Colorado governor names chief recovery officer

DENVER — Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper named a Chief Recovery Officer to work closely with the Colorado Office of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local partners to help lead the state’s response to devastating flooding in 17 counties along the Front Range and on the Eastern Plains.

Jerre Stead, executive chairman of Englewood-based IHS Inc., will be the state’s new Chief Recovery Officer. ISH is a global information company with world-class experts in energy, economics, geopolitical risk, sustainability, and supply chain management. Stead, IHS Senior Vice President Kerri Nelson, and other IHS colleagues will donate their time helping Colorado with this recovery effort.

“We are about to embark on a rebuilding effort of a truly epic scale,” Hickenlooper said. “It’s essential that we have the right team in place to help coordinate efforts at the local, state, and federal levels. We want to recover and rebuild quickly, better and in the most efficient way possible. Jerre is the perfect person to help us design and deliver a coordinated response to this disaster.”

Stead will help lead recovery efforts for Colorado including securing and supervision of staff and working with the FEMA and the Colorado Office of Emergency Management (OEM) for the Governor’s Office. More specifically, his duties will include:

• ensuring all recovery assessments are completed by coordinating with OEM;
• ensuring all local communities understand resource allocation by coordinating with OEM and working with members of the General Assembly;
• ensuring initial assessment of winter conditions and recovery needs, with an execution plan for response presented to the Governor;
• advocating for federal funding and ensuring that Colorado receives all available funding;
• ensuring quality control of work and “building for the future”;
• establishing mechanisms for fundraising for recovery and for use of volunteers, including home rebuilding, and establishing a volunteer coordination structure and fundraising ability to assist in efforts; and
• coordinating with local leaders to ensure positive working relations.

“We are honored to be asked to assist Colorado,” Stead said. “IHS is donating our time to help communities recover in as expeditious a manner as possible. We look forward to partnering with OEM and our local and federal partners in the critical days ahead. We will rebuild stronger.”