El Centro, California - The County Executive Officer (CEO), Tony Rouhotas, Jr., has announced that the County of Imperial (County) has a new Deputy CEO with the recent promotion of Mrs. Esperanza Colio Warren.  Mrs. Colio Warren’s appointment as the Deputy CEO will begin effective August 2, 2018.

“It is a pleasure to have Esperanza working with the team in a new capacity,” stated Mr. Rouhotas.  “I have had the opportunity to know and work with Esperanza since 2007 and she has always been great to work with and always has the community’s best interest at heart. This is evident in the many projects and funding sources that she and her team have tackled and brought to this County. I am confident that she will exceed our expectations in her new role while bringing more opportunity to the people of this County.”

Mrs. Colio Warren has been a dedicated County employee since the spring of 2004, serving as the County’s Community and Economic Development Manager for the past 14 years.  As the Community and Economic Development Manager, Mrs. Colio Warren functioned as the County’s premier grant writer and steadfastly pursued potential funding sources to develop, restore, and expand infrastructure projects in support of business and/or community development, securing more than $40 million in state and federal grants for the county.

During her tenure, she worked with federal, state, and local partnering agencies on funding and regulatory assistance for infrastructure projects for community services districts and utilities in the unincorporated areas of the county, prepared grant proposals, implemented grants, coordinated economic development opportunities with cities and agencies, such as Enterprise and Opportunity Zones, and managed the Imperial Valley Foreign Trade Zone.

Prior to joining the County, Mrs. Colio Warren worked for the Imperial Valley Regional Occupational Program, California Student Opportunity and Access Program, and the Comite de Turismo y Convenciones de Municipio de Mexicali (Tourist and Conventions Bureau for the City of Mexicali).  As the Deputy CEO, Mrs. Colio Warren will assist the CEO in the management of County Government to enhance County growth and improvement.

About her new position, Mrs. Colio Warren stated, “I am grateful and excited for the opportunity given to me to be part of the Imperial County Executive Office team.  Thank you for having faith in me and my capabilities.  I look forward to all of the excitement and challenges that lie ahead.”

Mrs. Colio Warren, a resident of El Centro, received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Public Administration from San Diego State University.  Esperanza is married and has a son, Ivan, who is attending college at California State University, Chico.