The state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division on Friday announced that its former chief of investigations is now its director.
Jim Burack was promoted to the top job two months after his former boss, Lewis Koski, was named deputy senior director for the Colorado Department of Revenue’s broader enforcement division.
That division oversees the separate enforcement operations of the marijuana industry, auto industry, gaming, liquor enforcement, and racing. All are within the Colorado Department of Revenue.
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“Jim has a well-balanced skill set that is drawn from his impressive educational background, public service, leadership, legal and law enforcement experience,” Ron Kammerzell, senior director of the enforcement division, said in a statement.
Burack has been with the the department for nearly two years following 12 years as administrator and police chief of Milliken, where he helped lead the town’s response to the 2013 floods.
He’s also been operations director and counsel for the Police Executive Research Forum in Washington, D.C., a non-profit group that examines police policies and practices.
Burack is a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and a judge advocate assigned as senior liaison officer in Region VIII of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
He served in combat positions in Kosovo in 1999 and in Iraq from from 2004-2005.
“His professional background in leadership, legal issues, policy development and customer service lend themselves to some of the important work that needs to be completed at MED,” Koski said in a statement. “These aptitudes are critical for engaging the public for rule making, procedural development, strategic planning and leading teams within the division.”
Burack is a graduate of Dartmouth College and holds a master’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Colorado Denver, as well as a law degree from the CU School of Law.
David Migoya: 303-954-1506, dmigoya@denverpost.com or @davidmigoya
