Phil Castle, The Business Times

Ivan Geer enjoys his career as an engineer because, he says, he likes to learn how things work and solve problems. He also prefers a team effort over top down management.

It’s an approach Geer says he brings not only to his role as an owner of River City Consultants in Grand Junction, but also his roles on the governing boards of various organizations.

And it’s an approach he says he expects to bring to his upcoming term as chairman of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce.

While the local business climate remains conducive to continued growth, challenges persist, he says. They include the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as inflation and labor and housing shortages. Change itself constitutes a challenge.

But the chamber is well-suited to address those challenges and serve as a business advocate, Geer says. “We’re not afraid to tackle anything.”

Geer starts his year-long term in January. He will succeed Katie Powell, president of Munro Companies.

Geer says one of his duties will be to ensure all the voices on the chamber board are heard and the process remains transparent. One of the strengths of the chamber, he says, is the diversity of voices engaged in what is sometimes respectful dissent. “The small business voice is as big as the big business voice.”

Otherwise, Geer says he expects the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce to continue to do what it does best in serving as a catalyst for growth, a convener of leaders and groups and a champion for businesses and the community.

He cites as an example chamber involvement in a program implemented in the midst of the pandemic allowing businesses following public health guidelines and safety practices to operate under less stringent conditions. The Mesa County 5 Star program became a model for efforts elsewhere in Colorado and other states.

“This is one of the most relevant chambers in the nation,” he says.

Geer also cites the chamber’s role in appealing a proposed water quality rule imposing maximum levels for selenium and other pollutants in the Grand Valley. The proposed rule doesn’t take into account the amount of selenium found naturally in Grand Valley soils washed into the watershed. The resulting standards,  he says, aren’t physically possible to meet.

Geer serves as a principle and engineering project manager with River City Consultants. Geer and Jeffrey Mace own the firm, which provides a range of surveying and engineering services to private and public-sector clients throughout Western Colorado.

River City Consultants has been involved in major projects in the region, including the Redlands Mesa golf community and other residential and commercial developments as well as more recently a compressed natural gas project in Grand Junction.

Geer joined the firm in 2016 and subsequently joined Mace as owners as part of a succession from older partners to younger partners.

Geer says he wears a lot of proverbial hats as an owner of an engineering firm, including not only administration, but also human resources, client relations, project management and design.

He says he prefers a team approach to a hierarchical structure. “Everybody’s role is critical in the products we produce.”

Geer grew up in Grand Junction and attended the University of Notre Dame. He says he initially considered a career as a doctor, but switched his course of study to apply an analytical skill set that fits well with engineering.

He says he enjoys learning how things work — including the important infrastructure people take for granted. There’s another aspect of engineering he enjoys. “You’re always solving problems.”

He worked for a decade with a firm in Wisconsin, then decided to return to the Grand Valley.

He worked for Grand Junction Pipe and then Summit Materials as a project manager and aggregates manager, which he says provided him experience on the materials side of the business.

In addition to his work at River City Consultants, Geer also has served on the boards of a number of local organizations, including the Grand Junction Economic Partnership and HopeWest. He serves as chairman of the Grand Junction Housing Authority. 

He joined the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce board three years ago.

He says it’s important to give back, but he also enjoys working with organizations with good missions and staff. Moreover, public service affords another opportunity to learn how things work.

The chamber plays an important role in promoting the strength of local businesses, which he says promotes the strength of the community.

The outlook is encouraging, he says, as the Grand Valley grows and a more diverse economy attenuates what had been a boom-and-bust cycle. “Overall, I think it’s a super strong business climate.”

It’s also one with challenges, he says, among them a pandemic, inflation and labor and housing shortages. Moreover, the pace of change has accelerated. “Change is the biggest challenge.”

But the chamber can help businesses respond to those challenges.

As for his role, Geer says he’s an engineer. One who enjoys learning how things work and solving problems.