Ethan and his wife Karen, are typical longtime Telluride residents, mid-40's, athletic and outdoorsy, involved in the community, connected to town politics and local government. They were here when nothing was here long before it was a destination for the rich and famous.

Ethan opposes irresponsible growth as typified by Clifftop and is outspoken in his contempt for developers like Jordon Thorne. He was recently elected to the Town Council and sees Clifftop as a major issue where the powerful influence of Jordan Thorne will make for a decisive battle whose outcome will have a major impact on the quality of life in Telluride.