The State of Colorado Announces the 2017 Transportation Commission

July 12, 2017 - STATEWIDE ― The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is pleased to announce the 2017 Colorado Transportation Commission.

The Transportation Commission is comprised of eleven Colorado citizens who represent specific districts across the state. Each Commissioner is appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper, confirmed by the senate and serves a four-year term.

Newly appointed by Gov. Hickenlooper this year are two Commissioners: Luella Chavez D’Angelo of Lone Tree, serving District 3; and Karen Stuart of Broomfield, serving District 4.

Re-appointed by the governor to serve an additional four year term are three Commissioners: Shannon Gifford, Denver, District 1; Sidny Zink, Durango, District 8; and Bill Thiebaut, Pueblo, District 10.  

Continuing and completing terms are the remaining six Commissioners: Ed Peterson, Lakewood, District 2; Kathy Gilliland, Livermore, District 5; Kathy Connell, Steamboat Springs, District 6; Kathy Hall, Grand Junction, District 7; Rocky Scott, Colorado Springs, District 9; and Steven Hofmeister, Haxtun, District 11. (Complete biographies for each Commissioner are provided below.)

The members of the Commission have also elected Zink as chair and Gifford as vice chair. Both will serve in the Commission’s leadership positions for one fiscal year, which started in July.

CDOT Executive Director, Shailen Bhatt said the state’s transportation agency values the guidance of the Transportation Commission, “We have a high regard for the Commission and the advisement its members contribute toward our long-range planning and strategy. The Commissioners offer unique perspectives resulting from their individual backgrounds, areas of interest and expertise. More importantly, they are the voice of the general public and the regional areas they serve.”       

The Transportation Commission formulates general policy for CDOT. Commission members meet regularly to offer guidance and oversight to the management, construction and maintenance of public highways and other transportation systems in the state. The Commission also works to assure that the preservation and enhancement of Colorado’s environment, safety, mobility and economics is considered in the planning of all transportation projects.

BIOGRAPHIES: Commission members for the 2017 fiscal year include:

  • Shannon Gifford, Denver, District 1 (first appointment 2013, reappointed 2017)

Counties served: Denver County.

Gifford has served on the Commission since July 2013. She is currently president of Denver-based Helios Associates, a business and financial consulting firm. She has worked for the past two decades as an independent consultant, principally in the real estate industry. Among her many civic activities, she is a member of Denver's planning board and a past board member/president of the Lower Downtown Neighborhood Association. She currently serves on the boards of the Denver Film Society and Colorado Humanities.

  • Ed Peterson, Lakewood, District 2 (first appointment 2011, reappointed 2015)

Counties served: Jefferson County and a portion of Broomfield County.

Peterson has served on the Commission since November 2011. Peterson is president of Annandale Consultants, Inc., a general contracting, construction management and design firm. He has taken an active role within the Denver Regional Council of Governments on the board of directors and as chairman. He is a former Lakewood city councilman. In addition, Peterson has been active in the National League of Cities, serving on the Transportation Infrastructure Steering Committee.

  • Luella Chavez D’Angelo, Lone Tree, District 3 (newly appointed 2017)

Counties served: Arapahoe and Douglas Counties.

Newly appointed, Chavez D’Angelo is the vice chancellor of enterprise development at the University of Colorado-Denver. She has more than 15 years of experience as a senior executive within Fortune 500 companies. Chavez D’Angelo is the recipient of numerous honors spanning her professional career including: 2014 Outstanding Women in Business/Lifetime Achievement Award from the Denver Business Journal; 2014 Top Ten Leader from Executive Hispanic Magazine; and 2013 Most Powerful Women from the Colorado.   

  • Karen Stuart, Broomfield, District 4 (newly appointed 2017)

Counties served: Adams and Boulder Counties, and a portion of Broomfield County.

