Here’s the release from the Colorado Water Congress:
August 20, 2024
Douglas Kemper awarded prestigious 2024 Aspinall Award
Presented by the Colorado Water Congress
Colorado Springs – Aug. 20, 2024– The Colorado Water Congress awarded Douglas Kemper, a life-long advocate of Colorado water issues, the 2024 Wayne N. Aspinall “Water Leader of the Year’ Award.
The Aspinall Award is given annually in recognition of a career of service and contribution to Colorado’s water community. It is awarded to a person who has dedicated a significant part of his or her career to the advancement of the state and its programs to protect, develop and preserve the state’s water resources.
It is tradition for the Aspinall Award to be presented at CWC’s annual event. This year, the previous Aspinall Award winners decided to honor Mr. Kemper with this award at his last CWC conference preceding his upcoming retirement this fall.
About Douglas Kemper
Doug Kemper is the longtime Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, where he has worked tirelessly to convene the Colorado water community to find shared solutions since 2005. Active involvement with the CWC spans most of his career, including leadership positions on the CWC Board of Directors.Prior to leading at CWC, he spent nearly 20 years directly planning, developing, and operating the raw water supply system at Aurora Water. His proficiencies include water policy development, surface and ground water resources management, and collaborative negotiations. Doug has used his extensive skillset to create ripple effects in the Colorado water community that will reverberate long after his upcoming retirement this fall.
Through his position as Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, Doug has also supported Colorado’s strong involvement in the National Water Resources Association. In his recent years, Doug has served as the State Executive’s Chair for 4 years and served as the Vice Chair for many years before that. He has increased the State Executives’ activity and their working relationships with one another.
Doug has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Civil/Water Resources Engineering. His Master’s work focused on agricultural irrigation efficiency and water quality studies. His is a Colorado registered Professional Engineer.
About the Wayne N. Aspinall Award
The Colorado Water Congress presents the prestigious Wayne N. Aspinall Award annually to a Coloradan who has long demonstrated courage, dedication, knowledge and leadership in the development, protection and preservation of Colorado water – those attributes possessed by Mr. Aspinall. The late Wayne Aspinall, a lawyer and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, remains one of the most influential water leaders in Colorado history.
