Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Taylor Hawes graduated from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991 with a B.A. in political science. She received her Juris Doctorate degree from the Vermont Law School in 1997.
Currently, Ms. Hawes serves as the Colorado River Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. The Program’s goal is to conserve the freshwater biodiversity of the Colorado River Basin, encompassing parts of seven states and Mexico, while also meeting human demands for water. Her responsibilities include coordinating freshwater conservation efforts across the Colorado River basin for The Nature Conservancy, synthesizing priority strategies, promoting the vision to key donors and partners, and reaching out to key stakeholders (internal and external) who are critical to conservation success across the Colorado River Basin.
Ms. Hawes previously held the position of Associate Counsel to the Colorado River Water Conservation District in Glenwood Springs. Her responsibilities there included working on water quality, water policy, environmental permitting, and water rights litigation. Prior to her work at the River District, she served as Co-Director of Northwest Colorado Council of Governments’ Water Quality and Quantity Committee ("QQ") from 1997 to 2004. Ms. Hawes also managed the Upper Colorado River Project ("UPCO"), which was a six-year study and solutions-oriented project in Summit and Grand Counties to address impacts associated with diversions to the Front Range from the West Slope. She served as a consultant to various towns and counties on land use and water related issues from 1998 to 2004 and acted as town attorney for Montezuma in Summit County, Colorado.
In addition to serving on the Board of the Colorado Water Trust, Ms. Hawes serves on the Boards of the Colorado Foundation for Water Education and the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training.