The Bureau of Land Management recently hired Stephanie Connolly as the Southwest District manager, and the public is invited to network with her during open houses in Durango, Dolores, Grand Junction and Montrose.
“I’m excited to be here and look forward to getting to know our partners and community members while exploring this incredible landscape,” said Connolly.
Connolly previously served as a district manager with BLM in Wyoming for more than nine years. She also worked in Idaho, Nevada and Utah, and in temporary BLM assignments in Wyoming.
The public is invited to meet Connolly at the following open houses:
July 12, 8-10 a.m.: BLM Tres Rios Field Office, 161 Burnett Drive, Unit 4, Durango.July 12, 12-2 p.m.: Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum, 27501 Colorado Highway 184, Dolores.July 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: BLM Grand Junction Field Office, 2815 H Road.July 19, 8-10 a.m., Montrose Public Lands Center, 2465 S. Townsend Ave.Connolly began her career in the U.S. Forest Service in 1991, working in Utah and Nevada. She also worked for Washoe County, Nevada, as a project coordinator before joining the BLM in 2003 as an associate district manager. She served as the Cottonwood field manager in Idaho in 2007 before making the move to Casper in 2009.
“I look forward to working with the communities and partners who make the Colorado Southwest District one of the nation’s premier BLM offices,” Connolly said.
Connolly will fill a position held by Joe Meyer, who retired in 2017.
“Stephanie brings an impressive background in management and leadership experience,” said Greg Shoop, BLM Colorado’s acting state director.
The Southwest Colorado District manages 2.7 million surface acres in the Uncompahgre, Grand Junction and Tres Rios field offices, and encompasses 7.3 million acres of public mineral estate.