Jenni Grafton Named Director of Community & Economic Development Department

Jenni Grafton has been named Director of  the Adams County Community & Economic Development Department. Grafton will begin on Tuesday, June 29.

“The remarkable growth in the county brings challenges and Jenni is well equipped to lead our CED team as they navigate high-profile land use, zoning, and oil and gas regulations,” said Adams County Manager Raymond Gonzales. “Having local experience and expertise will certainly shorten the learning curve for Jenni in this critical role.”

Grafton has worked in housing and land-use planning roles in non-profit and governmental organizations, including as the Economic Policy and Development Manager at the City of Westminster. There, she led long-term economic recovery efforts. Those efforts included $3.6 million in business assistance grants and over $600k in housing assistance funds with CARES Act funds; over $1 million in Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds; and over $540k in Tenant Based Rental Assistance with HOME funds.

In her new role with Adams County, Grafton will focus on the Advancing Adams trio of plans, including updating the Comprehensive Plan; creating the Transportation Master Plan; and updating the Parks, Open Space, and Trails Plan. In addition, Grafton will be responsible for overseeing development and enacting strategic overlays and enhancing the development review process.

Grafton earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado-Boulder, as well as dual master’s degrees in Architecture and Urban Design from the University of Colorado-Denver. She is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED-AP), including a specialization in LEED AP-ND (Neighborhood Development).