Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has announced the appointment of Shannon Wadas as the new executive director of the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center (RPHWC). The move is intended to enhance CMU’s ability to advance water-focused education, applied research, and community dialogue in Western Colorado.
Wadas brings over 16 years of experience in natural resource and organizational management from both public and nonprofit sectors. She most recently worked as a private consultant specializing in organizational strategy, partnership collaboration, engagement, and capacity building. Her background includes supporting watershed planning in western Colorado, facilitating water education courses for professionals, and helping establish a community navigator network in the Upper Rio Grande Basin aimed at accelerating aquatic restoration efforts.
“I am excited and honored to join Colorado Mesa University and lead the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center,” said Wadas. “There is no greater unifying force than water. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to catalyze and strengthen the collaborative efforts of CMU and local and regional partners to support important water issues through educational opportunities, research initiatives and thoughtful conversations.”
The RPHWC is located in Grand Junction and serves as a hub for water policy discussions, academic education, and applied research on Colorado’s Western Slope. It supports student programming such as interdisciplinary coursework, seminars, continuing education classes, and a Water Fellows program. Notably, it is the only water center in Colorado situated directly on the mainstem of the Colorado River within a community shaped by its confluence with the Gunnison River. This location offers students hands-on field learning experiences.
“Shannon brings a wealth of experience and collaborative leadership to CMU that will strengthen the Ruth Powell Hutchins Water Center’s role in bringing people together, fostering innovation in water resource management and cultivating the next generation of water leaders,” said John Marshall, president of CMU.
Wadas’ hiring comes amid an expanded partnership between CMU and the Colorado River District designed to ensure long-term sustainability for the Water Center. In 2025, the Colorado River District’s Community Funding Partnership grant program contributed $300,000 toward developing leadership strategies and future sustainability at RPHWC. The district operates across 15 counties in western Colorado with a focus on protecting water resources statewide.
“Strong water decisions start with strong local knowledge,” said Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River District. “This partnership, paired with Shannon’s leadership, strengthens western Colorado as a hub for research, education and collaboration that will provide essential data and academic scholarship to inform solid policy making for the West Slope and the Colorado River Basin.”
More information about RPHWC programs can be found on their website.
