STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov.-Elect John Hickenlooper has tapped a Missourian, Tom Clements, to succeed Ari Zavaras at the Colorado Department of Corrections.

Clements directs the Division of Adult Institutions for the Missouri Department of Corrections. His appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

The full press release is below.

Tom Clements named Executive Director of Department of Corrections

DENVER ­— Monday, Jan. 10, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Tom Clements will be Executive Director of the Department of Corrections.

Clements is now Director of the Division of Adult Institutions for the Missouri Department of Corrections. He has more than 31 years of professional corrections experience.

“Tom Clements has built a distinguished career working his up through the ranks in the Missouri corrections system,” Hickenlooper said. “He understands parole and probation programs and has extensive experience with community corrections. We are pleased he is bringing his expertise to Colorado.”

Clements has been in his current job since September 2007. He directs operations for Missouri’s 21 adult correctional institutions and overall management of 30,500 incarcerated offenders. He has served in statewide leadership roles within the adult probation and parole system and in Missouri’s adult correctional institutions system.

“With today’s economic challenges, it is more important than ever that correctional resources be used to produce positive and measurable public safety benefits now and into the future,” Clements said. “I look forward to working with the dedicated Department of Corrections staff, the Colorado Criminal Justice and Juvenile Justice Commission and communities across Colorado to seek new opportunities to meet current budget challenges and to make communities safer.”

Clements jointed the Missouri Department of Corrections in 1979. His first job was as a Probation and Parole Officer. He later worked as a Assistant District Supervisor – Division of Probation and Parole; as Regional Administrator – Division of Probation and Parole; as Chief State Supervisor, Acting – Division of Probation and Parole; and as Deputy Director – Division of Adult Institutions.

In his current role Clements supports safe prison operations and effective offender rehabilitation and re-entry practices and has established safe and constitutionally compliant policy and procedure to guide all aspects of institutional operations. He is an active member of the Missouri Re-entry Process Steering Team created by the Governor of Missouri.

Clements earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Mid-America Nazarene University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri.

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About the Department of Corrections

The Department operates 20 adult prisons and a youthful offender system. Through the 19 community and parole offices, corrections professionals supervise offenders reentering communities throughout the state. Offenders under DOC supervision participate in rehabilitative programming, including basic education, mental health and substance abuse treatment, life and work skills, and re-entry courses. The DOC management system is designed to assist offenders’ to successfully re-enter society.

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.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

The press office of outgoing Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter this morning released a number of reports and at least one video trumpeting the Democratic governor’s four years in office.

RITTER ADMINISTRATION FINISHES STRONG AS COLORADO’S STEWARD

Governor Releases Comprehensive Accomplishments Reports

Gov. Ritter leaves office Tuesday, Jan. 11, completing a historic four-year term of leading Colorado forward in the New Energy Economy, education reform, increasing access to healthcare and protecting the most vulnerable among us during difficult economic times.

As Colorado’s 41st governor – and the first Colorado-born governor in more than 35 years – Bill Ritter made bold advances in job-creation, education, energy, the environment, healthcare, transportation and smarter government. His vision, strategies and leadership will help transform Colorado and build a brighter future for our children, families, businesses and communities for years to come.

During his four-year term, Gov. Ritter visited every corner of Colorado, nearly all of Colorado’s 64 counties and made more than 300 trips to communities outside the metro area.

He signed 1,853 pieces of legislation into law, nominated more than 3,200 Coloradans to boards and commissions, appointed 112 judges, and issued 1,350 proclamations.

Click here to read a comprehensive report detailing the accomplishments of the Governor and his administration over the last four years.

Click here to read Gov. Ritter: “Colorado’s Steward,” a look at the Governor’s initiatives, with insights from stakeholder across the state. Click here to watch a video that accompanies the report.

Click here to read, A Blueprint for a New Energy Economy, a guide to how the Ritter administration created a clean-energy economy in Colorado and how other states and the nation can follow the same blueprint.

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Source: 9News

STATE BILL COLORADO

Outgoing Gov. Bill Ritter made headlines across the nation with his pardon of Joe Arridy, a low-IQ man convicted and executed for a Pueblo murder — a murder that the governor and others familiar with the case don’t think Arridy committed.

Here’s how news organizations covered the Arridy story and more than two dozen other pardons and commutations.

