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Russell George was appointed by Governor Bill Ritter to serve as the Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) on January 20, 2007. In this position, Russ is charged with leading the Department in planning for and addressing Colorado 's transportation needs. CDOT's mission is to provide the best multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively moves people, goods and information. In continuing this mission, Russ will oversee 3,300 employees working at more than 250 locations statewide and an annual budget of approximately $1 billion.
Prior to his appointment with CDOT, Russ served as Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from January 2004 to January 2007. At DNR, he oversaw the operations of nine agencies, which include: the Division of Wildlife; the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; State Parks; the Colorado Water Conservation Board; the Division of Water Resources; the Division of Minerals and Geology; the State Land Board; Colorado State Forest Service; and the Colorado Geological Survey.
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Russ also spent four years serving as the Director of the Colorado Division of Wildlife, where he managed and supported a wide range of wildlife programs including wildlife recreation, species conservation, game and non-game management and wildlife education.
Russ was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1992 to 2000. During that time, he was named Legislator of the Year in 1994 and 1996 by the Associated Press' capitol reporter, and received awards from groups as diverse as the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado School Boards Association, Colorado Bankers Association, Colorado Counties, Inc., and many others. In 1999, he was elected by his peers to be Speaker of the House. Russ was elected to the House of Representatives to represent District 57 (Moffat, Rio Blanco, Garfield and Pitkin Counties ).
Russ is a graduate of Rifle High School , Colorado State University--where he was a Boettcher Scholar--and Harvard University Law School . After being admitted to the Colorado and Montana Bar Associations, he co-founded the Rifle law firm of Stuver & George, P.C., in 1976.
Russ is married to Neal Ellen George, who teaches elementary special education in their hometown of Rifle. They have four grown sons: Russell, Charles, Thomas and Andrew. |
