Dear Partners,

In 2020, Attorney General Phil Weiser asked me to lead the Department of Law’s efforts to partner with local governments, state agencies, and community stakeholders to develop a framework for the distribution of the opioid settlement funds that emphasized regionalism, collaboration, and local control with state support.

Over three years later, Colorado is leading the nation in showing that we are our best when we work together. In addition to being recognized with the Inaugural Award for Excellence in the Application of Opioid Litigation Principles by Johns Hopkins University, Colorado continues to be featured on the national stage for our efforts to promote and implement transparency, accessibility, and accountability. This would not have happened without the support of each of you.

Working with Attorney General Weiser and stakeholders across the state has been the honor of a lifetime and so it is bittersweet to share with you all that I will be leaving the Department of Law at the end of June. I have accepted a position as the managing principal of Civic Results, a non-profit affiliated with the Metro Mayors Caucus that offers civic-minded programming education, and I will also serve as the executive director of the Metro Mayors Caucus.

I am so grateful to Attorney General Weiser, Colorado Counties Inc., Colorado Municipal League, the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, and community stakeholders across the state for the opportunity to serve.

Throughout my time here at the Department of Law, I have had the privilege of building a remarkable team that continues to raise the bar on how we can best serve the State of Colorado. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment will ensure that Colorado continues to be a national model. It has been an honor to lead the Opioid Response Unit. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to work together to build stronger communities across the state and hope to see many of you at this year's conference in Montrose.

With sincere gratitude,

Heidi Williams

Director of Opioid Response

Colorado Attorney General’s Office

Don't forget, you can reach the entire Opioid Response Unit team at Opioids@coag.gov or at (720)-508-6196!

The Colorado Opioid Abatement Council is excited to invite leaders and stakeholders from across the state to the 2nd Opioid Abatement Conference in Montrose, Colorado from August 16th-18th.

This interactive 3-day conference will include collaborative break-out rooms and networking sessions, presentations on best practices for addressing the opioid crisis, the nuts and bolts of opioid settlement funds, and how to leverage state and national resources. We have added more networking time and engaging local tours!