Colorado Resiliency Office
The Colorado Resiliency Office is a key partner and resource to help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from disruptions and ongoing stressors.
Communities across Colorado have been impacted by disasters, including flooding, drought, wildfires, COVID-19, and changing conditions like climate change. We coordinate and collaborate with local, state, federal, private, and non-governmental partners to ensure that Colorado communities are resilient to, and can build back better after disruptive events. We help communities understand vulnerabilities and risks, set priorities, leverage resources, provide transparent and clear communication, foster community partnerships, and deliver measurable results.
Our goal is to support a long-term adaptable and vibrant future for all Coloradans by building stronger, safer, and more resilient systems in the face of natural disasters and other shocks and stressors.
A resiliency approach to local planning emphasizes collaboration, community building, connection across sectors, and consideration of future conditions and challenges.
To leverage Colorado’s lessons learned from recent disasters and ongoing stressors facing the state, including the observed and projected effects from climate change, the CRO works to help communities be adaptive to changing conditions by incorporating resiliency into planning processes and projects - helping them understand the shocks and stressors they face, establishing a resiliency vision and goals, leveraging and aligning community plans, and developing and implementing resiliency strategies.
Responsibilities and Statutes
The CRO was created through State statute, and our obligations are set forth in Colorado Revised Statute 24-32-122, which lays out our responsibilities:
Develop a plan to improve coordination among state agencies and local jurisdictions to support community and economic recovery efforts and to address risk and vulnerability reduction;
Provide technical assistance to local governments for the implementation of resilience planning, including resilience frameworks, vulnerability profiles, risk-reduction plans, and economic development strategies;
Provide technical assistance to state agencies for the implementation of resilience policies and procedures and to institutionalize resilience practices across departments and agencies;
Provide technical assistance to local governments and state agencies to secure additional resources and investment to implement resilience solutions;
Integrate resilience criteria into existing competitive grant programs;
Provide policy advocacy to shape federal resilience efforts;
Develop metrics and targets to measure the short- and long-term success of resilience efforts and actions; and
Support long-term community recovery efforts and resource navigation after a disaster.
In 2020, the CRO finalized an updated Colorado Resiliency Framework to provide a roadmap for the State to a more resilient future. Our Resiliency Playbook is a resource for State agencies to use as a guide when integrating resiliency into their own programs and planning efforts. The CRO also provides support, resources, and technical assistance to local community leaders that are interested in incorporating resilience into their community planning work.
In doing this work, we regularly coordinate with the Governor’s Office and other State departments, supporting the integration of resiliency and community recovery programs into the work of State agencies.
Local Government Survey On Resilience Planning
Resilient communities are able to adapt and thrive no matter what disruptions they face. In 2019, the CRO surveyed all Colorado municipalities and counties to establish a baseline report of resilience-related needs. Every two years, the CRO builds off of this baseline report and collects data to understand how communities continue to plan for and implement long-term resiliency activities, and to better understand how the CRO can continue to provide resources and programs in response to changing local government needs and priorities.
Survey results:
2021 Resiliency Planning Survey
2019 Baseline Resilience Planning Survey
CRO Staff
CRO staff are experts in the fields of adaptation and resilience. We would love to speak with you about how we can leverage our resources and network to help your community achieve its resiliency goals.
Director: Anne Miller anne.miller@state.co.us
Contact Anne with questions about coordination across State agencies and federal partners, and integrating resiliency into plans, policies, and investments.
Rural Prosperity Manager: Kate Guibert kate.guibert@state.co.us
Contact Kate regarding resiliency projects occurring in rural areas of Colorado, and specifically for rural economic development and Just Transition inquiries.
Local Resiliency Program Manager: Marguerite Harden marguerite.harden@state.co.us
Contact Marguerite if you are a local government or community organization representative that needs assistance on integrating resiliency into your community programs and plans.
Resiliency Program Manager: Shayle Sabo shayle.sabo@state.co.us
Contact Shayle if you are a State agency seeking support on resiliency planning and integration into programs and policies
Resilient Recovery Program Manager: Matthew Jacobs matthew.jacobs@state.co.us
Contact Matthew if you are seeking support on pre- and post-disaster recovery planning and resiliency integration into programs and policies.
CRO Committees and Advisory board
Colorado Resiliency Working Group
Established with the release of the 2015 Colorado Resiliency Framework, the Colorado Resiliency Working Group (CRWG) is the steering committee and implementing body of the Colorado Resiliency Framework. The CRWG is responsible for leading or supporting Framework strategy implementation, enhancing cross-agency collaboration and communication, integrating resiliency into agency policies and plans, and identifying trends and opportunities to capitalize on change. The CRWG includes representatives from State and federal agencies, along with other key partners, and meets quarterly.