Commission Members
Contents
Sarah Mercer, Chair
Sarah Mercer was recently appointed to the Ethics Commission by Chief Justice Brian Boatright. She has been practicing law for over 14 years, earning her B.A. from Harvard University, and in true Colorado native fashion, earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado. Upon completion of her J.D., Commissioner Mercer served as a judicial law clerk to Chief Justice Michael Bender of the Colorado Supreme Court. After practicing natural resources litigation for several years, she returned to the Court to serve at Counsel to Chief Justice Bender. She currently practices with AM Law200 firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck where she combines her litigation background with her experience navigating state and local government as a shareholder in the state government relations group.
Her determination and passion extend beyond her client work. Commissioner Mercer is a steadfast community volunteer serving as board members for the National Sports Center for the Disabled and Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce. She was also recently named chair of the Colorado Competitive Council, and previously served on the Colorado Bar Association Board of Governors and Board of Trustees. The Commissioner has a roster of pro bono clients helping Denver’s underserved communities. She has also been on the forefront of the pandemic assisting pro bono clients navigate evictions and has become one of the nation’s experts on assisting countless for-profit and non-profit businesses receive funds from the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Commissioner has received countless recognition including Law Week Colorado’s Top Women Lawyers, 2021, Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, 2020, 5280's Top Lawyers, 2019-2020, and Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2015-2021.
Daniel Wolf, Vice-Chair
Daniel Wolf was appointed to the Independent Ethics Commission by the Speaker of Colorado House of Representatives, Julie McCluskie, in 2023. He is a long-time resident of Summit County. Commissioner Wolf is a real estate, business, and commercial law attorney with over thirty years of experience, primarily practicing in Summit and Eagle Counties and surrounding mountain communities. After practicing for over twenty years with smaller mountain firms, in January 2022 he joined the leading Boulder based firm of Caplan & Earnest in its Business Law Group. Commissioner Wolf received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his juris doctorate, with honors, from the University of Connecticut.
Commissioner Wolf is a founder, trustee, and a former long-time chairman of The Peak School in Frisco, Colorado, and has also served on the boards of directors for the Vail Valley Chapter of the Salvation Army and Team Breckenridge Sport Club. He currently serves on the Fifth Judicial District Judicial Performance Commission and has served two terms on the Fifth Judicial District Nominating Commission.
Commissioner Wolf represents a wide variety of clients, from the small businesses to publicly traded corporations, and advises clients on a broad range of issues including ethics and regulatory compliance.
Lori Laske, Commissioner
Lori Laske was appointed to the IEC's local-government commissioner seat in 2025. Lori is an Alamosa County Commissioner serving her second term. Born and raised in the small rural town of Alamosa, she has a keen perspective on rural Colorado, including its challenges and needs. Commissioner Laske has a bachelor’s and master's degree from Adams State University. She retired in 2020 from a 30-year career at Adams State University as Executive Director of Alumni and Donor Relations. Commissioner Laske is a small business owner and rancher. She has held several leadership positions: she served as Chair of the Alamosa County Board of County Commissioners (2023-2024), she was chair of the Colorado Counties Incorporated Southern Districts, and she is currently appointed to the Colorado Child Fatality Review Committee, the Colorado Property Tax Commission, Colorado Opioid Abatement Council, serves as Chair of Region 18 Council, and is a member of the National Associations of Counties Rural Action Caucus.
Cyril Vidergar, Commissioner
Cyril Vidergar was appointed to the Independent Ethics Commission in 2025 by Colorado Senate President James Coleman. He is a Colorado native and resident of Northern Colorado. Commissioner Vidergar is currently a member of the Loveland City Attorney's Office and recently served as a Fort Collins Deputy City Attorney, in addition to spending more than twenty years representing local government officials in Boulder, Grand, Larimer, and Weld Counties. The Commissioner volunteers as a mediator with the 18th Judicial District small claims court and on the CBA High School Mock Trial committee. He attended Regis Jesuit High School, received a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Diego, and earned a juris doctorate with technology law honors at Santa Clara University. His legal articles on biomedical ethics, intellectual property, and Colorado regulatory practices have appeared in national and regional periodicals. Commission Vidergar's legal background and experience afford him a unique appreciation for the balance required by the ethical oversight of government officials enshrined in the state constitution and Colorado statutes.