the town over requirements for Cozens Meadows beside Grand Park to remain public open space.

“You definitely want to have a town manager who is firm and resilient. I’ll continue to explore ways to reach a settlement, but if we need to go to court, we need to go to court,” he told trustees. “You need somebody really strong in your corner, and I feel confident I can protect and preserve the interests of Fraser.”