Appointment to take place at Commissioners’ business meeting on Tuesday, May 31

Boulder County, Colo. - Yvette Bowden, currently assistant city manager with the city of Boulder, has accepted a job offer to become Boulder County’s first ever assistant county administrator. The Board of County Commissioners will formally appoint her to this role at the business meeting on Tuesday, May 31, and she will start on Monday, June 27.

In this new role, Bowden will report to County Administrator Jana Petersen and will be responsible for staff functions within the Office of County Administrator (OCA), including the Recovery and Resiliency Division leading Marshall Fire and other disaster recovery efforts; the Board of Equalization managing property tax appeals; Communications functions; and the Business Operations Division that supports administration of the county’s internal facing departments. She also will lead cross-functional projects that span areas of responsibility among the departments reporting to the county administrator, and will serve as acting county administrator in the administrator’s absence.

“In searching for the assistant county administrator, the Commissioners and I sought feedback from OCA staff and leaders throughout the organization on the qualities we should be seeking,” Petersen said. “We were fortunate to have an incredible depth of expertise in a strong pool of applicants for this position. Among all of the terrific candidates, Yvette’s experience and skills most closely matched all of the themes that emerged in our search process, including her previously stepping into first-ever leadership roles in other positions. I am excited for her to partner with me and to work with the OCA team and department directors to bring additional executive leadership to our organization.”

Bowden has worked for the city in a variety of roles since 2014 and has been a tireless advocate for Boulder’s residents, visitors, businesses, educational and civic groups. She started with the city as deputy director of Parks and Recreation and was promoted four times including into her current position. Before moving to Boulder County, she had served as President and CEO of the Piedmont Park Conservancy, the most visited public space in Atlanta, and Executive Director of The Giving Tree, an adoption agency for children with special needs in foster care, in Decatur, Georgia.

Earlier in her career she worked in inclusion and diversity, legal, and human resources roles at ING Americas, United Airlines, and United Technologies Corp. She holds a juris doctorate degree and a bachelor’s degree in business from Pace University in White Plains, New York, as well as Certification for Leadership in State and Local Government from the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and she was a member of the Urban Land Institute Center of Excellence in 2012.

“Though I have had only a year to work with Yvette, it has been clear to me that her leadership, mentoring, vision, and partnering ability has made an indelible mark on our community and within our city team,” Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde said. “While we are sorry to see her leave our organization, we are fortunate that Yvette will now be our partner at Boulder County, continuing our collaboration in service with community members, the county, and neighboring towns.”

“Boulder County is an amazing place to live, work, recreate, and create. I am committed to working with Jana, the County Commissioners, and the entire Boulder County team to explore strategies and enhance our collective service for the community,” she said.

Yvette Bowden to be appointed as Boulder County Assistant County Administrator on May 31