Gov. Polis Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments

Thursday, June 29, 2023

988 Crisis Line Board of Directors

The 988 Crisis Hotline Enterprise Board of Directors works with the Colorado Public Utilities

Commission to set rates for a 988 surcharge for service users annually. The Enterprise also funds a nonprofit to provide intervention services and crisis care.

for a term expiring September 9, 2025:

  • Juan Escobedo of Littleton, Colorado, to serve as a representative of a mental health advocacy organization, occasioned by the resignation of Moe Keller of Denver, Colorado, appointed.

Board of Veterans Affairs

The Colorado Board of Veterans' Affairs studies the problems facing veterans and makes recommendations to the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Division of Veterans’ Affairs, concerning programs needed to assist veterans.

effective July 1, 2023 for terms expiring June 30, 2027:

  • Lacey Golonka of Castle Rock, Colorado, an Unaffiliated, and a veteran who has been honorably released or separated from the Armed Forces of the United States, reappointed;

  • Frederick Korb III of Parker, Colorado, a Republican, and a veteran who has been honorably released or separated from the Armed Forces of the United States, appointed.

Charter School Institute Board

The mission of the Charter School Institute Board shall be to foster high-quality public school choices offered through institute charter schools, including particularly schools for at-risk students.

effective July 2, 2023 for terms expiring July 1, 2026:

  • Damion LeeNatali of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a member with board or public service experience, appointed;

  • Maribel Obreque of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to serve as a member with board or public service experience, reappointed;

  • Nicholas Martinez of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a member with financial management experience, reappointed.

Colorado Dental Board

The Colorado Dental Board makes rules and regulations, examines and licenses dentists and dental hygienists, and conducts hearings regarding the suspension or revocation of licenses.

for a term expiring January 1, 2027:

  • Nancy Gill, DDS, of Littleton, Colorado, to serve as a dentist professional member, occasioned by the resignation of Rominder Kaur, DDS, of Fort Morgan, Colorado, appointed.

Colorado Lottery Commission

The Colorado Lottery Commission governs the operation of the lottery and conducts hearings on granting or suspending licenses for lottery sales.

effective July 2, 2023 for terms expiring July 1, 2027:

  • William John Clayton of Littleton, Colorado to serve as a representative of law enforcement and an Unaffiliated, reappointed.

Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind Board of Trustees

The Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind Board advises and consults with the Commissioner of Education regarding the management of the school and the education of its students.

for a term expiring July 1, 2026:

  • Pete Lee of Colorado Springs, Colorado, occasioned by the resignation of Allan Ward of Poncha Springs, Colorado, appointed;

effective July 2, 2023 for a term expiring July 1, 2027:

  • Michael Stone of Boulder, Colorado, to serve as a representative of the blind community, appointed.

Commission on Family Medicine

The Commission on Family Medicine assures that family medicine residency programs maintain high quality training, approves and recommends allocation of state funds to the programs, locates areas of the state that are underserved by family physicians, offers ideas on providing medical care to the medically indigent in the state, and supports the development of rural training programs.

for a term expiring July 1, 2024:

  • Griselda Pena-Jackson of Denver, Colorado, to serve as a healthcare consumer from the First Congressional District and as an Unaffiliated, occasioned by the resignation of Donna Jean Marshall of Denver, Colorado, appointed;

effective July 2, 2023 for terms expiring July 1, 2026:

  • Leslie Karen Loyd of Wray, Colorado, to serve as a healthcare consumer from the Fourth Congressional District and as a Republican, appointed;

  • Dayton Romero of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve as a healthcare consumer from the Fifth Congressional District and as a Democrat, appointed;

  • John McLaughlin of Aurora, Colorado, to serve as a healthcare consumer from the Sixth

Congressional District and as a Republican, reappointed.

Commission on Low Income Energy Assistance

The Commission on Low Income Energy Assistance works through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program to collect and distribute money to eligible recipients for use in the payment of electric and gas utility bills.

for a term expiring May 6, 2026:

  • Douglas Bursnall of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve as a representative of an electric utility or a combined electric and natural gas utility, occasioned by the resignation of Laura Getts of Pueblo, Colorado, appointed.