Newly appointed, Stuart is the owner of Karen Stuart Consulting, a public and community outreach agency. She also currently serves as the executive director of Smart Commute Metro North Transportation Management Organization. Stuart is the former mayor and council member for the City of Broomfield. She currently serves on the Metro North Chamber of Commerce Development Council and is a member of the RTD FasTracks Citizen Advisory Board.

  • Kathy Gilliland, Livermore, District 5 (first appointed 2011, reappointed 2015)

Counties served: Larimer, Morgan, and Weld Counties and a portion of Broomfield County.

Gilliland has served on the Commission since June 2011. She is the owner of DK Innovative Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in strategic partnering among business, workforce and education. In addition, she is a former councilwoman and mayor for the City of Loveland. She worked for Hewlett Packard for 30 years.

  • Kathy Connell, Steamboat Springs, District 6 (first appointed 2011, reappointed 2015)

Counties served: Clear Creek, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties.

Connell has served on the Commission since June 2011. She is the managing broker of MR Real Estate in Steamboat Springs. She is also the president of Mount Werner Water and Sanitation District, and is the Steamboat Springs Area Fire Protection District president. Connell has served on many community boards and served eight years on the Steamboat Springs city council, on which she was president and president pro-tem.

  • Kathy Hall, Grand Junction, District 7 (appointed 2015)

Counties served: Chaffee, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Lake, Mesa, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, and Summit Counties.

Hall was appointed to the Commission in September 2015. She is the owner of Kathy Hall and Associates, a business consulting firm. She has been a leader in numerous civic organizations throughout the western slope, including Club 20, the West Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the Marillac Clinic and the United Way of Colorado. Hall has served two terms as a Mesa County commissioner and was the Western Slope director for two U.S. senators.

  • Sidny Zink, Durango, District 8 (first appointed 2013, reappointed 2017)

Counties served: Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Dolores, Hinsdale, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan, and San Miguel Counties.

Zink has served on the Commission since July 2013. She is a CPA and an owner of FredrickZink & Associates, PC, in Durango. She currently serves on two corporate boards, First National Bank of Durango and FastTrack Communications. Zink also serves on the board of the non-profit, La Plata Homes Fund. She has held several leadership positions within the CPA profession and is an active member of the business and political community. She is a former Durango Mayor and city councilor. Zink was awarded the 2014 Citizen of the Year by the Durango Chamber of Commerce

  • Rocky Scott, Colorado Springs, District 9 (first appointed 2015, reappointed 2016)

Counties served: El Paso, Fremont, Park, and Teller Counties.

Scott has served on the Commission since September 2015. He has spent a large part of his career in Colorado working at the state and local level. He has served on the Governor's Economic Blueprint Committee, the Governor's Jobs Cabinet and has been a member of Colorado Cooperation for 20 years. Professionally, he founded the Colorado Economic Leadership Council, served for 16 years as the president of the Greater Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation, served as the president of Centerra Development for five years and is the founder of Tor Associates, a strategy consulting firm.

  • Bill Thiebaut, Pueblo, District 10 (first appointed 2013, reappointed 2017)

Counties served: Baca, Bent, Crowley, Custer, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, Prowers, and Pueblo Counties.

Thiebaut has served on the Commission since August 2013. Thiebaut, an attorney, served in the Colorado General Assembly from 1987-2002. He also was as a member of the Colorado House of Representatives until 1993, and a state senator until 2002, including a year as senate majority leader. While serving in the legislature Thiebaut contributed to Colorado's statewide transportation needs, focusing on regional roadway and air service priorities. He is an adjunct faculty member in the Political Science Department at CSU-Pueblo, and is a former Pueblo County public trustee and Pueblo district attorney.

  • Steven Hofmeister, Haxtun, District 11 (first appointed 2012, reappointed 2015)

Counties served: Cheyenne, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma Counties.

Hofmeister has served on the Commission since May 2012. He operates a family-owned crop insurance business in Haxtun, where he resides. Hofmeister is a member of the Haxtun Chamber of Commerce, the Lions Club, the Engage Haxtun Revitalization Group and serves on the Haxtun Hospital District Board