Bio Gerchard
Who is Gerchard Pfau?
I was born in Detroit to immigrants who came to the US from Germany as refugees after World War 2. I attended public schools in the suburbs of Detroit. With the help of scholarships and part time jobs, I earned a Bachelor’s degree in geology from an inner-city university – Wayne State – and went on to earn a Master’s Degree at Indiana University – Bloomington.
I then started my career as a geophysicist with a major Oil and Gas company. I progressed through the ranks eventually retiring as an exploration manager. Over those 35 years I learned how to lead teams, balance budgets, coach staff, pitch ideas and represent the company to governments. My family and I lived in several different countries and traveled the world. If you want to know more about my career, I invite you to look at my LinkedIn page. Go to my sustainability page if you are interested in my efforts around sustainability.
Whenever we discussed where we should retire, Golden, Colorado always came to the top of our list. The friendly neighbors, vibrant downtown, cultural opportunities, bike paths, city parks, all within walking distance, made it our perfect choice. It helped that my wife of 31 years had grown up on Green Mountain and graduated from the Colorado School of Mines so we knew the city pretty well before becoming a residents. We also were regular visitors returning frequently to the area. We bought our home in the Beverly Heights neighborhood of Golden in 2016.
With our two children successfully launched in their adult careers –a son married and working on the east coast and a daughter working in the midwest, I knew it was time to look to the future and join in serving our community. I believe the government at all levels, local, state and Federal, works for the citizens helping to protect and improve the quality of life for all. No one knows what the future issues will be for Golden. But my experiences in business have taught me how to deal with the unexpected, how to evaluate incomplete facts and from them map out successful ways forward.
Since moving to Golden, I have looked for ways to be active in Federal, State and Local campaigns. I also worked the 2024 November election as a Rover for the Jefferson County Elections Division.
It is now my turn to give back to Golden for future generations. I want to preserve the best of Golden while helping it continue to evolve.
