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The Best of Energy and Environment Innovation in One Place
2023 SYMPOSIUM EMCEES
Mr. Dan Haley serves as President & Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association. As President, Mr. Haley is responsible for leading the industry in Colorado legislative, regulatory, and public relations matters.
Previously, he was Vice President of Communications, Development and Strategy at EIS Solutions, a public affairs firm where he served as a consultant for numerous corporate and political clients, including oil and gas interests. Prior to that, Mr. Haley spent more than 20 years in the communications field, including 13 years at The Denver Post, where he was the Editorial Page Editor. He also was Director of Corporate Communications for CoBank, a $100 billion bank headquartered in Denver.
A Colorado native, Mr. Haley has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Wyoming and sits on the Advisory Council to the USO Denver as well as the Colorado Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.
DAN HALEY
CEO
COGA
MARIANNE GOODLAND
Marianne Goodland is the chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics, as well as the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette. She also reports on legislative activity for newspapers in northeastern Colorado. Goodland began covering the General Assembly and Colorado state government in 1998 as a reporter for the Silver & Gold Record. She has also reported for the Colorado Statesman and the Colorado Independent.
She has won numerous awards for reporting from the Colorado Press Association and the Society for Professional Journalists. In 2023 Goodland was given the Keeper of the Flame Award by the Colorado Chapter of SPJ, in recognition of lifetime achievement and for efforts to mentor new reporters at the state Capitol, where she is the dean of the state capitol press corps.
When the General Assembly is out of session, Goodland covers water policy, focused on the Colorado River and drought, which she calls "job security."
Goodland is currently president of the Denver Press Club, the nation's oldest continuously operating press club. She lives in Lakewood with her husband, Jeff Cowell and her Golden Retriever puppy Brandy. She is also a professional Celtic harpist, with performances for Nobel Peace Prize winners and the Irish ambassador to the United States.
2023 SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS
GOVERNOR
BILL RITTER, Jr
Bill Ritter, Jr. is the founder and director of the Center for the
New Energy Economy (CNEE) at Colorado State University,
which launched on February 1, 2011.
Governor Bill Ritter was elected Colorado’s 41st Governor in
2006 and was the District Attorney of Denver from 1993-
2005. During his four-year term as Governor, Ritter
established Colorado as a national and international leader in
clean energy by building a New Energy Economy. After
leaving the Governor’s Office, Ritter founded the Center for
the New Energy Economy at Colorado State University, which
works with state and federal policymakers to create clean energy policy nationwide. Governor Ritter authored a book published in 2016 entitled, Powering Forward – What Everyone Should Know About America’s Energy Revolution. Governor Ritter is the current Board of Directors chair for The Climate Group North America and former chair of the Board of Directors of the Energy Foundation and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy. Ritter is a Blackhorn Venture Capital member and advisor to Green Alpha and Project Canary, among others. Ritter earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Colorado State
University (1978) and his law degree from the University of Colorado (1981).
With his wife Jeannie, he operated a food distribution and nutrition center in Zambia.
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Johanna is currently Chief Operation Officer at Transitional Energy, a geothermal technology and development company focused on heat waste in the oil and gas industry. She has 18 years of experience within the oil and gas industry in a wide variety of engineering, regulatory, policy, and management positions. With a degree in Geological Engineering from Montana Tech, Johanna has brought an intradisciplinary and collaborative approach to every position she has held. With various roles at Noble Energy, SM Energy, and Extraction Oil & Gas, and Clean Air Task Force, Johanna has contributed to every part of the energy development value chain.
We have the tools and technology to reduce emissions from energy industry right now. Johanna strongly believes that thermal energy is a wasted (and often ignored) resource and should be utilized to help solve our energy and climate crisis. An equitable and diverse energy future is a something Johanna is passionate about.
Johanna currently volunteers her time as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force chair at Geothermal Rising as well as sitting on the Board of Directors of the Energy Leadership Institute.
