20 August 2024
Douglas Kemper receives prestigious Aspinall Award 2024
Presented by Colorado Water Congress
Colorado Springs – August 20, 2024– The Colorado Water Congress presented Douglas Kemper, a lifelong advocate for Colorado’s water issues, with the 2024 Wayne N. Aspinall Water Leader of the Year Award.
The Aspinall Award is given annually in recognition of a career distinguished by service and contributions to Colorado’s water community. It is presented to an individual who has devoted a significant portion of his or her career to advancing the state and its programs to protect, develop and conserve the state’s water resources.
Traditionally, the Aspinall Award is presented at the CWC’s annual event. This year, the previous winners of the Aspinall Award decided to honor Mr. Kemper with the award at his last CWC conference before his impending retirement in the fall.
About Douglas Kemper
Doug Kemper is the longtime Executive Director of the Colorado Water Congress, where he has worked tirelessly since 2005 to bring Colorado’s water community together to find common solutions. He has been active with the CWC for most of his career, including serving in leadership roles on the CWC Board of Directors.
Prior to taking the leadership role at CWC, he spent nearly 20 years directly involved in the planning, development, and operation of Aurora Water’s raw water supply system. His skills include water policy development, surface and groundwater resource management, and collaborative negotiations. Doug has used his extensive skills to create ripple effects in Colorado’s water community that will resonate 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 recent years, Doug served as Chair of the State Government for four years and Vice Chair for many years prior to that, increasing the activities of the State Governments and their working relationships with each other.
Doug holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering/water resources. His master’s degree focused on agricultural irrigation efficiency and water quality studies. He is a registered professional engineer in Colorado.
About the Wayne N. Aspinall Award
Each year, the Colorado Water Congress presents the prestigious Wayne N. Aspinall Award to a Colorado resident who has demonstrated long-standing courage, dedication, knowledge and leadership in developing, protecting and preserving Colorado’s water – qualities that Mr. Aspinall possessed. The late Wayne Aspinall, an attorney and former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, remains one of the most influential water professionals in Colorado history.
