Michael Bennet
U.S. Senator
Michael Bennet has represented Colorado in the United States Senate since
2009. Recognized as a pragmatic and independent thinker, he is driven by an
obligation to create more opportunity for the next generation. Michael has built a
reputation of taking on Washington dysfunction and working with Republicans
and Democrats to address our nation’s greatest challenges— including
education, climate change, immigration, health care, and national security. Before
serving in the Senate, Michael worked to restructure failing businesses and
helped create the world’s largest movie theater chain. As superintendent of the
Denver Public Schools, he led one of the most extensive reform efforts in the
country, resulting in substantial, sustained academic improvement for Denver’s
children. He lives in Denver with his wife and three daughters.
Rebecca Briesmoore
Senior Water Resources Engineer
Rebecca Briesmoore is a Senior Water Resources Engineer/Project Manager with the Colorado River District, where she supports water resources planning, engineering, and project implementation across the District.
Marc Catlin
CO State Sen. District 5, Colorado River District Board President
Marc Catlin represents Colorado Senate District 5, which includes all or part of the western Colorado counties of Gunnison, Hinsdale, Pitkin, Delta, Eagle, Garfield, and Montrose. He is the current chair of the Colorado River Water Conservation Board of Directors and previously served as president of Colorado Water Congress. He also worked as manager of the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association.
Lindsay DeFrates
Colorado River District Deputy Director of Communications/Public Information Officer
Lindsay DeFrates serves as the Deputy Director of Communications & Public Information Officer for the Colorado River District, where she leads strategic messaging, media relations, and community outreach efforts across Colorado’s Western Slope.
Mendi Figueroa
Land Stewardship Liaison – Community Agriculture Alliance
Mendi Figueroa serves as the Land Stewardship Liaison for the Community Agriculture Alliance, a Routt County-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving agriculture in the Yampa Valley. She earned a B.S. in Natural Resources with a focus in Watershed Science and moved to the Yampa Valley in 2022 to serve as a Water Commissioner for the Colorado Division of Water Resources. In her current role, Mendi works directly with agricultural producers to connect them with resources that support, protect, and strengthen the resiliency of agricultural and working lands across the Yampa River Basin.
Reid Fishering
Owner of Mountain Quality Farms
Reid Fishering owns Mountain Quality Farms, a small business that specializes in local farming, harvesting, and logistics of Olathe sweet corn, asparagus and onions in the Uncopmpahgre valley. He grew up in Montrose before attending college at the University of Colorado in Boulder. After receiving a business degree in Finance, Reid spent 10 years in New York City working in the finance industry trading energy commodities.
Yearning for a less crowded pace of life, Reid and his wife, Meredith, moved back to Montrose in 2016. They have two 2 children, Reagan and Thatcher. They enjoy skiing, Crossfit, and working on the farm when kids’ activities do not intervene.
Peter Fleming
Colorado River District General Counsel
Peter C. Fleming is General Counsel for the Colorado River Water Conservation District, a position he has held since 2002. Peter serves on the Upper Colorado River Commission’s Legal Committee and he frequently speaks on water, interstate compact, and governmental issues. Peter previously was a member of Carlson, Hammond & Paddock, L.L.C. in Denver, where his practice focused on water rights, real property, environmental, real estate, and governmental matters.
Caleb Foy
Colorado River District Senior Water Resources Engineer (Moderator)
Caleb Foy is a Senior Water Resources Engineer with the Colorado River District, where he works on water management projects across Western Colorado. Prior to joining the River District, Caleb worked for the Colorado Division of Water Resources in Division 5, gaining firsthand experience with water rights administration and operations in the Colorado River Basin.
Luke Gingerich
Water resources consultant and co-owner of Bluebird Organic Fruit Company
Luke Gingerich brings more than 20 years of experience in hydraulics, water rights, infrastructure design, planning, and conservation. He works with public agencies, water districts, municipalities, irrigation organizations, and private water users to plan and implement complex water projects, from design through construction.
Zane Kessler
Colorado River District Director of Government Relations
Zane Kessler is the Director of Government Relations at the Colorado River District. In this role, Zane manages the District’s state and federal advocacy efforts and coordinates the organization’s work with partners, municipalities and counties on West Slope policy matters.
Andrea Lopez
Ute Water External Affairs Manager
Andrea Lopez, a Palisade native, has served as Ute Water Conservancy District’s External Affairs Manager since 2019. A Colorado Mesa University and CSU Global graduate, Andrea leads community education and outreach efforts, including the Western Colorado Children’s Water Festival, and is passionate about connecting the Western Slope with clear, accessible information about water. She has served on several state and community boards and was named Young Professional of the Year in 2023 and a BestSlope Next Gen Award recipient.
Greg Lopez
Former U.S. Representative & Unaffiliated Candidate for Governor
The story of Greg Lopez begins with a hard-working family in pursuit of the American Dream. The Lopez family did not have wealth or prestige, a father with a six-grade education who never truly learned how to read and write, and a mother with only a tenth-grade education. But they had a vision of a better life for their family and for their son, Greg.