JOHANNA OSTRUM
COO
TRANSITIONAL ENERGY
Mark Hinaman is passionate about producing energy for America and the world. As a Colorado native, he’s spent his career developing and managing projects in the upstream oil and gas industry and currently works as Director of Engineering & Innovation at Franklin Mountain Energy. In 2018, he restarted and currently serves as the Director for the Denver chapter of Young Professionals in Energy, a non-profit focused on advancing the careers of young professionals in the energy industry. In 2023, Mark launched the energy think-tank and podcast, Fire2Fission, to explore and advocate for the advancement of nuclear energy in Colorado, the United States, and throughout the world. Mark is a licensed professional engineer and earned a concurrent B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Energy and the Environment at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
MARK HINAMAN
FIRE2FISSION
FOUNDER
James Gaspard is the Founder and CEO of Biochar Now LLC. Biochar Now LLC is a leader and innovator in the biochar industry and the carbon removal space. His career in start-ups, mid-size and Fortune 1000 companies gives him a unique perspective on all aspects of a company's life-cycle from birth, through growth and harvest. His career has been highlighted by his ability to close larger dollar volumes of transactions in several diverse industries. He graduated from the University of Texas with a JD/MBA with honors.
JAMES GASPARD
CEO
BIOCHAR NOW
After graduating from the University of Oklahoma’s Energy Management program,
Ali started her career working in the Oil and Gas industry as a Surface Landman
negotiating and permitting wells and facilities in Northern Colorado. She
managed a team responsible for a 180-well campaign and over one hundred miles of pipeline infrastructure in an urbanizing community.
Having negotiated multiple deals across the table from Silicon
Ranch, she joined the team in 2016 as its first Project Development
Manager. In her tenure with Silicon Ranch, she has developed nearly
1GW of projects in Silicon Ranch’s operating fleet that span from coast-
to-coast. As Vice President, she is responsible for overseeing the siting,
development, and permitting of projects in all States and Providences
in NERC’s Western Interconnection region, the Tennessee Valley
Authority region, and Connecticut. Her decade of diverse energy
experience and expertise in stakeholder engagement has made her a
leader in many Local and State-level energy policy discussions across
the Country.
ALI KAIRYS
VICE PRESIDENT
SILICON RANCH
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LIZ CHAPMAN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
RECYCLE COLORADO
Liz Chapman began her journey into waste and recycling systems when waste behaviors became the focus of her dissertation in 2008. She went from being a volunteer with the Colorado Division of Wildlife to currently serving as the Executive Director of Recycle Colorado. Her journey with compost can be traced back to her childhood when she and her grandparents turned scraps into soil for gardening in Arkansas. While she was working for the City of Aspen, she partnered with Pitkin County to double the amount of organic material diverted to compost over 2 years. After many years of working with disparate stakeholders, Dr. Chapman has honed her listening skills which allows her to help find the commonalities between perspectives to reach solutions for the challenges facing the Colorado compost industry. Recycle Colorado is a non-profit made up of members throughout the state, all of whom are approaching waste diversion, reduction, and recovery from different angles (regulatory, profit, environmental protection, social equity, etc.). She is honored that the Colorado Compost Council provides Recycle Colorado members with both the experience of our statewide network and the expertise of the nation by being a state chapter of the US Composting Council. Both organizations share the mission to capture the value contained in the organic material discarded by Coloradans.
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Zach is a 7th generation Colorado rancher from Sterling, Colorado. He began his career at Wunder Capital, one of the largest underwriters and financiers of Commercial Solar in the United States. Zach worked on the Project Finance and Product Development teams where he built and maintained the economic models used to value solar projects across the nation, completed comprehensive due diligence on projects before funding, and helped design software that allowed Wunder’s team to reduce transaction costs. He received his BS in Business Administration with a Minor in Space from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
ZACH BRAMMER
FOUNDER
CLOUDBREAK ENERGY
Dr. Pritchett serves as the Dean in the College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) and the Director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) at Colorado State University (CSU). Guided by the land grant mission, Dean Pritchett catalyzes strategic planning, directs administration, and leads operations for research, learning and engagement activities. In addition to his administrative role, Pritchett is an agricultural economist who enjoys working in a wide range of teaching, research and engagement activities including agricultural policy,
agribusiness management, water resource economics, community development and interdisciplinary land management strategies. Originally from southeastern Colorado, Pritchett is a two-time alumnus of CSU, and he received his PhD from the University of Minnesota in Agriculture and Applied Economics.
DR. JAMES PRITCHETT
DEAN
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Jason Suntych is a Co-founder and COO of XTI Technologies. XTI Technologies was founded in 2014 and has developed lighting technology for both plants and animals.
Animal applications of the technology includepoultry, beef and dairy. The technology has proven increased animal livability, improved animal behavior, and has shown in commercial trials to improve yields and feed conversion ratios.
