As the executive director for the Mile High Flood District, Laura Kroeger is responsible for a budget of over $100 million with a full-time team of 50 people. The District is a regional agency that works with 40 local municipalities and counties to protect people, property, and our environment from flood risks through preservation, mitigation, and education in the Denver metro area. Three million people live within the District’s service area of 1,600 square miles. Kroeger has led the restructuring of the District to a Watershed Management Approach to align the organizational structure to their strategic goals. She developed the alternative process called Project Partners, which brings together a diverse team of experts at the project’s onset to work collaboratively to achieve project goals successfully.
Kroeger served as the chair of APWA’s Leadership & Management Committee and supported the committee in forward-looking projects, like the leadership framework and benchmarking. Her experience on the Certification Council, Credentialing Focus Group, and active participation in the establishment of the Certified Public Works Professional have provided her with valuable insight to ensure the success of these initiatives and others. Kroeger served on the Colorado Chapter Board for several terms and chaired the scholarship and education programs. In 2012, Kroeger chaired the steering committee to establish the Rocky Mountain Public Works institute, in which she remains active in participating. Kroeger was a Top Ten Leader of the Year in 2019.