(Denver) — The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced promotions and the addition of new staff members joining its Department to assist with its mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources.
Additions and changes include: Aaron Ray, Director of Policy; Alison Lerch, Assistant Director for Forest Health & Wildfire Mitigation; Jennifer Walker Graf, 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.”
More background on promotions and DNR’s new employees:
Aaron Ray, Director of Policy: Prior to serving as Director of Policy, Aaron was DNR’s Assistant Director for Energy Innovation, and led the Energy Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, served as Deputy Director for Policy in the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting, and was a Program Examiner in the White House Office of Management and Budget with responsibility for Department of the Interior science, natural resources, and tribal programs. He teaches graduate environmental policy and management courses at the University of Denver and has served as a researcher at the Georgetown Climate Center and the Pew Research Center.
Aaron holds a PhD in Political Science from American University, an MPP in Environmental and Regulatory Policy from Georgetown University, and an MA in Education from the University of New Mexico. He also worked as a high school history, government, and economics teacher on the Navajo Nation and in Washington, DC.
As DNR’s Director of Policy, Aaron oversees the major policy functions of the Department, including: water, parks, wildlife, lands, outdoor recreation, energy, climate, forest health, Federal affairs, and Tribal affairs.
Alison Lerch, Assistant Director for Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation: Alison joined the Colorado Department of Natural Resources Executive Director’s Office in September 2021, as the Program Administrator for the newly formed wildfire mitigation team, creating the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program. Alison has a diverse career in forestry and wildfire resilience working for both Tribal and state governments, nonprofit organizations, and serving on a municipal fire department.
Alison graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Forestry.
The Assistant Director for Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation provides analysis and policy recommendations to the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Director of Policy, and the Colorado State Forest Service on forestry and wildfire mitigation issues, manages the Colorado Strategic Wildfire Action Program, and facilitates shared stewardship efforts with state and federal partners.
Jennifer Walker Graf, Assistant Director for Energy Innovation: Jennifer brings nearly two decades of experience spanning subsurface science, federal energy policy, and strategic energy development. She previously served as a Program Manager in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, where she oversaw CarbonSAFE investments, served as the Carbon Transport and Storage team’s tribal liaison, and managed national laboratory development of advanced AI and machine-learning tools for subsurface risk assessment.
Before her federal service, Jennifer held senior technical and leadership roles in private industry, where she led reservoir characterization, risk and uncertainty evaluation, and integrated development planning in support of responsible, strategically aligned project design across North America, including multiple Colorado basins.
Jennifer holds an M.S. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a B.S. in Geology from West Virginia University, a graduate certificate in Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies from Stanford University, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).
The Assistant Director for Energy Innovation serves as a policy advisor to the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, and Director of Policy on emerging energy technologies and multi-agency initiatives involving renewable energy, geothermal development, carbon management, oil and gas, and cross-division energy planning.