Now, XTI is looking into enhancing the human potential.
Mr. Suntych has played in a key role in securing company financing and developing both commercial and academic partners in the areas
of research.
JASON SUNTYCH
COFOUNDER
XTI TECHNOLOGIES
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Byron Kominek is the owner, manager, and developer of Jack's Solar Garden, a premier site for agrivoltaics in the USA. He is also the Executive Director of the Colorado Agrivoltaic Learning Center that educates our community about the importance of land stewardship within solar arrays and the myriad possibilities of integrating solar with agriculture. Byron is a former diplomat having served with the US Agency for International Development in Zambia and Mozambique specializing in forestry and wildlife conservation activities. He has been a Colorado Governor's Fellow (22/23) and an NREL Energy Executive (20/21). Byron has a MSc in environmental engineering from the University of North Carolina and a BSc in biomedical engineering from the University of Iowa. He speaks French and Portuguese and thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail with his dog, Mosi, in 2016.
BYRON KOMINEK
FOUNDER
JACK'S SOLAR GARDEN
PRESIDENT
ANDY FEINSTEIN
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO
Andy Feinstein is the 13th president of the University of Northern Colorado. He has devoted a career to teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and student success, which is his top priority at UNC. Throughout his presidency, Dr. Feinstein has sought to enhance the fundamental characteristics and commitments that make UNC a great place to live and learn by intentionally placing students first. As UNC’s president, he has recommitted the university and its leadership to design and activate new approaches that honor and celebrate diversity, equity, and inclusion. He has also positioned UNC for the future by overseeing development of a new vision and strategic plan, leveraging data analytics to improve decision making, and building the university’s financial capacity. His positive influence is felt across Colorado; Dr. Feinstein’s efforts to coordinate the state’s public higher education executives has helped to ensure institutions advocate for the needs of higher education with one voice— benefitting students across the state. Dr. Feinstein arrived at UNC in 2018 after serving as the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at San José State University, one of the largest and most diverse public universities in the Western United States. He has also served as a college professor, department chair, and dean. He has published research and books on such topics as student success, strategic management, simulation modeling and foodservice operations.
MAYOR
LONGMONT
JOAN PECK
I grew up in Yuma, Arizona, went to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff Arizona where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer Science. My passion for skiing led me to Boulder, Co. where I met my future husband. Together we had a fun and active lifestyle with our two children.
My employment journey has been through working in the banking industry, writing programs for a startup, Saint Vrain Valley School District, owning my child care business finalizing with retirement from IBM.
One would think that would be enough. My love of Colorado and Longmont in particular has led me to an eight-year stint on Longmont City Council, the last two years as mayor.
I serve on:
Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) Board
Platte River Power Authority (PRPA) Board
NorthWest Mayors and Commissioners Coalition (NWMCC)
Member of:
Commuting Solutions
Metro Mayors Coalition
Northern Area Transportation Alliance (NATA)
Past Liasion on:
Library board
Neighborhood Group Leader's Association (NGLA)
JOHN HARPOLE
PRESIDENT
MERCATOR ENERGY, LLC
John is the founder and president of Mercator Energy LLC, a natural gas services, brokerage, and energy market analysis company. Mercator assists both producers and end users throughout the United States in selling and sourcing natural gas supplies. Mercator manages more than 2 BCF per day of natural gas in seven states. Mercator also conducts specific research projects for client groups exploring the impact of industry trends on various regional markets. Mercator’s analysis of “Poverty and Fracking” was featured in a Wall Street Journal editorial and on Fox News.
During his career, Harpole has provided strategic advice and counseling to independent oil and gas producers, power producers, major gas and electric utilities, hedge funds and energy traders, retail and wholesale energy marketers, equipment vendors, and large energy users, typically at the CEO level.
Harpole has traveled to China on two occasions to instruct employees of PetroChina and members of the Central Parties Pricing Committee on the regulatory and marketing history of natural gas in the United States. It marked the first time a foreigner was allowed to teach a course to PetroChina marketing employees.
Harpole is a Board Member of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the Leadership Program of the Rockies, the University of Colorado’s Global Energy Management Program (GEM), the Global Institute of Church Management Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, Italy and the Unreported Story Society.
