Chaffee County Director of General Administration Robert “Bob” Christiansen is retiring following 30 years of service within Chaffee County government.
Christiansen announced to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) at their December 6th regular meeting that he intends to conclude his employment at the end of February of 2023.
Christiansen began his career with Chaffee County in 1993 as Director of Human Services (DHS), leading the DHS department for 14 years before being hired into the Administrative Director position in 2007. He has been responsible for general county operations, policy implementation, and fiscal management under the direction of 15 different County Commissioners during his 16 year tenure in this top local leadership role.
In addition to his strong dedication to the County’s public sector service, Bob’s passion for supporting youth and families has guided his professional path and life-long volunteerism. He was co-founder of the Chaffee County Boys and Girls Clubs and the Chaffee County Mentors, as well as serving as Chaffee County Build A Generation Board member for seven years and helping initiate the Chaffee County Family Youth Initiatives program in 1998.
“For decades, Bob Christiansen has been synonymous with Chaffee County Government,” said Board of County Commissioners Chairman, Greg Felt. “I’ve had the privilege of working with Bob the last six years as we navigated challenges like wildfires, pandemics, and gas outages, but also more positive opportunities like the Envision process, passing a conservation finance measure, and ramping up forest health initiatives. Through it all, he has been a voice of experience, encouragement, and guidance. I will miss working with him tremendously!”
Christiansen shared some perspective on his time working within the County, “I have seen a great deal of change within Chaffee during my three decades here. Since I started with the County, our population has increased more than 70%, schools have expanded markedly, many new neighborhoods have grown and flourished, and the resulting demands on County services have grown substantially. However, the constants throughout this whole period have been the incredible spirit of our citizens and our community-minded approach to shared challenges, as well as the tremendous support I’ve received from the Commissioners, my colleagues, and especially my family. It’s been an honor to have dedicated my career here, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of leaders help Chaffee County thrive.”
“It has been a pleasure working with Director Christiansen during my term,” commented Commissioner Rusty Granzella. “Bob has been a stellar leader for Chaffee County. His professional demeanor, his patience, and his ability to effectively support dozens of different elected officials across the political spectrum is a testament to his dedication to Chaffee County and our residents. Bob has been the ‘go to’ person in both good times and tragic times, and we are so grateful for his service all these years.”
The County and BOCC intend to open a national search for the Director of General Administration position by early January, 2023.
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