Stan VanderWerf

Stan VanderWerf is a veteran, entrepreneur, and expedition mountaineer. Stan is a former Commissioner for El Paso County CO.

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

GREAT WEATHER, GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT CAUSE!! Had a wonderful time at the amazing Feast of St Arnold Beer Festival this weekend. Run by my church, I have been a longtime volunteer and one of the original founding board members. Now the largest beer festival in Colorado Springs, we have raised over $500,000 for West Side Cares, a charity that helps many people in need! https://t.co/RUk5adjvhB

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Angels of America's Fallen is awesome! They provide healthy activities, scholarships, and grief counseling for the kids of fallen military, law enforcement, and firefighters. I participated in their Memorial 5K run today which started at Red Legg Brewery. Consider donating to this home grown and local charity!
Angels of America's Fallen Link - https://t.co/5hY8ADOlzz

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

As a combat vet myself, I thank those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and their families. Because of them, we are free. Heroes all.

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Today is our country's National Day of Prayer. I pray for our nation and I pray for all of you, that you will lead a life of faith filled with love.
Brief history of our National Day of Prayer
• 1775 – Continental Congress calls for a National Day of Prayer
• 1863 – Abraham Lincoln calls for a National Day of Prayer
• 1952 – Harry Truman declares a National Day of Prayer, signs law for annual observance
• 1988 – Ronald Reagan signs law making first Thursday in May our National Day of Prayer
• 1998 – President Clinton signs law requiring the President issue annual proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Thank you Julie Foster for founding the Colorado Springs NAMI! Rest in Peace. God Bless You.
https://t.co/ofYGdQ0Qo1

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Took a swing through Texas this last week to visit National Parks and catch up with relatives. Got to see my cousin Pegg who lives in Round Rock TX. It was great to see her again!! Family is so important! Take the time to stay in touch with them!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

While at a conference today, I was reminded about this very kind gift from a friend. He called me a Statesman, Mountaineer, and Friend. I am so grateful for him and all my friends. I was honored to serve in the military and as a county commissioner. I hope to continue my service to my friends and our great city!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Happy Easter to all! A special day. This morning, I received a very kind Easter message from a friend, a devout Muslim. Now retired, he was a senior member of the Iraqi government. We became friends when I served in Iraq as liaison to the Iraqi government. I responded with the wish that God bless him and his family. God asks us to love our neighbor with grace rather than harsh words...just like my Iraqi Muslim friend did this morning. May God bless YOU, no matter who you are, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

I had the honor of taking Al Uhalt, a Vietnam Fighter Pilot hero, on his last flight this month. With over 4,000 combat hours in 257 missions, he was awarded the Silver Star for saving a platoon of Army Rangers from the Viet Cong despite his F-4 being hit by a surface to air missile! He loves aviation and flew over 18,000 hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. At 95 years young, he's still going strong. I also invited his son, Trip, to come along. My airplane is in the background. Al gave me a checkout in an airplane in 1989, over 35 years ago at the Colorado Springs Airport! Thanks for your service to the Nation Al, and thanks for your friendship!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Enjoy Spring 2026 - MAKE SURE YOU ARE READY FOR A HIGH FIRE-RISK SUMMER! There are resources out there to help. Go to https://t.co/lSqfS1U5is to prepare your home. Register on PeakAlerts,org to get fire alert warnings. Go to https://t.co/W5F437xHtn to see a map of warnings. Go to https://t.co/kfuwq80r5h to help build an evacuation plan and build a "to-go" kit. BE READY WISE!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Had so much fun at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in downtown Colorado Springs on Saturday. Many of my friends were there including Stephanie Edwards, Gina Sacripanti, Shawn Murray, Torrie Giffin (and her son Levi), Bob McLaughlin, and many more. Went to Cowboys, a fundraiser for Mt Carmel. Mt Carmel does so much for our veterans! Bob invited me to walk in the parade with Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center so I did! Thanks Bob! Thank you to all our vets for their service! And thanks to all who deliver this great St Patrick's Day parade. It is good to honor our heritage!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Just had a great lunch with my wife celebrating my Birthday!! We went to Red Robin. Great burgers and one of our fav comfort food places! Thank you Betsy! I love you!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

My sincere thanks to Tunnel to Towers for paying off the mortgage of Cem Duzel, a Colorado Springs police officer who was badly wounded in the line of duty. My additional thanks to Tunnel to Towers for helping other law enforcement in our region! This is a great example of private action to help those who risk everything to make our region a safe place to live!
https://t.co/GWxms0gXp4

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Happy Washington's Birthday! While commonly referred to as President's Day, the official holiday still bear's Washington's name. We owe so much to our 1st President. He led our country to military victory, then resigned his commission establishing civilian control of our armed forces. He voluntarily stepped down after two terms as President establishing peaceful transfer of national power. He was the first to sign the US Constitution. And he was an agricultural innovator achieving several patents in farming. He earned the title "Father of our Country". We owe so much to our Nation's first president!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Last night the Winter Night Club hosted Director Huang (center front), a Diplomat from Taiwan. With about 100 in attendance at the Broadmoor, we had a great conversation about economic development, international relationships, and the challenging security posture of Taiwan. I have had a relationship with the Taiwan Denver office for years and was honored the Director accepted my invite to speak at our dinner. Taiwan is investing hundreds of billions into the US. I will continue working with the Director to bring some of that investment to Colorado Springs. My thanks to all who helped make this event a success!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

@elonmusk These people are sick!

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Fantastic! I'm sharing my 9 Jan 2026 Op Ed in the Gazette. In this article, I stated we should stop dwelling on our Space Command loss, that we need bold leadership to grow our defense market in Colorado Springs. A Reader's Comment: "One of the best written arguments to establish a well coordinated mission with clear objectives and process." Sadly someone is suppressing this on google search. Easy to find on DuckDuckGo. Hence the need to post on social media. To some, playing politics is more important than open dialog.

https://t.co/PtkBGezOzl

[Stan VanderWerf @StanVanderWerf]

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Dr. King dedicated his life to promoting peace, freedom, and equality through non-violent means. In his historic Dream speech on August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial, he quoted the Declaration of Independence....

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

A Great Man and a Great Declaration! Key words: Peace, Freedom, Equality, and NON-VIOLENT means!