Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed a new member to the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens’ Advisory Commission, or CAC, in October.

“I am so happy to have Jason Castro as a member of the CAC,” said Irene Kornelly, chair, CAC. “He is a relationship builder who will advocate for what’s best for the Pueblo community and its citizens.”

“I’m a firm believer in full transparency, and that communication is the key to advocating for the greater good of the Pueblo community,” Castro said.

A marathon runner who completed the Boston Marathon in 2015 and 2016 and the Chicago Marathon in 2019, Castro said he compares the demilitarization project to running a long-distance race where participants must build stamina and keep their focus on the final outcome.

“I believe that must be the mindset of many of the agencies working out there. You’ll have speed bumps, but you make adjustments and move forward,” Castro said. “It’s not a sprint but a race of longer duration through which you keep your eye on the ball and use momentum to make progress.”

For the past seven years, Castro has served as director of guardianship for The Arc of Pueblo, where he provides guardianship for adults with varying degrees of intellectual and developmental disabilities to ensure their rights and dignity are respected. A graduate of Pueblo South High School, he earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Metropolitan State University in Denver. He said he is excited about the redevelopment of the Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) land and future growth possibilities.

The CAC is a nine-member body that serves as a bridge between the community and the government, providing a forum for exchanging information on chemical weapons, offering opportunities for public involvement and representing community and state interests to the U.S. Army and Department of Defense. The CAC meets regularly with PCAPP representatives and other government officials.