STATE BILL COLORADO

A third Ritter administration cabinet member is staying on.

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today that Barbara Kelley will remain executive director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Like resources chief Mike King and homeland security director Larry Trujillo, Kelley is a relatively recent Ritter appointee, having served only since November 2009.

According to the Hickenlooper transition team, Kelley has practiced law for more than 35 years and has extensive experience working with municipalities and counties throughout Colorado on matters related to zoning, land use and entitlements, annexation, variances, licensing and eminent domain.

The full press release follows:

Barbara Kelley named Executive Director of Department of Regulatory Agencies

DENVER ­— Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Barbara Kelley will remain Executive Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Kelley was appointed to the position by Gov. Bill Ritter in November 2009.

“Barbara Kelley knows how to support business and protect consumers,” Hickenlooper said. “She is a leader who understands the complexities of our state’s rules and regulations and the importance of strong customer service. We are fortunate to have her on our team.”

Kelley has practiced law for more than 35 years and has extensive experience working with municipalities and counties throughout Colorado on matters related to zoning, land use and entitlements, annexation, variances, licensing and eminent domain.

“The Department of Regulatory Agencies plays a critical role in preserving a competitive and vibrant marketplace for business while also ensuring consumer protection,” Kelley said. “I am honored for the opportunity to be a partner in the new Hickenlooper administration and continuing to pursue a more responsive and efficient regulatory environment for Colorado.”

Kelley earlier worked as a partner with the law firm Kamlet Reichert in Denver. While there, she specialized in corporate and financing transactions, commercial banking, commercial real estate, as well as general commercial and business matters. She headed the firm’s secured transactions practice area.

Before joining Kamlet Reichert, Kelley practiced law with Morrison & Foerster, Sherman & Howard, and Tate, Kelley & Tate; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado; and the Federal Action Agency. She has worked on a number of community projects in Colorado, including the Lowry and Stapleton redevelopment projects, as well as projects in Rwanda and Hong Kong. Honored in 2008 as a Girl Scout “Colorado Woman of Distinction,” she is a former chair of the Denver Planning Board.

Kelley earned bachelor’s and law degrees from Indiana University. She is a member of the American, Colorado, Denver and Sam Cary bar associations, and was honored as one of Law Week Colorado’s “2009 Top Women Lawyers.”

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About the Department of Regulatory Agencies

The Department is responsible for preserving the integrity of the marketplace and is committed to promoting a fair and competitive business environment in Colorado. The Department, led by an executive director, works through the following Divisions and Offices: Division of Banking, Division of Civil Rights, Division of Financial Services, Division of Insurance, Division of Real Estate, Division of Registrations, Division of Securities, Office of Consumer Counsel, Policy and Research, and the Public Utilities Commission.

About Partners for Colorado

Partners for Colorado is organized as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit corporation created to engage a diverse group of people from all over Colorado; ensure a smooth hand-off from the Ritter administration to the Hickenlooper administration; review the current performance, challenges and opportunities of each major area of state government and develop recommendations for improving practices within these areas; provide recommendations to the incoming administration for specific executive and legislative actions that can be pursued during the administration’s first 100 days; and recruit and evaluate candidates.