Upstate Colorado appoints Richard Werner CEO of eco-devo group

GREELEY — Richard C. Werner has been appointed president and chief executive of Upstate Colorado Economic Development, the Greeley-based economic development group announced Friday.

Werner has served as vice president of Pueblo Economic Development Corp. since 2009 and will start his job with Upstate on March 23.

Werner succeeds Eric Berglund, who resigned as CEO of Upstate earlier this year to take a similar job in Fort Myers, Fla.

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“We’re excited that Rich will be joining our experienced economic development team here at Upstate and feel confident that he is the professional to lead this organization and the region toward great success,” Tom Haren, Upstate’s board chairman, said in a statement.

Upstate conducted a national search for its new CEO and conducted interviews with four finalists. Werner was selected by unanimous vote of the board.

“Werner is well known and highly regarded throughout Colorado and his enthusiasm, experience and skill set provides the perfect foundation to quickly advance our strategic plan and achieve its goals,” Haren said. “We feel confident he will hit the ground running.”

Werner said he is honored to have the opportunity to lead the organizations.

“I am inspired by the board’s confidence in me to continue the hard work and legacy of Upstate,” Werner said in a statement.

Upstate Colorado Economic Development is a nonprofit economic development corporation formed in 1987 as a partnership between government and business throughout Weld County.