An administrator whose lengthy career has included work in Grand Junction and elsewhere in Western Colorado has been appointed director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management office in Colorado.

In her latest role, Jamie Connell will oversee the management of more than 8.3 million acres of public land and 27 million acres of federal mineral estates in Colorado, most of that on the Western Slope.

Brian Steed, deputy director of the BLM, announced the appointment. “Jamie brings a wealth of service and leadership experience to her new role. She has been at the forefront of some of our most important initiatives, and the expertise she’s developed will continue to benefit the BLM and the Colorado communities and constituencies we serve.”

Connell succeeds Greg Shoop, who served as acting director, but will return to his role as associate state director.

A 33-year veteran of the BLM, Connell served for nearly two years as head of the BLM office for Oregon and Washington based in Portland. She served as state director for Montana and the Dakotas from 2010 to 2016.

A native of Montana, Connell received a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Montana Tech in 1985 and began her career as a petroleum engineer for the BLM in that state.

Her experience since has included stints with the BLM and U.S. Forest Service in locations across the West. In Colorado, she worked in positions in Grand Junction as well as Glenwood Springs, Montrose and Silverthorne.