House Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver named Rebecca Kisner as the next chief of staff for the House Democrats.

Kisner has worked for the Colorado House Democrats since 2019, most recently serving as deputy chief of staff. She succeeds Kelly Watkins, who worked for the House Democrats for a decade, including five years as chief of staff. Watkins joined the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8 office where she will be chief of staff to Region 8 Administrator and former House Speaker K.C. Becker.

Kisner’s joined the House Democrats in 2019 as outreach director, where she worked on constituent engagement and supported more than 50 legislative aides in their professional development. 

“Rebecca’s dedication, policy experience, strong relationships and institutional knowledge make her well-suited to serve as Chief of Staff for our caucus,” Garnett said in a statement. “When Colorado received once-in-a-generation pandemic relief funding, Rebecca stepped up to lead the charge on a transformational bill package that will save people money and make Colorado a better place to live. I know I speak for our entire caucus when I say I’m thrilled to have her serve as our next Chief of Staff.”

Kisner said House Democrats “are known for bold policy ideas that make meaningful change in our communities and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together the last three years. Our members and our team worked diligently during the 2022 legislative session to respond to the most pressing needs facing our state, including improving access to behavioral health care and making Colorado a better place to live. I’m honored the caucus has put its trust in me to serve in this new capacity as we continue working for the people of Colorado.”

Kisner’s previous experience includes working for the Urban Leaders Fellowship, director of advocacy for the Donnell-Kay Foundation and director of advocacy for Rocky Mountain Prep, which operates four charter schools in Denver. She holds a degree in social work from the University of Vermont. She previously attended Georgetown University where she was on the Division 1 rowing team.