Executive Clemency Board

The Executive Clemency Board is to make advisory recommendations for executive clemency to the Governor.  This includes advising the Governor on the screening of applications for persons who are requesting or petitioning the Governor for commutation of sentence or pardon.

for a term expiring October 17, 2023:

  • Azra Taslimi of Aurora, Colorado, to serve as a member at large, occasioned by the resignation of Hans Meyer of Denver, Colorado, appointed.

Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise Board

The Health Insurance Affordability Board, will administer a health insurance affordability fee on Colorado health insurance carriers and a special assessment on hospitals to fund measures to reduce consumer costs for individual health coverage plans.

for a term expiring September 24, 2024:

  • Saskia Young of Westminster, Colorado, a representative of a statewide association of health benefit plans, occasioned by the resignation of Amanda Massey of Centennial, Colorado, appointed.

Medical Services Board

The Medical Services Board adopts the rules and regulations that govern the operation of the Colorado Medicaid Program and Colorado Indigent Care Program.  The Regulations adopted by the board will direct the efforts of the State in defining eligibility and the benefits for these programs, the rights and obligations of clients receiving benefits, and the payment of vendors providing health care services.

effective July 2, 2023 for a term expiring July 1, 2027:

  • James McLaughlin of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve as a resident of the Fifth Congressional District and a Republican, with knowledge of medical assistance programs, appointed.

Southern Ute/State of Colorado Joint Environmental Control Commission

The Commission works to adopt air quality standards and rules pertaining to the reservation air program.

effective July 2, 2023 for a term expiring July 1, 2026:

  • Rolfe Spiegel of Ignacio, Colorado, reappointed.

State Board of Accountancy

The State Board of Accountancy regulates public accountants and reviews applications, gives examinations, grants certificates and permits, and acts on complaints against certified public accountants.

effective August 2, 2023 for a term expiring August 1, 2027:

  • Gina Suzanne Owens-Otts, CPA, of Grand Junction, Colorado to serve as a Certified Public Accountant, appointed.

State Board of Addiction Counselor Examiners

The Board of Addiction Counselor Examiners adopts necessary rules and regulations and is responsible for regulating addiction counselors.

for a term expiring December 31, 2024:

  • Nagy Ramzy of Arvada, Colorado, to serve as a public member, occasioned by the resignation of Theresa Lynn Lopez of Littleton, Colorado, appointed.

State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund

The State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund uses a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the State’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers and open spaces. The Board awards competitive grants to local governments and land trusts, and makes investments through Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

for terms expiring April 15, 2027:

  • Leticia Martinez of Denver, Colorado to serve as a representative of the First Congressional District, reappointed;

  • John Montepare of Breckenridge, Colorado to serve as a representative of the Second Congressional District, reappointed;

  • Pamela Denahy of La Junta, Colorado to serve as a representative of the Third Congressional District, reappointed;

  • Mina Liebert of Colorado Springs, Colorado to serve as a representative of the Fifth Congressional District, reappointed;

  • Morris Jay Siegel of Boulder, Colorado to serve as a representative of the Second Congressional District, reappointed;

  • Jahi Simbai of Wheat Ridge, Colorado to serve as a representative of the Seventh Congressional District, reappointed.

State Personnel Board

The State Personnel Board adopts, amends and repeals the procedures which implement those sections of the state constitution concerning the state personnel system.

effective July 1, 2023 for terms expiring June 30, 2026:

  • Kimberly Dempster of Denver, Colorado, reappointed;

  • F. Robert Lee of Littleton, Colorado, reappointed.

Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission

The Supreme Court Nominating Commission recommends candidates to serve as judges for the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.

for a term expiring December 31, 2028:

  • John Suthers of Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve as an attorney, a Republican, and a member from the Fifth Congressional District, appointed;

  • Lisa Kaufmann of Lyons, Colorado, to serve as a non-attorney, a Democrat, and a member of the Second Congressional District, appointed.

Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board

The Water and Wastewater Facility Operators Certification Board establishes rules and regulations concerning the application, admission to the exam, and issuance of certificates to operators of water and wastewater treatment plants.

effective July 1, 2023 for terms expiring June 30, 2027:

  • Celia Rethamel of Littleton, Colorado, to serve as a representative of a certified water distribution or wastewater collection system operator with the highest level of certification available, reappointed;

  • Logan Hartle of Durango, Colorado, to serve as a representative of a water and wastewater facility serving rural areas, appointed.