He has served on the Lamar Water Board, the Lamar Community College Foundation Board, and twice on the local hospital board—helping steer the hospital from closure. His career spans four states (Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico), with a comfort zone that stretches a 200-mile radius around Lamar—ground he knows like the back of his hand.

Over four decades, Gene has been the trusted hand behind some of the region’s most notable ranch and farmland transactions, including multi-party deals exceeding 50,000 acres and complex closings involving city and municipal buyers. His expertise in water rights, surface and groundwater law, and agricultural valuation has made him an expert witness in U.S. Federal Court and a go-to advisor for banks, attorneys, and investors who need the numbers—and the nuances—to align.

But what truly sets Gene apart is his North Star: intentional integrity.

“If I ever have to manipulate someone or cut corners to make a sale, I’ll walk away—from the deal, or even from the business. It’s not a sale worth making, and it’s not a career worth having.”

That principle shapes Cruikshank Realty’s entire culture. It’s why out-of-state investors trust him to tell the truth about rainfall, grass class, or groundwater—and why local ranchers and landowners call him when it really matters. Gene and his wife, Sharon’s brokerage stands for something simple but rare in real estate today: doing right by people, doing business the right way, and never forgetting where you came from.

It’s how Cruikshank Realty has become known as a cornerstone of southeastern Colorado land brokerage that extends across borders.