October 3, 2017

Board of County Commissioners
Rio Blanco County
555 Main Street
Meeker, CO 81641

via email

Dear Commissioners:
As you requested, Alden Vanden Brink shared with us your correspondence of September 19,
expressing your concern with the Colorado River District’s newest hire, Zane Kessler. I want to
thank you for your continued interest in the River District and our work on Rio Blanco County’s
and the rest of western Colorado’s behalf.
Zane Kessler competed on a national level for the Communications Director position at the River
District. He was the unanimous and overwhelming selection of all who had a chance to interview
him, and he has proven himself as a reliable and valuable member of the River District team in the
four short weeks he’s been on the job.
The Post Independent article left an admittedly unfortunate impression that Zane is working less
than full time for the River District and continuing his professional association with the Thompson
Divide Coalition. That is not the case. Enclosed is a letter to the editor from Zane clarifying his
dedication to his new position and to the Colorado River District. We hope this allays your
concerns regarding divided loyalties.
In response to your concerns about Zane’s ability to separate his past from his current
responsibilities, I can only hope to assure you that we discussed this at length during the interview
and reference review process. None who interviewed Zane and none who have had the opportunity
to work with him had any question that he is a consummate professional who understands what it
means to be an advocate for his employer.
The River District has a history of successful hires. I am very proud of the staff of professionals
we have assembled and am absolutely confident that Zane will provide the River District with the
same level of professionalism and successful advocacy on behalf of the Western Colorado’s water
resources as his new colleagues have.
The River District has never hired nor failed to hire because of a candidate’s past associations, and
I hope we never will. Our two attorneys both represented and were closely associated with major
Front Range municipalities immediately before joining the Colorado River District. Chris Treese,

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October 6, 2017

Zane Kessler

whom you each know and to whom Zane will report, worked for the mining and oil shale industry
immediately before joining the River District. We had a number of our 15 counties at the time of
Chris’ hiring concerned with his past. I hope you’ll agree all of these employees have proven their
dedication and loyalties to Western Colorado and the Colorado River District from the date of their
hire.
Finally, I ask you to give Zane Kessler the opportunity and support every River District employee
deserves to be successful in serving Rio Blanco County and the entire Colorado River District.
Sincerely,

c:

A. Vanden Brink
T. Alvey

 Letter: Kessler’s new role
September 12, 2017

Earlier this month, I joined the Colorado River District as full-time communications director,
a position that will allow me to continue working with local governments and stakeholders to
help steward western Colorado's most valuable natural resource.
I am truly excited for this new opportunity and look forward to working with the district's
world-class team "to lead in the protection, conservation, use and development of the water
resources of the Colorado River and its principle tributaries."
I will certainly miss my work with the Thompson Divide Coalition and with the men and
women who dedicated themselves to conserving public lands, ensuring that local voices are
heard in public lands' management, and preserving family farms and ranches. It was an
honor to work alongside very diverse, and often divergent, interests in that effort —
ranchers and mountain bikers, environmentalists and snowmobilers, Republicans and
Democrats. I learned many valuable lessons that will serve me well in my new position at
the Colorado River District.
While I am no longer working for the coalition, I look forward to continuing to work with
diverse, Western Slope interests to protect western Colorado water for the welfare of the
entire district.
Zane Kessler
Carbondale