Two new directors joined the Board of the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and were sworn in on Thursday, April 17, according to a statement issued by the District.
Abby Ortega will represent El Paso County and Mike Bartolo will represent Otero County on the 15-member Board. Returning directors who were sworn in include Greg Felt, Chaffee County; Matt Heimerich, Crowley County; Andy Colosimo, El Paso County; and Seth Clayton, Pueblo County. Terms are for four years.
Ortega will fill the term for the seat held by Mark Pifher, who retired in December. The term expires in 2028. Bartolo will take over the seat held by Howard “Bub” Miller, who was recognized for 20 years of service to the Board by President Bill Long at Board’s April meeting.
Ortega is a Fremont County native who is General Manager of Infrastructure and Resource Planning for Colorado Springs Utilities, where she manages resources for gas, electricity, wastewater and water services. She has worked at Springs Utilities since 2003 and held various positions in the water resources area.
She earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University-Fort Collins and is a licensed professional engineer. She has served on the Colorado River Energy Distributors Board, the Fountain Valley Authority Board, the Arkansas Basin Roundtable, Colorado Canal and Twin Lakes Reservoir Co. board and the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area Citizen Task Force.
“Fostering relationships across the entire spectrum of issues is crucial for collaborative progress,” Ortega said. “The SECWCD is positioned to be a leader in the future of water in the Arkansas River Valley and I would like to be part of that as a Board member. I have a history of working with recreation, as well as farmers and ranchers.”
She and her husband of 26 years, Gabe Ortega, have three children and live in Fountain.
Bartolo is a native of Pueblo County and grew up on the St. Charles Mesa. He retired as manager of the Colorado State University Research Center at Rocky Ford in 2023 after more than 30 years. Much of his time since then has been spent advocating for agriculture and developing new strains of chile peppers. In February 2025, Bartolo was inducted into the Colorado Agricultural Hall of Fame.
He has a Ph.D. in plant physiology from the University of Minnesota, a master’s degree in horticulture from CSU-Fort Collins, and a bachelor’s degree in bioagricultural science from CSU-Fort Collins. He is a member of the Super Ditch Board, the Hilltop Water Company Board and is active in St. Peter’s Church in Rocky Ford.
“I wanted to join the Southeastern Board from a technical aspect to continue learning about water and a concern for agriculture and the communities that rely on agriculture,” Bartolo said.
Bartolo and his wife, Kyle, have two grown children and live in the Rocky Ford area.
The Southeastern District includes parts of nine counties and has a 15-member Board. Its major purpose is administration of the Fryingpan-Arkansas Project in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The District’s top project currently is construction of the Arkansas Valley Conduit.
