About Ellen

Since being elected to office, Ellen Roberts has 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. As one legislator stated “If you want a bill passed, give it to Ellen Roberts.”

Ellen’s work ethic and ability comes as no surprise to those acquainted with Representative 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.

Studying a bill on the House floor.

Political office: Elected state representative for House District 59, covering much of Southwest Colorado, in November 2006. In 2008, Ellen ran for re-election, unopposed. She served two years on the State House Committee of Health and Human Services. Ellen was the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee for her first three years, and in 2010, Ellen returned to Health and Human Services Committee as the ranking Republican member.  She’s been a member of the Legislative Legal Services Committee since entering office and was appointed to the House Finance Committee in 2009.  Also in Jan. 2009, Ellen was appointed by House Republican leader Rep. Mike May to serve on the special task force on Economic Recovery.

Boards and Commissions: Ellen served 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’s currently on the board of the Colorado Historical Society. 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.

Personal: Ellen’s the proud mom of two terrific young adults, Caitlin, and Ben, and her  husband of 27 years, Rick, is a builder in the Durango area.

Organizations: Locally, Ellen is on the First National Bank of Durango board of directors, is a past chairwoman of the board of Mercy Regional Medical Center and is a past officer and member of many local community groups.

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.  Most recently, 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.