November 12, 2010 12:44 AM UTC

Salazar, Sewald Get Top Posts With Hickenlooper

• 8 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Just announced from Governor-elect John Hickenlooper:

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Alan Salazar will be his Chief Policy and Political Director and R.D. Sewald will be Deputy Director of Legislative Services.

The full press release follows.  

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper announced today Alan Salazar will be his Chief Policy and Political Director and R.D. Sewald will be Deputy Director of Legislative Services.

Salazar is now a top aide to U.S. Sen. Mark Udall. He will start work for the Hickenlooper-Garcia Administration in January. Salazar will oversee and coordinate policy, legislative, communications and scheduling operations in the Governor’s Office. He will also provide strategic and political direction for the new administration.

Salazar is a fifth-generation Colorado native. He has 25 years of political and government service on the staffs of former U.S. Sens. Gary Hart and Tim Wirth. Salazar was Udall’s Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives before moving into his current position. He previously worked as Deputy Chief of Staff for former Gov. Roy Romer.

Salazar’s political experience includes working as the Campaign Manager for Romer in 1994, as Political and State Director for Clinton-Gore in 1992 and 1996, as Special Advisor to Gail Schoettler in 1998 and as Campaign Chair for Hickenlooper’s recent gubernatorial campaign.

Sewald is now Director of Legislative Services and City Council Liaison for Hickenlooper at the City of Denver. He will leave the City on Dec. 1.

Sewald has more than 15 years of experience in state and local government with an emphasis on public policy and political management. As Legislative Services Director, he monitored and evaluated legislative actions for the administration and was responsible for the administration’s legislative team that includes neighborhoods, boards and commissions and state and local legislative affairs.

Before his mayoral appointment, Sewald was the Director of Government and Community Affairs for the Denver Auditor’s Office, where he was appointed by Denis Gallagher. He also was the Deputy Director of Denver’s Planning Department and Zoning Enforcement for the Webb Administration and worked as Director of Neighborhood Inspection Services from 1998 to 2002.

Sewald’s political experience includes work on several campaigns, including Roy Romer for Governor in 1994, Wellington Webb for Mayor in 1995 and Denis Gallagher for Auditor in 2003.