Gov. Polis appoints top position at Human Services, Personnel and Administration

Friday, February 8, 2019

DENVER - Gov. Jared Polis today announced appointments for top positions at the Colorado Department of Human Services and the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration. 

Michelle Barnes, executive director of the Department of Human Services

  • Michelle Barnes was the President/Founder of Interim Leadership Solutions where she led organizations through leadership transitions serving as their interim CEO. Recent organizations included Food Bank of the Rockies, Senior Housing Options, and more. She previously served as the Vice-President at the Outdoor Industry Association.  Prior to that, she spent a dozen years working in the high tech sector. She holds an MBA from UCLA and a BA from the College of William and Mary.

Kara Veitch, executive director of the Department of Personnel and Administration

  • Kara Veitch began her role with state government as the deputy executive director of the Department of Personnel & Administration in July 2013. Kara has more than 18 years of leadership, legal, and executive experience, having worked as an attorney for Children’s Voices, Inc., and as a partner at Isaacson Rosenbaum, P.C. She also served as associate director of the Colorado Forum, where she advised Colorado’s top business leaders on constitutional, fiscal, and educational challenges facing the State. She holds a Master of Business Administration, a Juris Doctorate, and a Bachelor of Arts - all from the University of Colorado.