Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday announced the selection of a longtime Washington state outdoors official to be the next head of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
Jeff Davis, a 22-year veteran of Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, will take the helm of CPW, the governor’s office announced in a news release.
“We were fortunate to have many qualified candidates but Jeff’s extensive experience helping to manage a large organization, his knowledge of wildlife and recreation issues, his commitment to diversity and inclusivity within and outside his organization and passion for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation made Jeff an ideal fit,” Dan Gibbs, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, said in a statement.
Davis has served since 2000 as an area habitat biologist, forest and fish section manager and assistant director of Washington’s Habitat Program, according to the news release. He’s led salmon recovery and crafted legislation and regulatory approaches to habitat and biodiversity conservation and climate resiliency, state officials said.
The new CPW leader has also “championed internal diversity and equity priorities” and has extensive experience working across outdoors and regulatory groups.
“Washington State faces similar issues as Colorado of balancing outdoor recreation and wildlife management, species introduction and other wildlife management and habitat issues,” Davis said in a statement. “But I look forward to engaging with all of the key stakeholders in Colorado and I’m excited to lead a new team and learn more of CPW’s challenges while building on their extensive successes.”
Polis called Davis the “right person to move Colorado forward.”
His appointment comes five months after the previous CPW director, Dan Prenzlow, retired following an investigation into a racist remark directed at a Black employee at the agency’s annual conference last year.
Prenzlow was attempting to thank the employee, saying, “There she is, in the back of the bus” — a reference that harkens back to Jim Crow-era laws mandating Black people sit in the rear of public buses.
A third-party investigation found Prenzlow created an unhealthy workplace and could not be an effective leader in the wake of the incident. It also found he violated a host of state and departmental policies.
The state agreed to a $50,000 settlement with the retiring department head, including more than $26,000 for his “emotional distress.”
Colorado officials also paid more than $75,000 to settle claims brought by Aloe Lee, the CPW employee targeted by Prenzlow’s comment.
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