John currently serves on the Board of Directors of Benedictine College. John is a former 15-year Board Member of Energy Outreach Colorado. Harpole was also named to the Denver Business Journal's Who's Who in Energy for 2014-2019. John's hobbies include reading, fly fishing, bass fishing, and collecting antique maps.
Zach has spent his career in the energy industry, building and leading teams in Finance, Operations, Strategy, and Development.
In 2020, he founded Fulcrum Carbon Management (“FCM”), a
private equity-backed decarbonization project developer focused on geologic carbon sequestration opportunities in the Mountain region, where he currently serves as CEO.
Before founding FCM, Zach served in numerous leadership roles within Noble Energy, ultimately serving as Asset Development Manager for Noble Energy in Colorado, where he oversaw the company’s new-drill program and M&A activities for the DJ Basin.
Zach was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He attended the University of Colorado-Boulder and previously served as a member of the Colorado School of Mines’ CCUS Task Force. Zach is a 4th generation energy pioneer who believes everyone should share in affordable energy, a strong economy, and a clean environment.
ZACH PENDELTON
CEO
FULCRUM CARBON MANAGEMENT
Xcel Energy Community Relations and Local Government Affairs Manager for Northern Colorado.
I act as the liaison between Xcel and the communities in which we serve, working with local governments, businesses, organizations and residents on all Xcel business to ensure collaboration and interests of all parties work together to form resolution. I have been with Xcel Energy for the previous 5 years, previously the Wild Fire Mitigation Project Manager before moving my current role. Before coming to Xcel, I worked in land development for Journey Homes & Crow Creek construction here in Greeley. I attended Colorado Mesa University where I earned my degree in Business Administration. I have been married to my wife, Casey Holder, for 7 years and enjoy time with our 18 month son Klay.
ANDREW HOLDER
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
EXCEL ENERGY
Mr. Yost is Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for A1 Organics, having joined A1 in 1990. Established in 1974, A1 is the Rocky Mountain Regions largest commercial organic recycling company managing in excess of 425,000 tons of organics per year including foodwaste at its two Class III Composting facilities and three greenwaste recycling facilities in Colorado. Bob’s experience includes product and market development, site and operations development and management, new business development, technical evaluation, permitting and regulatory compliance and project and corporate management duties. Bob has served on numerous advisory and technical boards at both state and national levels and currently serves on the United States Composting Council Board of Directors, USCC Market Development and Membership Committees, and is Chair of the Seal of Testing Assurance Advisory Committee. When not knee deep in a compost pile, he enjoys time with his wife of 50 years and hunting, fishing, and hiking in the Rocky Mountains near their home in Brighton Colorado.”
BOB YOST
VP and CTO
A1 ORGANICS
Mr. Kruger has served as the President and CEO of COSSA since October 2018. Previously, he was the Director of Communications for the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) in Washington, DC. He oversaw all public communications for the organization, including public speaking engagements, research reports and the annual SEPA Power Players Awards program.
Prior to joining SEPA, Kruger was the Deputy Director of Communications for the U.S. Department of Commerce under the Obama Administration. He also served on the communications staff for the U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee. Kruger earned a Master of Arts in Education and Social Justice from the University of London and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Western Washington University. When he’s not explaining the wonders of the electric grid, you can find him watching baseball.
MIKE KRUGER
CEO
COLORADO SOLAR AND STORAGE ASSOCIATION
BIL GRAHAM
DIRECTOR of
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
DVO, Inc.
Bill has over 20 years of business development experience in the environmental
services industry – specializing in renewable fuel production and distribution,
transportation logistics, energy production, solid waste management, and site
remediation. Bill’s additional areas of expertise and direct experience are in large-scale facility siting, permitting and development, and project finance.
• Most recently, he has been involved in anaerobic digestion of organic wastes to
produce renewable transportation fuel and green energy. This includes two dairy manure to renewable natural gas (RNG) projects in the Weld County region that utilize two-stage mixed plug flow anaerobic digesters provided by DVO, Inc.
• Bill holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University; a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California; and a Masters in Environmental Science degree from Harvard University
Jeff Stahla is the Public Information Officer at Northern Water, where he has served for six years after a long tenure as editor of the Loveland Reporter-Herald. He is a native of Greeley and a graduate of Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He will talk about the current status of the Northern Integrated Supply Project and the challenges of regional water supplies and river health.