The Pueblo Chieftain: Gov. Bill Ritter granted a full and unconditional posthumous pardon Friday to Pueblo native Joe Arridy, who was convicted of killing a 15-year-old girl and was executed in 1939. Arridy, the son of illiterate Syrian immigrants, had spent 10 years at the Colorado Home for Mental Defectives in Grand Junction. He escaped with some other patients in 1936, and wandered around Northern Colorado and Wyoming.

State Bill Colorado: Joe Arridy’s execution became controversial as the subject of the book Deadly Innocence by Robert Perske. Perske is profiled here. Ritter said local attorney David A. Martinez brought the case to his attention.

9News: David Martinez didn’t count the hours. That wasn’t what the work was about. “It is about making a right out of a terrible wrong in our state’s history,” he said.

Associated Press: A mentally disabled man executed more than 70 years ago has been pardoned in Colorado.

Reuters: In pardoning Joe Arridy, Governor Bill Ritter called the case a “tragic conviction (based) on a false and coerced confession.”

The Denver Post: Among those who saw their sentences commuted were Jennifer Reali, who killed her then-boyfriend’s disabled wife in 1990, and Robert Willner, who fatally shot a man who was trying to repossess Willner’s truck on behalf of the lender. Ritter’s action could shave years off their prison time.

Colorado Springs Gazette: Jennifer Reali, who murdered her lover’s wife in an ambush killing outside a Colorado Springs community center in 1990, will have a shot at parole this year after Gov. Bill Ritter commuted her life sentence Friday. Reali, who otherwise would not have been eligible for parole until 2030, can apply for early release in June after serving 18 years of a life sentence for murdering Dianne Hood.

KOAA-TV: In 2010, News First 5 talked to Attorney General John Suthers about this case. He was the District Attorney who prosecuted the case. He told us Brian Hood was the, “mastermind behind the whole thing and I would not think it appropriate if he was out walking the streets while Jennifer Reali was still in prison.”

7News: Ritter gave clemency and commutations to seven people convicted of murder or homicide, four of those were juveniles at the time of their crimes.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter today issued 28 pardons and commutations, including that of first-degree murderer Jennifer Reali.

Reali, who received a life sentence, is now eligible for parole as early as June.

On Sept. 12, 1990, Reali shot and killed her lover’s wife, Diane Hood. Hood had lupus and was leaving a lupus support group the evening when she was killed. The illness is the reason Diane Hood’s husband, Brian, wanted her dead, Reali told 9News three years ago.

Ritter did not give a reason for commuting Reali’s sentence, but noted generically, “After carefully reviewing each of these cases, I believe it serves the interests of justice − without compromising public safety − to grant these pardons and commutations.”

Four juvenile commutations were the first issued under the nation’s first Juvenile Clemency Board, established by Ritter in 2007. It reviews requests from offenders who, as juveniles, were tried, convicted and sentenced as adults.

GOV. RITTER GRANTS 28 PARDONS & COMMUTATIONS

Gov. Bill Ritter today approved 28 pardons and commutations, including commutations for four individuals who were juveniles when they committed their crimes.

“After carefully reviewing each of these cases, I believe it serves the interests of justice − without compromising public safety − to grant these pardons and commutations,” said Gov. Ritter, who spent two decades as a criminal prosecutor, including 12 years as Denver’s district attorney.

Gov. Ritter established the nation’s first Juvenile Clemency Board in 2007 to review commutation requests from offenders who, as juveniles, were tried, convicted and sentenced as adults. Today’s commutations are the first issued under this new system.

Juvenile Clemencies

Charles E. Limbrick Jr., who in 1989 was sentenced to life for first-degree murder. In 2006, Gov. Owens granted him parole elibility in 2016. Today’s action awards parole, for the maximum allowable term of five years, effective July 1, 2011.

Dietrick Mitchell, who in 1992 was sentenced to life for first-degree murder. Eligible for parole in 2031, his sentence is now commuted to 32 years and his parole eligibility date will be recalculated.

Sean Steele, who in 1997 was sentenced to 48 years for second-degree murder, 32 years for robbery and in 2004 to 15 months for drug possession. Eligible for parole in 2031, his eligibility date will be recalculated based on a single 48-year sentence.

Sean Taylor, who in 1990 was sentenced to life for first-degree murder. Eligible for parole in 2029, he is granted parole, for the maximum allowable term of five years, effective July 1, 2011.

Commutations

Jesse I. Cluff, who in 1994 was sentenced to prison for 48 years for aggravated robbery. Eligible for parole in 2014, he is granted parole, for the maximum allowable term of five years, effective July 1, 2011.

Gary E. Izor, who has served time since the 1970s for homicide, DUI and escape. Eligible for parole in 2016, he is granted parole, for the maximum allowable term of five years, effective July 1, 2011.

