Rick Garcia

Rick Garcia was appointed Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs by Governor Jared Polis and confirmed by the Colorado Senate in January 2019. Rick comes to DOLA with over 25 years of community and economic development, housing and private sector experiences. His public sector background spans federal, state, and local governments. Rick previously served as the president’s appointed Regional Administrator of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he was the administration’s liaison to six western states’ governors, county commissioners, and mayors. He was also a senior adviser to HUD Secretary on sustainable housing and economic development policies and best practices. Rick also served two terms as a City and County of Denver Council member and chaired the Public Safety, Health and Environment and Transportation and Public Works council policy, and he was an elected Regional Transportation District board director and helped to launch the metropolitan region’s Fastracks transit program. He earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Harvard’s Kennedy School in international trade and strategic public management.