In a community where civic duty often overlaps personal identity, Heather Cannon is proof that service can be both a calling and a way of life.

As the city attorney for Craig, a private practice attorney and president of the Moffat County School District Board of Education, Cannon plays a major yet subtle role in guiding the community and its schools through a time of transition.

But for Cannon, these positions aren’t about notoriety or prestige. They’re about the people she loves and cares about. 

“I think that people want to be seen. I think that people want to feel cared about. I think people want to be heard,” Cannon said. “My hope is that I’ve made things better in a world that can be very difficult.”

Cannon’s path to Northwest Colorado started in the close-knit, rugged community of Green River, Wyoming, a town that was shaped by industry and is strikingly similar to Craig. There, she found early examples in her parents of what it meant to serve a small community with heart, soul and dedication. 

“I look back and I was very blessed with the people who raised me,” she said. “Both of them provided such a good example of what it means to give back, to be a steward of the community, to work hard and to prioritize the things that are important in life.”

After attending Gonzaga University’s law school, a decision shaped by her Catholic faith and a desire to pursue justice through service, Cannon passed the bar in 2006 and settled in Steamboat Springs. Soon, the demands of a 90-mile commute to her clients prompted her to make Craig her permanent home.

In the years since, Cannon has done all that she can to use her selflessness to improve the community that she has grown to love. She’s served as a guardian ad litem, worked as a municipal judge and now holds the role of city attorney, where she helps the city navigate legal issues linked with housing, infrastructure, economic development and municipal governance.

“You get to be involved in different ways that you don’t as a private attorney,” she said. “Here, you get to touch all of those different areas and every day is a little bit different. It has been fun and interesting.”

Cannon doesn’t shy away from the word “fun,” even when describing a job that includes criminal prosecutions, legal code reviews and a role as an advisor to the Craig City Council. 

That sense of gratitude carries over to her work on the school board, where she has served since 2021. For Cannon, public education is a cornerstone of community. In her eyes, leadership starts with stepping up, even when it’s easier to view from the sidelines.

“In 2021, I figured it was time to stop being that person who commented behind the scenes and try to become involved and make a difference in that regard,” she said.

Cannon sees Craig at a crossroads economically, culturally and demographically. She holds a high level of optimism that the strength of the community’s people will guide it forward and carry it into the future. 

“There’s a lot to be said for small, close-knit communities,” she said. “It’s nice to have the security and the sanctity of a small town.”

She pointed to recent projects and ongoing regional transit planning as signs that the city and county are evolving organically while also preserving the core values that come with a small and familiar community.

“We as the city have gone down a variety of roads to try to assist the community,” she said. “The city is in coordination with other entities and has really tried to branch out in a variety of different ways.”

Despite her deep level of community stewardship, no role means more to Cannon than being a mother. At home, she loves to spend time with her two young boys, aged 5 and 7, in addition to her partner and his two children. Her approach to parenting mirrors the lessons she learned from her parents about giving back to the community.

“My goal for our time together is that everyone is tired and that we’ve had a fulfilling day,” she said, laughing. “We’re super active.”

In quiet moments, Cannon can be found on the golf course, in a goose pit, or bird hunting, all of which are connected with fond memories of childhood time with her father.

Despite a full schedule and a multitude of public-facing responsibilities, Cannon remains grounded in humility and a notion that the best leaders are subtle and always celebrate the achievements of others, as well as the community, first. 

“I like to not work in the spotlight,” she said. “Really, I feel like the best work is often done behind the scenes.”

But even behind the scenes, Cannon’s presence and impact on Craig are unmistakable, particularly as she holds leadership roles in two of the largest employers in Moffat County. Her ethos is to be a guide who listens more than she speaks, leads by example and sees public service as a privilege rather than a burden.

One day, as Cannon sits in a goose pit alongside her children at first light, reflecting on the impact she had, she hopes her legacy will be simple to see.

“I hope my mark is that I’ve not left anybody unseen,” she said. “That everyone felt that I cared as much as I could have for them.”