Christopher S. Kemp, who in 1993 was sentenced to prison for aggravated robbery. Eligible for parole in 2031, he is now eligible on Dec. 31, 2013.

Jennifer Reali, who in 1992 was sentenced to life for first-degree murder and 24 years for conspiracy to commit murder. Eligible for parole in 2030, she is now eligible on June 25, 2011.

Stanley Reese, who in 1995 was sentenced to 48 years for burglary, 24 years for theft and one year for criminal mischief. Eligible for parole in 2013, he is granted parole, for the maximum allowable term of five years, effective July 1, 2011.

Robert F. Willner, who in 1991 was sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder. In 2003, his sentence was modified to life with the possibility of parole in 40 years. He is now granted parole elibility on Dec. 8, 2015.

Pardons

Ginger Sue Carmichael, who in 2004 pleaded guilty to drug charges and has completed her sentence.

Alan Edwin Fahrenbruch, who in 1962 was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery and has completed his sentence.

William Rolland Fitzwater, who in 1991 was convicted of drug possession and has completed his sentence.

Joseph Matthew Gallegos, who in 1998 was convicted of domestic-violence assault and menacing and has completed his sentence.

Antasia Giebler, who in 1998 pleaded guilty to vehicular eluding and being an accessory to the crime and has completed her sentence.

Desiree Greeno, who in 1990 pleaded guilty to theft and has completed her sentence.

Courtney Morgan Hart, who in 2000 pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of a financial transaction device and has completed her sentence.

David Sean Herron, who in 1995 pleaded guilty to theft and has completed his sentence.

Joshua M. Karp, who in 2001 pleaded guilty to a municipal domestic violence offense and has completed his sentence.

Gary Lee Levi Sr., who in 1966 pleaded no contest to a felony charge of short check and has completed his sentence.

Kevin B. Reeves, who in 2009 was charged with felony criminal impersonation and has completed the terms of a deferred judgment and sentence.

Shannon Louise Robledo, who in 1997 pleaded guilty to larceny and has completed her sentence.

Elizabeth Helen Schmidl, who in 1995 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft and has completed her sentence.

Michael J. Schneider, who in 1993 was convicted of criminal trespass, attempted escape and third-degree assault and has completed his sentence.

Brian Andrew Severson, who in 1989, while a juvenile, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault on a child and has completed his sentence.

Patricia M. Sweeney, who in 1996 pleaded guilty to assault and administration of a drug and has completed her sentence.

Doyle T. Tobel, who in 1984 pleaded guilty to attempted sale of a narcotic and has completed his sentence.

Kevin Turnock, who in 1988 pleaded guilty to misdemeanor shoplifting and has completed his sentence.

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Qwest could have to pay refunds to 500,000 Colorado customers as a result of a judge’s ruling Thursday that unwinds a 2009 rate increase for basic home phone service, The Denver Post reports.

In sending the increase back to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, Denver District Judge Herbert L. Stern III ripped the commission’s decision to grant the increase.

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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.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

A second Ritter Cabinet member is staying put in the Hickenlooper administration.

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today that Larry Trujillo will remain director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security. Trujillo has been in the job since late August.

On Wednesday, the governor-elect revealed that Mike King, the director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources under outgoing Gov. Bill Ritter, would remain in his post.

The Trujillo appointment announcement follows:

Larry Trujillo named Director of Governor’s Office of Homeland Security

DENVER ­— Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Larry Trujillo will remain Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security.

Trujillo was appointed to the position by Gov. Bill Ritter in September 2010. He will stay in the job for six months as the Hickenlooper-Garcia administration evaluates the organizational structure of the agency and other emergency management operations, as recommended by the Homeland Security/Emergency Management transition committee.

“Larry Trujillo has built his career working with people and serving our public,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a critical thinker who knows how to work with different agencies at the federal, state and local levels to do what is necessary to keep Colorado communities prepared to deal with unexpected emergencies.”

Trujillo earlier worked as Fire Chief with the Denver Fire Department, one of the largest fire services in the nation. He has more than 28 years of emergency management experience – nearly all of which was in leadership roles providing emergency services at all levels.

“I have enjoyed overseeing the state’s Homeland Security operations and am pleased to stay in this role,” Trujillo said. “I look forward to working with Gov.-elect Hickenlooper and his team to build on the good relationships we have with local, state, federal and tribal agencies throughout Colorado.”

