Executive Director Maria De Cambra
Before joining the Department of Local Affairs, Director De Cambra served as the Director of Communications and Community Engagement on Governor Jared Polis's Executive team. During her time in the Governor’s office, she worked closely with Governor Polis on delivering on his first-term priorities of free full-day kindergarten, universal preschool, and saving Coloradans money on health care. She also played a critical role in the Colorado COVID response and migrant humanitarian crisis. Before working with Governor Polis, she was Mayor Pro-Tem to the City of Westminster, where she championed affordable housing development. De Cambra has spent almost two decades leading community organizing and public policy efforts.
Director De Cambra has served as the Westminster City Council Liaison to the Adams County Economic Development Board, the Affordable Housing Task Force, the Human Services Board, the Northern Area Transit Alliance, and the Colorado Municipal League Policy Committee. She has also served on the board of directors of various Colorado non-profit organizations. In 2020, the Denver Business Journal awarded her the “40 under 40” award.
De Cambra was born in Tallahassee, FL, and spent her childhood in Caracas, Venezuela. In 2000, she moved to the United States to study at The Ohio State University and graduated with a degree in Political Science. In 2017, Director De Cambra completed the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.
Maulid Miskell, Deputy Executive Director
Miskell brings almost 25 years of state government experience in Colorado and Washington D.C., including a deep commitment to making housing more affordable, process improvement and regulatory oversight. Miskell has been serving as the Division of Housing Deputy Director of DOH since 2022, where he oversaw process improvements and implementation of several crucial initiatives, including Proposition 123's implementation. This landmark housing initiative has been instrumental in creating affordable housing across the state. Miskell’s selection signals DOLA’s ongoing commitment to addressing Colorado’s housing challenges with a forward-thinking approach. His hands-on experience in housing policy, regulatory frameworks, and intergovernmental collaboration makes him ideally suited to advance DOLA’s mission of building stronger, more resilient communities across the state. Prior to his current role in state government, Miskell managed numerous regulatory programs as a Program Director with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations for almost 11 years. He held a similar position for the District of Columbia's Department of Health for almost 6 years.
Geoffrey Alexander, Chief Financial Officer
Before joining DOLA, Geoff served in the Polis Administration as the Manager for Health, Housing, and Human Services in the Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budgeting (Colorado). He provided budget and policy recommendations on major initiatives including the implementation of the Behavioral Health Administration, Proposition 123 (voter-approved funding for affordable housing), Public Health Emergency transition, administering CARES Act/American Rescue Plan Act funds, and advancing Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Governor’s budget. In 2022, Geoff was an honoree for Colorado’s Public Service Recognition Week. Before his time in Colorado, he lived in Washington, D.C., where he spent several years working on policy issues that impact how our cities are built (housing, transportation, parks, economic development), first for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and later AARP. Geoff holds a Master’s in Public Policy degree from Duke University.
Eric Bergman, Division of Local Government Director
Eric Bergman serves as the Director of the Division of Local Government within DOLA, leveraging his extensive background in legislative policy issues cultivated during his tenure as the policy director for Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI). With over twenty-five years of experience working with local governments, including leadership roles such as director of the Office of Smart Growth in DOLA, Eric is dedicated to advancing sustainable community development. Holding a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters in Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College, Eric's expertise spans a wide range of areas, from elections and open records to transportation, telecommunications, land use planning, and marijuana regulation.
Bruce Eisenhauer, Legislative Liaison
Bruce Eisenhauer serves as the Department of Local Affairs' Legislative Liaison. Bruce has extensive local government experience and previously served as a city manager, community development director, and Main Street Director. Bruce earned his Masters of Business Administration from Mankato State University and Bachelor of Science also from Mankato State University.
Alison George, Division of Housing Director
Alison George is the state director of housing serving the Colorado Division of Housing (DOH) in the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA), where she directs all DOH programs, ranging from statewide housing voucher programs and manufactured housing code and mobile home park regulatory oversight, to Federal and State funding for constructing new affordable housing. Alison brings more than 25 years of experience in affordable housing finance and development. Before joining DOH, Alison served Mercy Housing Colorado as its Regional Vice President of Multifamily Housing and the Michaels Development Company as its Vice President of Development overseeing housing development in Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Shannon Gray, Communications Director
Before joining the Department of Local Affairs as the Communications Director, Shannon Gray was the Communications Supervisor for the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR), overseeing communication for the Colorado Lottery, Marijuana Enforcement Division, Natural Medicine Division, and Specialized Business Group. She was promoted to Communications Supervisor in April 2023 after serving as the Marijuana Communications Manager since 2017. Shannon also previously worked at the University of Denver in various roles, including with the Center for Professional Development, University Advancement, and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. She also taught as an temporary adjunct faculty member at the Department of Film, Journalism, and Media Studies, where she earned her graduate degree.
Shannon has an MS in Strategic Communication from the University of Denver and a BA in History, minor in Journalism from Wake Forest University. She lives in Denver with her husband Ryan, their two children Connor and Colleen, and their beloved rescue lab/pit mix Avery.
JoAnn Groff, Division of Property Taxation Administrator
The State Board of Equalization appointed JoAnn Groff Colorado’s Property Tax Administrator on January 1, 2006. She is responsible for maintaining a professional working relationship with County Assessor's, the General Assembly, the Department of Local Affairs, the Governor’s office, other elected officials, various industry groups and Colorado’s property owners. She is responsible for administration of fair and equitable property taxation in the State of Colorado as well as maintaining a strong, professional relationship with various county and state elected officials, a variety of state agencies, industry groups and the state’s taxpayers.
Before JoAnn’s tenure as the Property Tax Administrator, she devoted much of her career to public service in the state of Colorado. She served as a state legislator from 1983 to 1989, as a member of the State Board of Equalization from 1993 to 2005 and spent 13 years as the President of the Colorado Retail Council, a not-for-profit membership based trade association for Colorado’s retailers.
JoAnn studied at Georgetown University and earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Boston College. Additionally, JoAnn is the recipient of a Gates Foundation Fellowship and attended the Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.
Casie Stokes, Board of Assessment Appeals Board Administrator
Casie leads the BAA’s mission of ensuring Colorado taxpayers have access to a fair and impartial hearing process. Casie directs a team of five staff in supporting the work of the nine-member Board that resolves property tax appeals at the State level. Before joining the BAA, Casie clerked at the trial and appellate court levels, and practiced as an assistant county attorney in county and state court and before administrative bodies, including in the area of property tax litigation. She was instrumental in building Jefferson County’s child support problem solving court, a leading-edge and collaborative alternative that provides resources to assist participants in overcoming barriers. She holds a J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law, and a B.A. in Global Studies from the University of Iowa.
Kate Watkins, State Demographer
Kate Watkins is Colorado’s State Demographer. She leads DOLA’s State Demography Office, which produces population and economic estimates and forecasts for use by the business community and state and local governments. Kate has nearly two decades of experience analyzing economic and demographic trends in Colorado and beyond. Her career history includes serving as the Chief Economist for Colorado’s state legislature, as an economist at the Denver Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and as an economic consultant in the private sector. Kate holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Cornell University and holds an Master of Arts in Global Finance, Trade, and Economic Integration from the University of Denver.