About Ellen

Ellen Roberts was elected to the Colorado State Senate in November 2010 with 61% of the votes cast in the general election.  She’s the first woman elected to the senate seat for District 6 and brings with her the knowledge and experience gained from serving two terms in the Colorado House.

As state senator, Ellen serves on several committees, including as ranking Republican on the Senate Local Government Committee and is a member of the  Health and Human Services, Judiciary, and Legislative Legal Services Committees.   She also currently serves on two interim committees, the Water Resources Review Committee and on the Legislative Health Benefit Exchange Implementation Review Committee.

In addition to her responsibilities at the Colorado legislature, Ellen was appointed to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Federal Deficit Reduction Task Force and, in August 2011, was elected to NCSL’s Executive Committee.  Ellen is the only Colorado legislator to serve on either of these committees.

During her four years in the Colorado House, Ellen distinguished herself as a capable and thoughtful legislator. The Denver Post reported, “In her first term as State Representative, Ellen has been a rising star in the Colorado State House. Her non-partisan positions on issues critical to the state of Colorado and to her constituents have earned her respect from both voters and fellow lawmakers.

Ellen’s work ethic and ability comes as no surprise to those acquainted with Senator Roberts. As a community member in Southwest Colorado, Ellen serves on the board of directors of 1st National Bank of Durango; she is the past chairwoman of the Mercy Regional Medical Center board and is a member of a number of other local community groups. Ellen’s tremendous service to the community has come in the midst of her running a successful law practice and raising two children with her husband, Rick. Ellen’s secret to success? She listens, leads with reason and fairness and takes on the vital issues to our communities.

Boards and Commissions: Ellen serves on the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice and recently was a board member for the state organization Colorado Hospice and Palliative Care.  She is the legislator co-chair of the Colorado Youth Advisory Council, a legislatively created youth advisory group to the Colorado State Legislature, which was established by a bill she carried in 2008.

Work/education: Before being elected to the Colorado legislature, Ellen practiced law in Durango for over 20 years.  She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University in 1981 and a law degree from the University of Colorado in 1986.   Before going to law school, Ellen worked in several national parks as a ranger and as a ski lift operator in Winter Park, Colorado.

Personal: Ellen’s the proud mom of two terrific young adults, Caitlin, and Ben, and her  husband of 28 years, Rick, is a builder in the Durango area.  Rick’s company is San Juan Structures, www.sanjuanstructures.com .

Awards/Honors: Ellen received the 2003 Athena Award from the Durango Chamber of Commerce and the 2001 Professionalism Award from the Southwest Colorado Bar Association. She was recognized as a Four Corners Leader by the Four Corners Business Journal in 2003, and, in 1999, was featured in the series “Profiles of Success” in the Colorado Bar Association’s monthly publication, The Colorado Lawyer.

Since being elected to the state legislature, Ellen received the 2007 Spirit of Independence award from the Independent Bankers of Colorado, the 2007 Legislator of Merit Award from the Colorado Behavioral Health Council and the Common Sense in the Courtroom Award from the Colorado Civil Justice League.

In 2009, she has received the Legislator of the Year 2008 award from Mental Health America of Colorado, and the Colorado Youth Corps Association’s 2008 Champion of Youth award.  In the summer of 2009, Ellen was one of four U.S. state legislators invited to participate as faculty for the Middle East Partnership Initiative workshop in Algiers, Algeria.  Ellen was honored to be appointed in July, 2009, as Vice Chair of the National Conference of State Legislature’s Legislative Effectiveness Committee for 2009-2010.