JACKSON, Wyo. —Today, Teton County announced that it has hired Chris Colligan as its Public Works Project Manager. He will oversee many critical projects in the County.
The Teton County Board of County Commissioners voted to create this new, full-time position when they passed the 2022 Fiscal Year Budget on June 30, 2021.
Today is Colligan’s first day at the County. His top priorities focus on: leading the Comprehensive Water Quality Management Planning, which kicks off in January; County-wide bear-proofing, also set to begin in January; wildlife crossings; Wyoming Highway 22 Pathway-Wildlife Fence intersection point implementation and coordination with the Wyoming Department of Transportation; aquatics crossing; wildlife fencing; Snake River levee wildlife ramps; Melody Ranch internal pathway repair wetland mitigation planning; and, much more.
“I am looking forward to this new opportunity to work on balancing the needs of our community with our role as ecosystem stewards,” said Colligan. “I’m honored that I was selected and hope to hit the ground running on projects that address our community’s needs on water quality, wildlife crossings and bear conflicts. We have a unique opportunity right now with funding to improve the way we impact natural resources and leave this place for future generations.”
Colligan comes to the County from the Greater Yellowstone Coalition where he was employed since 2008. Colligan’s work includes leading the Coalition to ensure a balanced and science-based approach to wildlife management in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. He was also responsible for implementing a broad range of strategies to influence state management of wildlife throughout Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho with a focus on grizzly bears, wildlife crossings, and mitigations. Prior to the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Colligan worked for Wyoming Game and Fish as a Brucellosis Information and Education Specialist in Jackson from 2004-2008.
Colligan attended Lake Superior State University in Upper Michigan and received a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management with a minor in Public Relations. He was named the “Wildlife Professional of the Year” in 2020 by the Wyoming Wildlife Society and was invited to speak at the National Conservation District Employees Annual Meeting in 2021, which focused on building relationships and partnerships with non-government organizations.
“We are thrilled to have Chris join the County,” said Teton County Public Works Director Heather Overholser. “He’s worked in Jackson for almost two decades and, in that time, he has been an integral part of much of what he will be working on at the County. We are confident that he has the right skills, experience, education, and resources needed to lead the way for our community on some very complex and important projects.”
