Paula is a Pueblo native. She and her husband, Ron, have two sons, Grant and Vance. Paula describes her boys as the heartbeat of her life. She also happily shares life with her favorite girl, Riley – a spunky rat terrier. The McPheeters enjoy the open spaces and views from their semi-rural home in Pueblo West.
Paula’s Pueblo roots run deep. Her dad, a Vietnam veteran, was a steelworker for 43 years. Her mom, the oldest of seven, grew up on a farm and worked and owned a small business while raising a family. From her mother, Paula learned the importance of volunteering, community involvement, and hospitality.
Paula grew up on Pueblo’s south side and graduated from South High School. She attended the University of Southern Colorado (now CSU Pueblo) and majored in political science. She met Ron during her freshman year in college and they got married during spring break of her junior year.
Paula is a person of deep faith. She will tell you that without her beliefs to guide her, she wouldn’t have made it through some of life’s toughest moments. Like many young couples, Paula and Ron worked multiple jobs to keep afloat financially as they navigated some of those challenges. Despite plans to pursue a legal career, her interest in politics led her to serve as an intern and staff member for both a senator and a congressman.
As a first-generation college student, Paula has a keen awareness of the challenges faced by those who attend college. This was one of the reasons she wanted to find a career in higher education. She found that opportunity at Pueblo Community College and has worked in several areas, spending more than 20 years working with budgets and grants management at the school. She currently serves as director of grant compliance. She earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado-Denver in 2008.
Paula is a member of Pueblo Rotary 43 and has volunteered for churches and many local boards. She recently completed a three-year term on the Pueblo County Retail Marijuana Sales and Excise Taxes Oversight Committee. In her final year, she chaired the committee and helped develop the report that was provided to the public regarding the revenue and expenditure of these dollars.
When she isn’t at work or volunteering, Paula enjoys long walks with her dog on the Pueblo West trails. She is an avid lover of nature and enjoys outdoor activities with her family. They enjoy traveling with their RV and camping in Colorado and beyond. In her downtime, she loves to listen to podcasts, watch documentaries and spend time with family and friends.
Now, with the enthusiastic support of her family and friends, Paula is moving toward her next challenge – the opportunity to serve our community as the Pueblo County Commissioner for District 2.
Her focus throughout this campaign will be on expanding our common ground so we can move our great community forward.