Trujillo was managing partner for a private consulting firm before he became Director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security last fall. He also served as Senior Advisor for Convention Safety and Transportation Planning during the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Trujillo joined the Denver Fire Department in 1982 and worked his way up through the ranks before being appointed Chief in July 2003.

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About the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security

The Office aims to enhance Colorado’s ability to prevent a terrorist attack or to rapidly and effectively respond to an attack or other major disaster through use of the Colorado Homeland Security Strategy. The office focuses on community preparedness, grant programs, and training and exercises.

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.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Jim Davis, the special agent in charge of the Denver division of the FBI, has been named by Gov.-Elect John Hickenlooper as the next executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.

Pending Senate confirmation, Davis succeeds Kathy E. Sasak who was appointed to the position in August by Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. Sasak succeeded Peter A. Weir who became a senior chief deputy district attorney for felony prosecutions in the First Judicial District of Colorado.

Davis was named to his current post in 2008. He is responsible for all investigative, intelligence and administrative operations for the FBI in Colorado and Wyoming. In his new role, Davis will oversee the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Fire Safety, the Office of Preparedness and Security and the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.

Before coming to Colorado, Davis served as legal attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where he was the senior FBI representative to the U.S. Ambassador and oversaw all non-terrorism FBI operations in the Iraqi theater.

The full press release follows:

James Davis named Executive Director of Department of Public Safety

DENVER ­— Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today James “Jim” Davis will be Executive Director of the Department of Public Safety.

Davis is now the Special Agent in Charge of the Denver division of the FBI. His 25-year career in the FBI includes directing the investigation and prevention of an al-Qaeda terrorist plot led by Najibullah Zazi in 2009 and serving as the senior federal law enforcement official for the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

“Jim Davis has an exemplary record of service in the most important job of any public official: ensuring the safety of our citizens,” Hickenlooper said. “Jim has made the sharing of information and intelligence among law enforcement agencies at all levels a priority, putting public safety above bureaucracy. He is one of the nation’s finest law enforcement officers, and we are thankful to have him watching over Colorado.”

Davis was named to his current post in 2008. He is responsible for all investigative, intelligence and administrative operations for the FBI in Colorado and Wyoming. In his new role, Davis will oversee the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Fire Safety, the Office of Preparedness and Security and the Colorado School Safety Resource Center.

“I am honored to have been selected by Gov.-elect Hickenlooper to serve as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety,” Davis said. “Our state faces many challenges in ensuring the safety of our citizens. I am excited by the opportunity to work closely with municipal and county agencies in finding effective and efficient means of meeting those challenges. I appreciate the Governor-elect’s confidence and look forward to continuing to protect our great state.”

Before coming to Colorado, Davis served as the Legal Attaché in the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, where he was the senior FBI representative to the U.S. Ambassador and oversaw all non-terrorism FBI operations in the Iraqi theater.

Davis took two temporary duty assignments in the Middle East after being named assistant special agent in charge of the Indianapolis division in 2003. He was deputy on-scene commander of the FBI’s Baghdad Operations Center and served as the on-scene commander for the FBI in Afghanistan, where he led FBI operations in the hunt for al-Qaeda operatives.

Davis earned an accounting degree from Michigan State University. Before entering the FBI, he worked as a certified public accountant in Chicago.

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About the Department of Public Safety

The Department’s role is to maintain, promote, and enhance public safety through law enforcement, criminal investigations, fire and crime prevention, recidivism reduction and victim advocacy. It also provides professional support for public safety workers and entities. It is headed by an executive director and comprises the Colorado State Patrol, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Division of Fire Safety, the Office of Preparedness and Security, the CDPS Human Resource Services, and the School Safety Resource Center, as well as several commissions.

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.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

At least one Cabinet member from the Ritter administration will keep his job in the Hickenlooper administration.

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Mike King will remain executive director of the Department of Natural Resources, pending Senate confirmation.

King has been in the job only since May. He joined the Natural Resources department in 2006.

Mike King named Executive Director of Department of Natural Resources

DENVER — Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Mike King will remain Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources.

King was appointed to the position by Gov. Bill Ritter in May 2010 after serving as Deputy Director for more than three years.

“Colorado is known for our spectacular natural beauty, abundant wildlife and unparalleled recreational opportunities,” Hickenlooper said. “Striking the right balance between resource development and conservation is what good stewardship of our natural resources is all about. Mike King has the collaborative skills needed to bring disparate interests together to responsibly manage these resources.”

