On May 12, Clay Fong will join the Commissioners’ Office as Chief of Staff, succeeding Michelle Krezek, who retires on May 25 after almost 20 years of service with Boulder County.

Most recently, Clay was Manager of Community Relations and the Office of Human Rights at the City of Boulder. In this role, he oversaw the Community Mediation Service and staff tasked with anti-discrimination and wage theft enforcement. He was also the staff liaison for the City’s Human Relations Commission (HRC).While in this role, Clay worked with Boulder City Council and the HRC on ordinance changes related to topics such as bias-motivated crime sentence enhancement and updating statutory language to be more gender- inclusive.

Having attended the University of Colorado School of Law, Clay is a non-practicing attorney and a member of the Colorado Bar Association with a strong background in mediation.

Clay’s volunteer work extends beyond mediation with experience as a board member for nonprofit organizations as well as municipal boards and commissions.

“We are happy to announce Clay Fong as our new Chief of Staff,” said Board Chair Marta Loachamin. “The commissioners believe Clay has the background and skill set to step into role and the important work of the Commissioners’ Office.”

“Clay’s background and commitment to social justice make him a great fit for the role,” said Board Vice-Chair Claire Levy. “His experience in the City of Boulder’s Office of Human Rights and Community Relations, as well as Boulder’s Youth Opportunities Program, Racial Equity Team, and Tribal Consultation Team, align with many of the County’s values, priorities, and programs.”

“In addition to welcoming Clay to the county, we’d also like to thank Michelle for her years of service and her support to each of us as commissioners,” said Commissioner Matt Jones. “We wish her well in her retirement.”