DURANGO, Colo. — Governor Jared Polis has appointed Jill Hawley and Jordan Dresser to the Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees. The new trustees bring a wealth of leadership, policy, and cultural expertise to the board that oversees the college’s mission, budget, and strategic direction.

Hawley, of Centennial, is a longtime education policy leader whose work has spanned state government, philanthropy, and national education reform initiatives. Dresser, of Fort Collins, is a former Chairman of the Northern Arapaho Tribe and an experienced museum curator, journalist, and filmmaker. They replace outgoing members Ernest House, Jr. and Richard Kaufman, whose terms have expired.

In addition to these new appointments, Julia Duvall of Lakewood and Mary Rubadeau of southwestern Colorado have been reappointed to the board.

Jill Hawley

Jill Hawley of Centennial brings over two decades of executive leadership experience in education policy, philanthropy, and public service. A dedicated advocate for educational equity, Hawley has worked at the intersection of reform, strategy, and community impact in both state and national roles. 

She currently serves as the Chief Impact Officer at Gary Community Ventures, where she leads investment strategies aimed at improving outcomes for Colorado’s children and families—focusing on youth success, school readiness, and family economic mobility. Prior to that, she was a senior program officer for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s K-12 team, where she managed a $60 million grant portfolio supporting college and career readiness for Black, Latino, and low-income students.

Hawley’s public sector work includes executive roles at the Colorado Department of Education and Denver Public Schools, where she advanced policy and academic strategies in areas such as early literacy, educator effectiveness, and innovation. A graduate of Stanford University with an MBA from Harvard Business School, she brings deep expertise in strategic planning, operations, and policy development.

“Fort Lewis has distinguished itself as a top public college in the West and leader in serving Native American students,” she wrote in her application letter. “The college has demonstrated that it's possible to reconcile a racist and harmful past through tough, ongoing community-centered conversations that acknowledge harm, identify and implement repairs, and work toward a more just and equitable future.”

Jordan Dresser

A citizen of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, Dresser served as Tribal Chairman from 2020 to 2022, during which he developed policies on renewable energy, missing and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP), and natural resources. He was selected to serve on the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Not Invisible Act Commission and the Secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee.

Currently, Dresser is Curator of Collections at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, where he manages and expands the museum’s collections with an emphasis on community engagement and cultural representation. His past roles include collections manager for the Northern Arapaho Tribal Historic Preservation Office and public relations officer for the Wind River Hotel and Casino, where he curated exhibits on tribal culture and history.

An award-winning journalist and filmmaker, Dresser’s credits include co-producing the PBS documentary What Was Ours, the film Home from School: The Children of Carlisle, and his directorial debut Who She Is. He holds a master’s degree in museum studies from the University of San Francisco and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wyoming.

“I believe in the power of higher education for Native people and the possibilities it can create for these marginalized communities,” Dresser said in his application letter. “As a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe, I bring in a perspective that is unique and I hope to help make connections with the source communities to help bring

success to each student academic journey.”

Continuing Board Leadership

Alongside these new appointments, Governor Polis reappointed two trustees whose service has been instrumental to the college’s governance. Julia Duvall of Lakewood continues her role on the board, along with Mary Rubadeau, a longtime education leader based in southwestern Colorado.

The Fort Lewis College Board of Trustees is responsible for guiding the institution’s strategic priorities and ensuring it continues to fulfill its public mission. The appointments of Dresser and Hawley bring a fresh blend of cultural insight and policy acumen that reflect both the college’s heritage and its future.