Colorado Dept. of Natural Resources director promotes Boncarbo native Windi Padia to Chief Operating Officer

— Ed. Note: Windi Padia is a local 1996 graduate and Goree Princeton Scholarship winner. She is the daughter of Ric and Sue Lassiter.

Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Executive Director Dan Gibbs announced today the promotion of Windi Padia, as Chief Operating Officer for the Department.

“I am proud and excited that Windi Padia has agreed to serve as the new Chief Operating Officer for the Department of Natural Resources. Windi Padia is a Coloradan through and through, born and raised West of Trinidad in Boncarbo, Colorado, with one of her first jobs at Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area. Windi’s 19-year experience with the department, her good humor, strong organization skills, and easy rapport with employees will serve our agency well as she joins a strong leadership team and culture at DNR,” said Gibbs.

As COO, Padia will work across all divisions to support internal operations. She will provide overall vision, management and direction for accounting, procurement and human resources functions, as well as serving as the department’s liaison with the Governor’s Office of Information Technology and the Department of Personnel and Administration. Padia will continue as DNR’s Human Resources Director until the position is filled.

Padia’s first job in high school was as a “Youth in Natural Resources” team member for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Padia has been with the Department for more than 19 years, most recently as Human Resources Director and Northeast Deputy Regional Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Windi holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver.