EL PASO COUNTY — The Chair of the El Paso County Board of Commissioners, Cami Bremer will simultaneously hold a new job as the President/CEO of Pikes Peak United Way, at least for the next few months.
Bremer was selected out of a nationwide search to replace retiring President and CEO, Cindy Aubrey.
In a news release sent out Friday morning it said she would begin a "transition plan" that would "allow her to serve as CEO while also fulfilling her elected duties."
Bremer is in her second term as El Paso County Commissioner. Her current term doesn't expire until 2026.
“I plan to continue to steward my responsibilities and serve in a way that prioritizes Pikes Peak United Way while also executing my duties as a county commissioner,” Bremer said in the release, “the goal is to ensure stability of operations for both organizations fully supporting our community through the transition completion in early 2025.”
Bremer is paid an annual salary of $130,000 as one of five commissioners. The most recent Form 990 filing for Pikes Peak United Way shows Aubrey was paid an annual salary of about $150,000.
As for what that transition looks like, Bremer did not give an exact date on when she would depart from the Board of County Commissioners but that it may happen in the next six months.
"I did not take this role expecting to have two feet in incredibly important organizations, for an extended period of time," Bremer said.
She did say she would be moving away from the chair position in the coming weeks, which she said comes with a "tremendous amount of work". The chair and vice chair are responsible for setting agendas and various policy decisions.
How can Bremer serve as both the CEO of a large non-profit and as a top elected official?
"I have always been known as as an over worker, there is no 40 hour work week for me," Bremer said, "I can continue to steward through the budget is coming up over the next few months and just provide that stability and consistency, and be there to vote and be there when my constituents expect me to be."
With continuing to oversee taxpayer dollars, Bremer could face conflicts of interest for the organization she is now in charge of in terms of funding. When asked how she would handle that, she said it's something she's familiar with.
"Absolute recusal," she said. "Generally a recusal will come with even exiting from the conversations, no pressure on my colleagues. So that that's pretty cut and dry. It's not just an ethical or a voting thing, it is it is just the right thing to do for me to remove myself."
As for serving as the next CEO of Pikes Peak United Way, Bremer said she's looking forward to learning more about the organization beyond what she's familiar with.
"I know a lot about the programs that I see externally, but I want to, you know, first just really dig in and find out every single employees why for being here and how they do what they do and build on that," Bremer said.
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