At 17, full of optimism and always a patriot, Greg joined the US Air Force. During his four years of military service, he met the love of his life, Lisa, they were married in 1988 and moved to Colorado. Greg has since devoted himself to public service and raised two children, with Lisa, who now proudly call Colorado their home. Today, Greg and Lisa live in Elizabeth, Colorado in Elbert County where they continue to serve their communities.
Greg Lopez knows what it takes to manage a family, a small business, and a government. Greg is ready to listen to the needs of the People of Colorado and execute a strategy as Governor that will help all Coloradans reach their full potential and live their best Colorado life.
Jen MacPherson
Kremmling Town Manager
Jen MacPherson is the Town Manager for the Town of Kremmling, where she oversees municipal operations, finance, infrastructure, and long-term planning. Her work currently includes navigating significant water infrastructure investments, drought response, and long-term water supply challenges for the community. Before becoming Town Manager, her background was primarily in finance, critical minerals and earth science.
John Marshall
Colorado Mesa University President
John Marshall is the 11th president of Colorado Mesa University (CMU), a mid-sized comprehensive public university in Grand Junction, Colorado. He also serves as an instructor in CMU’s early start programs and as a lecturer of political science.
Amy Moyer
Colorado River District Chief of Strategy
Amy serves as the Chief of Strategy for the Colorado River District where she oversees the District’s Community Funding Partnership, communications, and strategic initiatives. Initially hired as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Amy facilitates additional partnerships and policy discussions to support West Slope water users from all sectors. She has been with the District since March 2021.
Andy Mueller
Colorado River District General Manager
Andy Mueller is the General Manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District. Prior to taking the helm at the Colorado River District he spent 23 years in private law practice on the West Slope of Colorado. His work ranged across the breadth of critical western Colorado topics: water, natural resource, land use and community issues.
Russ Schumacher
Colorado State Climatologist
Russ Schumacher is a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, and serves as the Colorado State Climatologist and Director of the Colorado Climate Center. He received his M.S. in 2003 and Ph.D. in 2008 in Atmospheric Science at CSU. His research and teaching interests include extreme precipitation, weather prediction, the climatology of precipitation, and Colorado’s weather and climate. He serves as President of the American Association of State Climatologists and Councilor of the American Meteorological Society.
Lauren Snyder
Eagle River Water and Sanitation District Government and Public Relations Manager
Lauren Snyder is the Government & Public Relations Manager for Eagle River Water & Sanitation District, where she where she leads government relations, public policy, and community engagement efforts. She specializes in translating complex issues into clear, compelling communications and developing campaigns that inspire action, strengthen understanding, and engage communities around issues that matter.
Jason Ullmann
State Engineer and Director of the Division of Water Resources
As Colorado State Engineer, Jason Ullmann leads the Division of Water Resources (DWR) in addressing the increasing challenges of water management in Colorado. He has over 25 years of experience in water resources engineering, including 16 years at DWR. Prior to his appointment as State Engineer in 2024, he served as Assistant Division Engineer in the Gunnison River basin (Division 4) for 11 years and Deputy State Engineer for 3 years. Before coming to DWR he was the City Engineer for the City of Montrose and a consulting engineer for ditch and reservoir companies across Colorado. DWR, within Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources, administers water rights, issues well permits, ensures Colorado meets its compact obligations under interstate water compacts, monitors streamflow and water use, regulates dams and well construction within Colorado to protect public safety, and maintains numerous nation-leading databases of publicly available Colorado water information.
Phil Weiser
Attorney General of Colorado and Democratic Nominee for Governor
Phil Weiser was sworn in as Colorado’s 39th Attorney General in 2019 and is currently serving a second term. Attorney General Weiser has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service. As the state’s chief legal officer, he has been a steadfast defender of Colorado communities and an advocate for a sustainable water future. Before running for office, Weiser served as a professor and dean of University of Colorado Law School and has held leadership positions in the Obama and Clinton administrations. Weiser served as a law clerk to Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Supreme Court and to Judge David Ebel at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado.
Melissa Wills
Colorado River District Community Funding Partnership Manager (Moderator)
Melissa Wills is the Community Funding Partnership Program Manager for the Colorado River District – leading the District’s flagship funding program. Melissa oversees the distribution of about $4 Million in grants annually and works closely with partners to execute strategic initiatives. In leading the program, she works with landowners, community leaders, nonprofits, and other organizations to strategically position communities to be able to adapt to a hotter and drier climate. She has over a decade of nonprofit and philanthropic experience through work with the Vail Valley Foundation and the El Pomar Foundation. Melissa has been with the District since 2022. She lives in Carbondale, CO and can be found backcountry skiing, mountain biking, and backpacking.
Dwight Witherspoon
Senior Attorney for the Navajo Department of Justice, Water Rights Unit
Dwight is a member of the Navajo Nation. He is of the Ta’chiinii (Red Running into the Water) Clan. Dwight earned his Juris Doctorate from Arizona State University in May 2022, after serving 8 years on the Navajo Nation Council. This public service led to his interest in water rights. After passing the State and Navajo Bar, Dwight started working for the Navajo Nation Department of Justice in November 2022 in the Human Services Government Unit (HSGU). After working in HSGU for ten months, he transferred to the Water Rights Unit in October 2023. Dwight now leads the Navajo Nation Department of Justice Water Rights Unit since November of 2025.