top of page
Staff and
Working Committees
CAMU
Staff
Nicole Means, Executive Director
CAMU
Nicole Means is the Executive Director of the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities and represents the 28 community-owned utilities operating in the state. She is based in Colorado Springs and works as a Government Affairs Liaison for Colorado Springs Utilities at the State Capitol. Her expertise is in legislative analysis, cross-sector relations, and public administration. She has served in key roles within the Colorado House of Representatives and actively contributes to statewide organizations to advance the interest of public power. Nicole holds a B.A. in Global Studies and is pursuing her Master of Public Administration at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.
COMMITTEES
Working Committees
Kara Miller, Lobbyist
Gold Dome Access
Lobbying and Advocacy
Kara Miller has represented CAMU since 2015 and has spent nearly 30 years helping organizations navigate Colorado’s political and regulatory landscape. She has represented Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, emerging companies, patient groups and nonprofit organizations through complex legislative and regulatory debates. Before launching her government relations firm, Gold Dome Access, where she serves as founder and President, she lobbied for two administrations representing multiple state agencies, she served as staff for multiple ballot issues and candidate campaigns, and lobbied “in house” for Colorado Association of Community Centered Boards serving Colorado’s developmentally disabled citizens.
Dan Hodges, General Manager of Government Affairs
Colorado Springs Utilities
Director of Policy, CAMU
Dan Hodges serves as the General Manager of Government for Colorado Springs Utilities and as Policy Director of the Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities (CAMU). With over 25 years of experience in both state and federal public policy, Dan brings deep expertise and a long-standing commitment to advocacy on behalf of municipal utilities. He joined Colorado Springs Utilities in 2005, where he leads their government affairs initiatives, and served as CAMU’s Executive Director from 2009 through 2025, helping guide the organization through an ever-evolving policy landscape. He holds a Master of Public Policy from American University in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor's degree in public affairs from the University of Denver.
Leigh Gibson, Senior External Affairs Specialist
Platte River Power Authority
Legislative Affairs Committee Chair
Leigh Gibson is the Senior External Affairs Specialist at Platte River Power Authority, where she leads state government affairs. Leigh brings a diverse background in policy and stakeholder engagement and has expertise in government affairs, grants management, and research. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Boston College and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She lives in Fort Collins with her husband, two children, and their rescue pup.
Javier C. Camacho, Senior Manager of External Affairs
Platte River Power Authority
Communications Committee Chair
Javier C. Camacho leads CAMU’s Communications Committee. The committee convenes communication professionals across the CAMU network to work with the Executive Director on developing effective and informative messaging on public power, support for actions and advocacy by CAMU, and publicly available educational materials and platforms like the website.
bottom of page