King, a native of Montrose and an avid hunter and angler, became the Assistant Director for Lands, Minerals and Energy Policy in January 2006 and was appointed as Deputy Director at the Department of Natural Resources in September 2006.

He previously worked in the Policy and Regulation Section at the Colorado Division of Wildlife in various capacities for six years and was an Assistant Attorney General from 1993 to 1999.

“As a native Coloradan I have a deep respect for everything that makes our state great,” King said. “From the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains, Colorado is a land with incredible vistas. I am honored at this appointment and look forward to fulfilling Gov.-elect Hickenlooper’s promise to responsibly balance conservation and development of our natural resources.”

King, who lives in Parker, earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Colorado, a law degree from the University of Denver and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado at Denver Graduate School of Public Affairs.

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About the Department of Natural Resources
The Department develops, preserves, and enhances the state’s natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future citizens and visitors. The Department pursues this objective through 10 divisions: Division of Wildlife, Colorado State Parks, Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, Division of Water Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Geological Survey, Colorado State Land Board, Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety, Division of Forestry, and the Inter-basin Compact Committee.

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.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov.-Elect John Hickenlooper today named three more top executives in his administration, including ex-Congressman John Salazar, who’ll run the Agriculture Department.

Also named: Dr. Chris Urbina, an executive at Denver Health, to run the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment, and former Agriculture Secretary John Stulp as “senior policy adviser for water.”

The appointments require Senate confirmation, which are expected. The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reported in late December that Salazar was being seriously considered to succeed Stulp in the state’s top ag job.

At Denver Health, Urbina is responsible for expanding the reorganization of public health services toward a more community-oriented approach while preserving the outstanding public health clinical services.

The governor-elect said in a statement:

“Dr. Urbina is uniquely qualified to oversee all aspects of the Department of Public Health and Environment. He is a physician and public health expert who knows Colorado and knows how to build consensus on complicated issues. Chris also has extensive experience finding community-based solutions that involve the environment, systems and policy changes. He will serve our state well.”

Full press statements on the appointees follow:

Dr. Chris Urbina named Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

DENVER — Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Dr. Chris Urbina will be the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Urbina, a native of Pueblo, is now the Director of Denver Public Health at Denver Health, where he is responsible for expanding the reorganization of public health services toward a more community-oriented approach while preserving the outstanding public health clinical services.

In his new role, Urbina will also serve as the state’s Chief Medical Officer.

“Dr. Urbina is uniquely qualified to oversee all aspects of the Department of Public Health and Environment,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a physician and public health expert who knows Colorado and knows how to build consensus on complicated issues. Chris also has extensive experience finding community-based solutions that involve the environment, systems and policy changes. He will serve our state well.”

Urbina has worked for Denver Public Health since 2004. While there, he has developed close working relationships with many community organizations, City agencies and local leadership in Denver and throughout Colorado. Most notably, he established a strong partnership with Denver Environmental Health to create a functional public health and environmental health department for the City of Denver.

He is the Co-chair of the statewide initiative known as the Colorado Public Health Improvement Plan-From Act to Action. The plan sets the course for the creation of a cohesive public health system in Colorado, engaging rural and urban local public health agencies and the state Department of Public Health and Environment to create a more uniform and effective service model and to use resources efficiently.

Urbina’s work on this initiative has led to strong working relationships in all parts of Colorado.

“I am honored to be selected by the Hickenlooper-Garcia team to head the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment,” Urbina said. “Our state and local public health and environmental professionals have a long tradition of creating the opportunity for every Coloradan to be healthy and to protect the natural beauty and environment of our great state. I look forward to working with our leadership, organizations and communities around the state.”

Urbina earlier worked in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico, holding positions of Associate Chair and Associate Professor. He also worked for the New Mexico Health and Environment Department as a district health officer.

Urbina continues to teach in introductory public health courses at the Colorado School of Public Health and at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is the current president of the Colorado Public Health Association and serves as a board member for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Denver Metro, the Denver Foundation and at Clinica Tepeyac, in addition to being involved in numerous other local health organizations.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Stanford University and a medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He completed a family practice residency at the University of New Mexico and earned a master’s degree in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. Urbina is board certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine.

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About the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
The Department is charged with protecting and preserving the health and environment of the people of Colorado. The Department is led by an Executive Director and contains the following divisions: the Center for Health and Environmental Statistics, the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, and divisions and programs that address air pollution, climate change, environmental health and sustainability, hazardous materials and waste management, and water quality. On the health side, the Department contains the Disease Control and Environmental Epidemiology Division, Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services division, and the Prevention Services Division.

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.

