Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that he has named Dick Wolfe as
Colorado State Engineer and praised him as the best person to lead the
division of water resources at this time in the state's history.
Prior to this appointment, Wolfe has been serving as assistant state
engineer in the Colorado Division of Water Resources since 2005. He
led the South Platte Task Force in examining water issues in the
Northeast Colorado Basin and made recommendations on possible
solutions to the challenges facing the state's water users.
"This is one of the most difficult and important positions in our
state," said Harris Sherman, executive director of the Colorado
Department of Natural Resources (DNR). "While there were several
outstanding candidates for the position, we believe Dick's 14 years of
experience in the state engineer's office more than prepared him for
the challenges ahead."
The vacancy was created when state engineer Hal Simpson retired in May.
Wolfe graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) where he earned
both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master's Degree in
Agricultural Engineering.
After seven years as a partner in a small engineering firm that
specialized in water rights and water resources, Wolfe joined the
Colorado Division of Water Resources as an engineer.
"While it is a privilege and an honor to serve as the next state
engineer, I clearly recognize that such a privilege comes with great
responsibility as well," said Wolfe. "I told Gov. Ritter that I'm
committed to building new relationships with our staff and the water
users and I want to work with water users and the water community to
establish an open dialogue on our mutual concerns."
At the Colorado Division of Water Resources, Wolfe served as a
supervising engineer, a team leader, and as chief of water supply.
Wolfe received the 2005 Leader of the Year Award from the division's
staff, and authored several articles in various publications,
including "Water Administration: State Engineer's Office" in the
Colorado Water Law Bench Book. He also served on the Fort Lupton City
Council and was the mayor of Fort Lupton from 1995 to 1997.
