WHEATLAND – Feeling her life has come full circle in many ways, Platte County Chamber CEO Tresha Cancino said she has made a lot of progress since diving into the position in October after the former chamber director resigned her position.
“There is a lot to learn in this job and I feel like I’ve been drinking from a fire hose, but I am excited,” Cancino said of the opportunity to serve the Platte County businesses and communities.
Cancino is not new to Platte County – admittedly, her roots run deep. Cancino’s grandparents came from Mexico and settled in Uva, a rural area outside Wheatland. While life circumstances had her official residence in Northglenn, Colorado, she spent every summer with her grandparents, making friends and enjoying youth summer activities in Wheatland.
Cancino spent some of the most memorable times of her life working on the Two-Bar ranch west of Wheatland where she loved being able to take in the unequalled beauty of the area on horseback. It was there she met her husband, Randy Jones. Tragically, shortly after they married, when their youngest son was three months old, Randy died, and she moved back to Colorado to have help raising her two children.

Over the years, Cancino has also lived in Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming – where she worked mostly in the hospitality / tourism industry in executive secretary positions where she gained experience that will go hand in hand with her position as Chamber CEO, yet also will be different. She admits, shea still has a steep learning curve to navigate.
“I feel like everything has come full circle with me coming to Wheatland,” Cancino said. “This is where my family roots began.”
She is back in a community that has always held a special place in her heart, and in her new position at the Chamber, she is connecting with members and potential members every day. She genuinely wants to do what she can as the director of the Chamber to help the businesses throughout the county not only to thrive now, but to be prepared for the upcoming influx of population she expects will inevitably be coming at some point in the future.
Cancino explained, while living in Bozeman, Montana, she was doing residential appraisals before and just after a population boom in the city, and she was shocked at the effects the skyrocketing market shift made in the community. Cancino would like to do what she can to help the businesses and people of Platte County avoid many of the negative impacts that unexpected boom had on Bozeman.
“With the potential of the rare earth mine coming, and as the population shifts from cities to the country (enabled by holding big city jobs but being able to work remotely), we are going to grow. I want to be a part of making our communities strong so we can remain stable whether our county grows now or in 10 years… [but the fact remains], what we have here is coveted everywhere else,” Cancino said.
One of the first tests of her leadership will be with annual agriculture appreciation banquet scheduled for February 8 at the Platte County Agriplex. Cancino said the banquet will be different than it has been in the past few years. She begs pardon, but there will not be an ag business of the year plaque presentation this time, either. “I want to show the ag community they are appreciated…they’ve had a hard year with many of them suffering after fires and drought – and unfortunately prospects for the coming year don’t look much better. I want the ag community to be able to come, be entertained, and enjoy a good meal and an evening of celebration,” Cancino said. “They’ve all worked so hard – we want them to feel appreciated.”
Overall, Cancino wants to bring each of the Platte County towns and businesses together as a cohesive community working together to survive and thrive.
“Our members can’t stay successful without a community that is thriving: I believe in community and helping find the answers. I also encourage sharing of ideas and suggestions,” Cancino said. “It is important we work together to come up with new ideas to bring residents and businesses together to help each other thrive.”