Rural Opportunity Office

The Rural Opportunity Office (ROO) supports Colorado’s rural communities, economic development offices, business support organizations, and small businesses by connecting them to relevant OEDIT and State Partner programs to work toward a resilient future. The office consists of a director and two rural opportunity representatives that directly serve Colorado's eastern, western, and southern regions. Each representative lives within the rural region of the state that they support.

The ROO is responsible for:

Working in partnership with other OEDIT divisions and State Partners to coordinate rural resources
Overseeing and executing the Rural Ready program
Overseeing the development of an EDA-funded Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

Rural Programs and Funding

Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy: The Statewide Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a five year strategic roadmap for statewide economic development goals and priorities. The Statewide CEDS was informed by the regional CEDS from each of Colorado’s 14 Economic Development Districts and two Tribal Nations. The Statewide CEDS reflects priorities and goals from all corners of Colorado. The CEDS updates the State’s previous economic development strategies and related plans;, helps facilitate future applications to federal programs, and specifically address strategies for key industries, as well as disproportionately impacted groups like small and rural businesses, coal transition communities, Tribal Nations and underserved communities.

Rural Exchange: The Rural Exchange quarterly meeting initiative is set up to build consistent, focused engagement with rural economic developers.

Rural Ready: An online learning course developed to support Colorado professionals working in a rural economic development space. The course is meant as an introduction to key terms, common programs, and resources specific to rural economic development. Successful completion of the course comes with a $2,500 Seed Grant.

Rural Strategies Lab: The Rural Strategies Lab helps rural Colorado communities build stronger local economies through education, technical assistance, and strategic planning support. Designed for community leaders, economic developers, local governments, chambers, nonprofit organizations, and regional partners, the Rural Strategies Lab provides participants with the tools, guidance, and expertise needed to move important economic development initiatives from concept to implementation.

Program Connections: Connections to and navigating support for OEDIT programs like Rural Jump-Start, Enterprise Zones, Just Transition Community Funding and industry-specific opportunities.

All Rural Programs and Funding

Rural Opportunity Representative County List

Wendy Stewart-Martinez is Eastern Plains Representative and is light green on the map, review the table below for the Eastern Plains counties. Wendy is also the Southern Colorado Representative and shown in light orange, review the table for Southern Colorado counties. Kami Collins is the Western Colorado Representative shown in pink, review the table below for Western Colorado counties. Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and Larimer are gray and defined as urban counties not covered by ROO.

Name of Rural Opportunity Representative	Colorado Geographical Designation	Colorado Counties
Wendy Stewart-Martinez	Eastern Plains Rural Opportunity Representative	Adams, Arapahoe, Baca, Bent, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Crowley, Elbert, Gilpin, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Logan, Morgan, Otero, Phillips, Prowers, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld and Yuma
Wendy Stewart-Martinez	Southern Colorado Rural Opportunity Representative	Alamosa, Archuleta, Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Dolores, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, La Plata, Lake, Las Animas, Mineral, Montezuma, Park, Pueblo, Rio Grande, Saguache, San Juan and Teller
Kami Collins	Western Colorado Rural Opportunity Representative	Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Miguel, Summit and all Tier One and Tier Two Coal Transition Communities
Not Applicable	These are defined as urban counties and not covered by the rural opportunity office.	Broomfield, Boulder, Douglas, Larimer and Jefferson

Talk to Your Rural Representative

Rural representatives live in the regions that they represent. They work closely with economic development offices in their regions to understand and support the differing needs of each area.