John Salazar named Commissioner of Agriculture

DENVER — Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today John Salazar will be Commissioner of Agriculture.

A sixth-generation farmer and rancher, Salazar served three terms representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee. Before his time in Congress, Salazar served in the Colorado General Assembly for two years.

“A thriving agriculture sector is critical to Colorado’s economic recovery,” Hickenlooper said. “Farmers and ranchers are also leading the way as business innovators. Their prosperity helps build a foundation for all of Colorado. And no one has been a more passionate champion for agriculture and rural communities than John Salazar. We are fortunate to have his leadership at the helm of the Department of Agriculture.”

Salazar’s advocacy in Congress earned him recognition for outstanding service by the American Farm Bureau and the Golden Triangle Award from the National Farmers Union. He played a key role in passing the historic farm bill of 2008. With a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee in his third term, Salazar worked on national energy issues, jobs creation and the economy.

“I look forward to working with Gov.-elect Hickenlooper and serving the people of Colorado as the Commissioner of Agriculture for the next four years,” Salazar said. “I am excited about the great possibilities of expanding our energy opportunities along with marketing value-added products and promoting the second-largest economy in Colorado.”

Salazar was raised on a San Luis Valley farm, where he and his five siblings shared a bedroom and had no electricity or running water. His experience influenced his public career. He served on the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Forum and the Colorado Agricultural Commission before being elected as a state Representative in 2002.

He was one of only a handful of active farmers in Congress after he was first elected in 2004. A veteran, Salazar served on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, and was a proud member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog congressional coalition.

Salazar earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adams State College after serving three years in the U.S. Army.

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About the Department of Agriculture
The Department serves the people of Colorado through the following Divisions: Animal Industry Division, Brands Division, Colorado State Fair, Commissioner’s Office, Conservation Services Division, Inspection & Consumer Services Division, Markets Division, and Plant Industry Division.

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.

John Stulp named Special Policy Advisor to the Governor for Water

DENVER — Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 — Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today John Stulp will be Special Policy Advisor to the Governor on Water and will chair the Interbasin Compact Committee.

Stulp is now the Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, a position he has held since 2006. In his new role he will continue working with Colorado’s agricultural community, developing policies and solutions to how water is managed statewide.

“John Stulp’s service to Colorado’s ranchers, farmers and universities is remarkable,” Hickenlooper said. “And a cornerstone of that service is his deep understanding of our water resources and the need to manage them carefully and effectively. Most importantly, John understands an age-old truth in the West: whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting. John’s task will be to replace the fighting with collaboration.”

Stulp, a farmer and rancher from Prowers County, committed himself to furthering Colorado’s agricultural community during his time at the Department of Agriculture. He pursued Chinese trade opportunities, participated in Canadian and cattle industry roundtables and played a lead role in numerous other producer and industry events.

“I am excited to be a part of the Hickenlooper team,” Stulp said. “Water has always been a critical part of Colorado’s quality of life. From food production to community development, to recreation, the environment, or how we create new jobs, Colorado’s water resources are an important piece of our future. Gov.-elect Hickenlooper’s emphasis on water and how we manage this limited resource speaks volumes, and I welcome this opportunity to be a part of Colorado’s water future.”

Stulp is on the board of directors of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), which works to develop and implement sound public policy and programs to support and promote the American agricultural industry, while protecting consumers and the environment. He is also the President of a subset of NASDA, the Western Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

A member of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union since 1975, Stulp has been a leading proponent of building wind farms in rural Colorado as a way to develop new economic opportunities and jobs for Colorado’s farmers and ranchers. Stulp’s family farming operation is home to the Lamar Light and Power Wind Farm, and Stulp is a principal in Prairie Wind Energy LLC.

Stulp served as a Prowers County commissioner from 1991, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy, until January 2005. He also served on numerous other boards and commissions, including the State Board of Agriculture (1986 to 1995), state Wildlife Commission (1995-99), the Connect Colorado technology committee (1996), the State Land Board (1997-2005), and the Colorado Ag Development Authority & Value Added Board (2005-06).

Stulp graduated from Yuma High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in veterinary science and a doctor of veterinary medicine, both from Colorado State University.

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About the Interbasin Compact Committee
The Interbasin Compact Committee was established by the Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act to facilitate conversations among Colorado’s river basins and to address statewide water issues. A 27-member committee, the IBCC encourages dialogue on water, broadens the range of stakeholders actively participating in the state’s water decisions and creates a locally driven process where the decision-making power rests with those living in the state’s river basins.

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.

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