The acting director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board on Tuesday got the job on a permanent basis.

The water board’s directors voted to hire Lauren Ris, who had been serving in an interim leadership capacity since June. Her appointment was announced at the Colorado Water Congress conference in Steamboat Springs.

The water board is a division within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. 

Ris replaces Becky Mitchell, who is now Colorado’s full-time commissioner on the Upper Colorado River Commission. The General Assembly this year approved splitting those two roles, in part because of the heightened importance of negotiations affecting the Colorado River and the river’s seven Basin states, guidelines that will need to be in place by 2026. 

Ris has been deputy director of the water board since 2017. Among her major projects: implementation of the state water plan. That will continue to be a major priority for Ris in her new position.

 “We are positioned well with the recent release of the updated 2023 Water Plan, and it’s absolutely critical that now we check off the boxes and make real tangible progress,” she said in a statement Tuesday.

“What’s most inspiring to me about working in the water sphere, is the high degree of collaboration that’s required. It’s not a political issue, it’s a geographical issue-and water is a resource that every sector in Colorado can’t do without. It requires us to work together and find win-win solutions for hard problems,” Ris said. “Having grown up in Colorado, it’s important for me to see that we have a continued pathway for economic growth, agricultural viability and environmental resiliency in our state.”

Dan Gibbs, executive director of the natural resources departments, said he is “extremely excited about Lauren Ris’ elevation to Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. Her leadership, insight, strong relationships, collaborative nature, and  deep knowledge of Colorado water issues will enable her to seamlessly step into the Director role. Colorado faces many future water challenges, but Lauren has the experience and skills to help our state build on the great work of CWCB while ensuring the future sustainability of our critical water resources.” 

“Ris has played a pivotal role in the agency for years and has provided seamless support as Interim Director,” said Greg Felt, Board Chair of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. “The agency, and Colorado’s water future, will be in good hands under Lauren’s leadership.” 

Gov. Jared Polis added “We are excited to welcome Lauren Ris at this important time as we continue to take bold and innovative action to preserve and protect Colorado’s precious water resources. We know that here in Colorado, water is the lifeblood of our state and we will all benefit from Ris’s leadership and expertise on this issue.”

Ris holds a bachelors in English and environmental science from Willamette University and a masters in natural resource policy and conservation biology from the University of Michigan. She previously worked as a Committee and Policy Staff Fiscal Analyst for the Colorado Legislative Council, a legislative liaison for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for forestry and Parks and Wildlife, and assistant director for water, also with the natural resources department.