Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Joe Anderson, 45, dies after collapsing on Colorado mountain hike

Englewood Mayor Pro Tem Joe Anderson, 45, died Friday morning after collapsing on the lower slopes of Quandary Peak, a 14,271-foot summit in Summit County, Colorado and the highest point in the state's Tenmile Range. Summit County sheriff's deputies received the call around 6:45 a.m. Other hikers had been performing CPR when first responders arrived and took over, Sgt. Mike Schilling told Summit Daily. An official cause of death has not been determined.

Anderson first joined Englewood's City Council in 2019, winning election to represent District 3, then secured a second four-year term in 2023. His fellow council members chose him as mayor pro tem that December. Before taking office, he served in pastoral roles at local churches and helped found Change the Trend, a coalition focused on homelessness. He also spent years running a community service project that assisted seniors and people with disabilities with home repairs.

Council record on housing and infrastructure

His council priorities included homelessness, affordable housing, infrastructure, economic development, and pedestrian and bicycle safety. Anderson helped guide the repair and expansion of Englewood's aging stormwater system after deadly flooding struck the city in 2018, working to balance the cost of those improvements against what residents and businesses could afford. He also pushed for changes to the city's development rules, including streamlined regulations and smaller housing units, aimed at reducing housing costs.

Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra said in a statement that the council was "shocked and saddened" by Anderson's passing. "Joe was always there to lend a hand, whether it was in his role as friend, neighbor, pastor or council member," Sierra said. "This is a tremendous loss for our city."

Outgoing City Manager Shawn Lewis described Anderson as combining steady encouragement for city staff with a consistent push for them to think bigger and perform better. Lewis called him "one of the most effective, productive and positive council members I've ever worked with." Anderson had offered to pray for Lewis when Lewis's parents were hospitalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. "I'll never forget the kindness and care he showed to me and I know so many others throughout his time on council," Lewis said.