City and County of Denver, CO
03/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/17/2026 10:07
Mayor Mike Johnston Appoints Emily Garnett as Chief Operating Officer
Mayor Mike Johnston Appoints Emily Garnett as Chief Operating Officer
Published on March 17, 2026
Today, Mayor Mike Johnston announced the appointment of Emily Garnett as the City's new Chief Operating Officer (COO). Garnett previously served as Interim Chief of Staff during Chief of Staff Jenn Ridder's parental leave. Ridder has now returned and continues to serve as Chief of Staff.
"Emily has been an exceptional leader for our team over the past several months," said Mayor Mike Johnston. "She stepped up to keep major priorities moving forward and ensure we stayed focused on delivering real results for Denver. Emily brings strong management skills and a keen ability to drive innovation and operational efficiency, and I'm grateful for her continued leadership as Chief Operating Officer."
As Chief Operating Officer, Garnett will oversee operations of the Mayor's Office and city agencies under the Mayor's leadership. She will also coordinate closely with Denver City Council. The role is designed to strengthen operational alignment and ensure the administration's priorities are implemented effectively across departments.
"I'm honored to become a permanent member of the Mayor's team and support the incredible public servants working across our city," said Emily Garnett. "I look forward to helping ensure our teams are aligned, connected and continue to deliver meaningful results for Denverites."
Garnett is a former partner at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, where she specialized in antitrust, government investigations, and securities matters. She served as a trusted advisor to Mayor Johnston during his time in the State Senate and brings extensive public service experience to the role, including service with the Securities and Exchange Commission in Denver. Emily holds a J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School and serves on the Board of Trustees for Metro State University of Denver and the Colorado Ballet. She has been recognized among Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and 5280.
City and County of Denver, CO published this content on March 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on March 17, 2026 at 16:07 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]