Boulder promotes two to fill director vacancies

BOULDER – Two internal candidates who had been overseeing their respective city departments on an interim basis have been promoted to lead those departments.

Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde on Monday said that Natalie Stiffler will become director of the Transportation & Mobility Department, and Cris Jones will be promoted to director of Community Vitality. Both appointments are effective Monday, May 29.

Both Stiffler and Jones had been overseeing their respective departments in interim director positions since early last year.

“During their tenure as interim directors, I’ve been impressed at the leadership both Natalie and Cris have shown in working on high-profile projects with community stakeholders, as well as the strategic vision they’ve presented for their respective departments,” Rivera-Vandermyde said in a prepared statement. “These positions are critical for advancing City Council initiatives as well as providing consistently excellent day-to-day services to our community. I am excited to continue to watch Natalie and Cris grow and serve in these ongoing leadership roles.”

Stiffler and Jones have significant tenure working for the city of Boulder prior to their current employment, followed by experience working elsewhere, and then a return to the city organization.

Stiffler rejoined city government in July 2020 as deputy director of Transportation and Mobility. She was named interim director in May 2022. Her professional experience in transportation planning and leadership includes employment with Via Mobility Services, the city of Boulder’s then Public Works/Transportation Department, the San Diego Association of Governments, and Lane Transit District in Oregon.

She has a dual master’s degree in transportation engineering and city and regional planning from California Polytechnic State University as well as a bachelor’s degree in urban studies and planning from the University of California, San Diego. She has completed several leadership programs including the six-month Eno’s Transit Senior Executive Leadership Program in 2020.

Stiffler’s predecessor was Erika Vandenbrande, who moved to the West Coast.

Jones returned to Boulder in December 2018 to serve as deputy director of Community Vitality after working for nearly five years in progressively higher leadership roles within Salt Lake City’s transportation division. Prior to his experience in Utah, Jones worked within what was then Boulder’s Public Works/Transportation Department, starting as an intern and earning promotions to the position of Transportation Planner II. He was named interim director of Community Vitality in February 2022.

Jones has a bachelor’s degree in environmental design and architecture from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Jones’ predecessor was Yvette Bowden, who became Boulder County’s first-ever assistant county administrator.

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