Ellen Roberts

Ellen Roberts is an attorney and former State Legislator representing Durango and Southwest Colorado from 2007-2016, where she was the sponsor/founder and legislator Co-Chair of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council. She also held high-ranking leadership positions as Senate President Pro Tempore and Chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee, the Wildfire Matters Committee, and the Water Resources Review Committee.

Most recently, from 2017 to 2021, she worked as a Natural Resources Consultant, focused on forest health and watershed protection issues in Southwest Colorado.

From 1987-2008, Ms. Roberts worked in private practice, including as Partner at the law firm Roberts & Steelman, P.C. in Durango.  During this time, she also served as a contract attorney for the Ute Mountain Ute of Towaoc, CO and Southern Ute Indian Housing Authorities of Ignacio, CO, as well as having clerked for the DNA People’s Legal Services (Navajo) in Chinle, AZ.

Ms. Roberts currently sits on the Mountain Studies Institute Board of Directors. She previously served on the Board of Trustees at Fort Lewis College in Durango, the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation Board as a founding member, and was appointed as gubernatorial Director at History Colorado.