The Colorado Attorney General’s Office named former Thornton Mayor Heidi Williams as its director of opioid response Thursday.
Williams, who was mayor 2011-19, will oversee opioid community outreach initiatives undertaken by the office, according to a press release.
The appointment comes as Attorney General Phil Weiser participates in settlement negotiations related to the opioid crisis with drug manufacturers and distributors. In 2019, the attorney general expanded a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of oxycontin, to include the company’s owners.
“To support effective strategies to address this crisis, we need to recognize the range of ways in which it is playing out in Colorado,” Weiser said in a statement. “To that end, Heidi’s local government experience, her listening skills, and opioid strategy experience — as well our office’s community engagement focus — will be crucial as we develop and implement an overall strategy with local and state leaders.”
