The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced several key staff changes and promotions aimed at supporting its mission to manage and conserve the state’s natural resources. The appointments include Aaron Ray as Director of Policy, Alison Lerch as Assistant Director for Forest Health & Wildfire Mitigation, and Jennifer Walker Graf as Assistant Director for Energy Innovation.
“I am proud to welcome new staff and celebrate important promotions to my team at the Department of Natural Resources,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources. “I am particularly pleased we have highly qualified candidates to promote from within DNR and to bring on exceptional new staff. These promotions and staff will enable us to meet new challenges, provide better services for Coloradans and forge deeper relationships with key stakeholders to help fulfill our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources.”
Aaron Ray previously served as DNR’s Assistant Director for Energy Innovation. His background includes leading the Energy Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, serving as Deputy Director for Policy in the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, and working as a Program Examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget overseeing science, natural resources, and tribal programs. He also teaches graduate courses in environmental policy at the University of Denver. In his new role as Director of Policy, Ray will oversee policy areas such as water, parks, wildlife, lands, outdoor recreation, energy, climate issues, forest health, federal affairs, and tribal affairs.
Alison Lerch joined DNR in 2021 as Program Administrator for wildfire mitigation efforts. She helped establish the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program and has worked across tribal governments, state agencies, nonprofits, and municipal fire departments in forestry and wildfire resilience roles. As Assistant Director for Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation, she will provide analysis and policy recommendations on forestry issues while managing wildfire action programs in collaboration with state and federal partners.
Jennifer Walker Graf brings nearly twenty years of experience in subsurface science and federal energy policy. Her previous work includes managing projects at the U.S. Department of Energy related to carbon management technologies such as CarbonSAFE investments. She also has held senior roles in private industry involving reservoir characterization across North America’s basins. In her new position as Assistant Director for Energy Innovation at DNR, Walker Graf will advise leadership on renewable energy technologies and coordinate multi-agency initiatives concerning geothermal development, carbon management strategies, oil and gas matters, as well as cross-division energy planning.
These staff changes are intended to strengthen DNR’s ability to address evolving resource challenges facing Colorado while enhancing service delivery across its various program areas.