JEFF STAHLA
NORTHERN WATER
Travis is a graduate of Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska with a degree in Business Administration/Accounting. He has more than 25 years of experience as a CPA, Controller, CFO, and Entrepreneur. Travis came to A1 Organics in early 2015 as the CFO and has since moved into the role of President. He focuses on all financial aspects of the company, corporate vision and strategy, and structuring customer agreements. “I love working with a family owned business with a great staff of team members working day to day with such valuable customers.”
He is supported by his wife Meghan and is a proud father to three daughters and a son. After growing up on a family grain and cattle farm in Schleswig, Iowa, A1 Organics feels a lot like being back on the family farm again. On the weekends, Travis loves to golf, ski, watch his kids’ sports, and spend time at Horsetooth Reservoir with his family.
TRAVIS BAHNSEN
Senator Ray Scott Ray Scott served as Senator for SD-7 Mesa County Colorado he previously served as the State Representative for HD54 and HD55. As a business owner and consultant for both energy producers and civil construction contractors Senator Scott has decades of experience in public policy and business operations. Today he is the President of The Industrial Property Owners Consortium in Adams County. Born in Youngstown OH Scott moved to Boulder then Grand Junction where he studied business at Mesa State College. Senator Scott has written legislation that helped advance better practices in construction projects and funding, with his background in energy production he also partly authored impactful bills to advance alternate fuel usage for cars and fleet vehicles while also fighting against legislation that impairs Colorados ability to advance oil and gas production. Senator Scott was well known at the Capitol for his out spoken positions on legislation that interferes with personal rights and freedoms we all enjoy.
SENATOR
RAY SCOTT
STATE HOUSE
MINORITY LEADER
MIKE LYNCH
Mike Lynch is a results-driven Senior Executive and Thought Leader with more than 26 years of success across the military, government, medical devices, human resources, apparel & fashion, and software industries. Leveraging extensive experience in adaptive leadership for customer-focused organizations, he is a valuable asset for innovative ground zero startup to mid-size hi-tech or manufacturing companies requiring expert assistance with growth challenges, process improvements, or time-sensitive crisis communications. His broad areas of expertise include team leadership, flexibility, 3D printing, manufacturing, marketing strategy, new business development, product development, M&A, business planning, executive management, project management, and contract negotiations.
Throughout his executive career, Mike has held leadership positions with organizations including the Western Heritage Company, Spectrum HR Systems, SHL-Aspen Tree Software Inc, and Stryker Medical. In his current role as President of the veteran-owned Western Heritage Company, Mike has relocated the business, transitioned all outsourced manufacturing functions to in-house, and led the company to four-fold revenue growth. As Director of Sales with SHL-Aspen Tree Software Inc., Mike consulted to Fortune 500 organizations including Eddie Bauer, Nike, Wal-Mart, and Blockbuster and led the sales team through the company’s acquisition and IPO. In the role of Process Engineer with Stryker Corporation, Mike oversaw the freight logistics team and developed and implemented highly effective outgoing and incoming shipping processes.
Mike attained his MS of Public Administration from the University of Colorado and his BS in Systems Engineering and Law from the US Military Academy at West Point. He holds US Army certifications as Airborne Qualified, Bradley Commander, and Master Fitness Trainer.
Dr. Gene Kelly is a Professor of Pedology, Deputy Director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean for Extension in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Dr. Kelly conducts research and lectures nationally and internationally on various aspects of soils as related to global change issues. He is a national expert in Pedology and related scientific inquiries, and his work has contributed to major breakthroughs with regard to our understanding of soil formation, the role of plants in soil evolution, and the place of soils in global and climate change research. His research efforts have resulted in more than 100 refereed publications and nearly $185M in funded research programs. He serves as an advisor to the United States Department of Agriculture with the National Cooperative Soil Survey, The National Science Foundation and several major research programs. He is a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America and is the recipient of the 2016 Soil Science Society of America Research Award. Gene is well versed in the needs of faculty working on issues critical to our constituents and advancing science.
DR GENE KELLY
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
COLORADO AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
MODERATORS
CHARLES KAMENIDES
Charles Kamenides is the Waste Services Manager for the City of Longmont Colorado Waste Services Department. Technical experiences include development and management of collection systems, recycling centers, public outreach and education programs, state and local policy and sustainability
planning.
Major improvements and focus areas include development and implementation of curbside organics collection, enhanced pay-as-you-throw rate structure, and an every-other-week trash collection option for the residential sector.
