LAKEWOOD — Colorado Open Lands (COL) has announced the election of State Sen. Cleave Simpson and Jeff Trujillo to its board of directors. As reported last week in the Valley Courier, Simpson announced this news at the forum on Solar Energy and Agriculture COL sponsored in Alamosa on Nov. 28.

The board is comprised of individuals with backgrounds in land, water, law, finance, business, and philanthropy who help Colorado Open Lands achieve its mission of protecting land and water for people and wildlife. 

Board Chair Paul Phillips said, “I’m delighted to welcome Jeff Trujillo and Cleave Simpson onto the COL Board! Their deep Colorado roots and proven commitment to land stewardship and conservation will make them invaluable additions to Colorado Open Lands.”

Simpson was born and raised in Alamosa. He is the fourth generation of his family to farm and ranch in the San Luis Valley. He is the general manager of the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, working across the Valley with all stakeholders addressing the water security issues in the basin. He is also currently the Colorado State Senator representing Senate District 6 which is comprised of 14 counties in southern and southwest Colorado, including the west slope and the south slope.

Simpson has served as a representative to the Rio Grande Basin Roundtable and as the Roundtable representative to the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee. He is also the past chairman of the Adams State University Board of Trustees in Alamosa.

Through a thoughtful approach to preserving the landscapes Coloradoans cherish, he expects to create opportunities for the fifth and sixth generations of his family and many others to enjoy the abundant and varied natural beauty of our great state.

Trujillo leads PwC’s U.S. Alliances and Ecosystems Commercial team which is responsible for identifying and activating strategic growth investments with the firm’s key technology alliances. A fifth-generation Colorado native, he is dedicated to taking care of the state’s outdoor spaces.

He is a 20-year boots on the ground volunteer with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado and also served as VOC’s board chair. He currently serves on the board of Leave No Trace and El Pomar Foundation’s Awards for Excellence selection committee.

When Trujillo isn’t working, he can be found enjoying the outdoors with his family and friends. He is a graduate of Colorado College and received his master's degree from the University of Colorado.

Colorado Open Lands is a private, nonprofit land trust that works to enhance Colorado’s quality of life by protecting its most treasured asset: open lands. Since 1981, COL has helped landowners conserve over 660,000 acres around the state and fostered partnerships responsible for critical innovations in conservation funding, water management, and more. In 2015, COL adopted an ambitious strategic plan to help interested landowners protect a total of 800,000 acres across Colorado by 2025.