Former Denver Post editorial page editor Dan Haley was named president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association, the trade group announced on Wednesday. Haley takes over from Tisha Schuller, who announced in May she would be departing the post after heading COGA for five years.

Haley is currently vice president of communications, development and strategy at the public affairs firm EIS Solutions. Prior to that, he was director of communications for Denver-based CoBank.

“It’s hard to pass the baton for leading an organization that I care so much about, but Dan is the right person for the job,” said Schuller in a statement. “He’s got the strategic vision, grace under pressure, and willingness to adapt that this job requires. I’m committed to supporting his success in whatever way I can.”

Alan Harrison, COGA’s board chairman, said Haley “has established strong connections and meaningful credibility with a broad range of stakeholders across Colorado.”

Haley had a 20-year career in journalism, including 13 years at the Post, before switching to public affairs.

“I’m honored to represent this industry that’s been a rich part of our Colorado heritage and is an important part of our future,” Haley said in a statement. “This is a challenging time for the industry, which makes it more important than ever that we engage fully with impacted communities to find common ground, while also working to protect all of the benefits the industry brings to our state and country. I’m excited to promote such a vibrant, innovative and critical industry and its incredible employees.”

Roberts tapped to direct Adult Parole

Colorado Department of Corrections executive director Rick Raemisch named Melissa Roberts as director of Adult Parole for the department on Thursday.

Roberts, who hails from Wisconsin, began her career there as a probation and parole agent 18 years ago. She directed the state’s Sex Offender Programs, overseeing 22,000 offenders and the Electronic Monitoring Center. For the past five years, she has served on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ Executive Team.

Her focus is on encouraging the successful re-entry of offenders to the community, the DOC said, and will help Colorado adopt the latest strategies to accomplish that.

“Ms. Roberts will be an asset to the Executive team, the Colorado Department of Corrections, and to the State of Colorado. She has a proven track record and I am excited about her joining our team,” said Raemisch in a statement. She starts work on June 1.

Hosler running for HD 15 seat

Marine Corps veteran and small business owner Josh Hosler announced on Thursday that he’s running for the Republican nomination for the House District 15 seat currently held by state Rep. Gordon Klingenschmitt, R-Colorado Springs, who is seeking a Senate seat.

An Ohio native and single father, Hosler served with the Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal in Helmand Providence Afghanistan as a bomb dog handler and team leader. He’s president of CO Reuse LLC, a business he founded that recycles material left over when buildings are demolished.

Republican Dave Williams is also seeking the HD 15 seat. Klingenshmitt is likely headed to a primary with former state Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, for the Senate District 12 seat held by term-limited Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs.

On his campaign site, Hosler calls for “the complete elimination of Common Core and PARCC from our schools,” vows to support the repeal of limits the size of ammunition magazines and declares himself staunchly pro-life.

Royal Gorge route turns 136

It was 136 years ago this week that the first passenger train traveled through the Royal Gorge, an iconic canyon on the Arkansas River near Cañon City.

Railroads raced to get to Leadville and its silver mines in the late 1870s, but there would only be room for one in the narrow Gorge, which was less than 50 feet wide in some stretches, according to History Colorado. The Santa Fe and the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroads competed for the right to operate in the Gorge — in a conflict known as the Royal Gorge War — with the D&RG ultimately winning. In addition to reaching Leadville, the route became part of the transcontinental rail link between Denver and Salt Lake City, with passage through the Gorge considered a highlight of train travel through the Rockies.

Train service through the Gorge ended in 1967 but was restored in 1998 with the operation of a summer tourist train. The 938-foot Royal Gorge Bridge, built in 1929, was the highest bridge in the world, with a 955-foot drop, until 2001, when a bridge in China took the title. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places.