Charles was instrumental in the design and construction of a Renewable Natural Gas fueling system, in which methane gas from the city’s wastewater treatment plant is made into fuel for the solid waste
collection vehicles. This system reduces the reliance and costs associated with carbon fuels and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
Charles is the past President of the Board of Directors for Recycle Colorado, Current holds the position of Vice President of the National Recycling Coalition, is an active member and represents the City of Longmont on the Boulder County Resource Conservation Advisory Board, and a SWANA member.
MODERATORS
MAYOR
THRONTON
JAN KULMANN
As a licensed professional engineer with more than 23 years of energy experience, Jan Kulmann has successfully managed and executed projects and programs both nationally and internationally. Jan joined Xcel Energy recently as the Senior Director of Standards and Compliance Program Development. She is responsible for providing direction and strategic leadership for the development of design and engineering standards and compliance programs for natural gas pipeline and electric infrastructure in support of Xcel Energy's clean energy transition. Jan’s career before joining Xcel Energy also included the management of drilling, completion, and production facilities, environmental, health, safety, and regulatory programs as well as strategic technical initiatives related to emissions reduction efforts, electrical power, automation, process safety, and mechanical integrity.
Jan Kulmann was elected as the Mayor of Thornton, CO in 2019. Jan was first elected as a Ward 4 Councilmember in 2013, won re-election in 2017, and was the Mayor Pro-Tem from 2017-2019. As a representative of the City of Thornton, Jan also serves on the executive committee of the Metro Mayors Caucus, as the Chair of the Rocky Flats Stewardship Council, as an executive board member of the Mile High Flood District, and as a member of the North I-25 Coalition.
Jan earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, along with a minor in music performance, from Louisiana State University and an MBA from Colorado State University. She has been married to her husband Dave since 2002 and together they have two teenage children.
STATE SENATOR
CHRIS HANSEN
Chris Hansen is the current State Senator for Colorado Senate District 31. He specializes in energy sector economics and data analytics, with 20 years of experience in the global energy industry. He was formerly the Representative for House District 6 from 2017-2019, representing the east-central neighborhoods of Denver. He currently serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Joint Technology Committee and the Legislative Council. During his time in the State Senate, he has served on the Finance, Joint Budget, State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committees. Throughout his tenure in the Colorado House of Representatives, Hansen served on the Capital Development, House Transportation & Energy, and Agriculture, Livestock & Natural Resources committees, and as Chair on the House Appropriations Committee.
In 2012, he was selected as a Marshall Memorial Fellow by the German Marshall Fund and in 2017 was selected as a Public Leadership Fellow at Harvard University by the Gates Family Foundation. In 2019, he was selected as one of fifteen leaders from across the country to join the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of rising state and local elected officials.
In addition to his current role in the state senate, Hansen serves as the Co-Founder and Director of Programming at the Colorado Energy & Water Institute, and as Co-Founder of the Colorado Science and Engineering Policy Fellowship.
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Aron is a graduate of Liberty University’s Nursing program and completed a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy before beginning his nursing career. Aron moved to Colorado to pursue his career and was attracted to Colorado due to his love of the outdoors. Aron and his wife Colleen chose Keenesburg to start their family due to the small-town feel, low crime rate, and wonderful community events. Aron strongly believes that oil and gas will continue to play a vital role in our lives and economy for many years to come.
MAYOR
KEENESBURG
ARON LAM
STATE REPRESENATIVE
MATT SOPER
Representative Soper descends from a farming family that has been continuously tilling soil in Delta County since his great-great-grandparents moved west in 1887. Soper was born and raised in Delta and handpicked Olathe Sweet Corn during the summers and worked as a clerk for a local water lawyer during the winters to pay his way through college. Soper continues to work an irrigation shovel and grows alfalfa on his small farm.
He graduated from Delta High School and earned his undergrad degree from Colorado Mesa University, and law degrees from The University of Edinburgh School of Law and the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law.
Currently, Soper serves on the Delta County Memorial Hospital District Board of Directors, the Colorado Tourism Office Board of Directors, the All-Payor Claims Database Board, the Delta County Museum Board, and the Advisory Council of the Technical College of the Rockies, along with serving as an ex officio member on Harmony Acres’ Board. Soper is a member of the Fruita, Palisade, and Delta Chambers of Commerce, Rotary, Elks, and Lions Clubs, and is a volunteer at the local homeless shelter.