Vital for Colorado Hires Simon Lomax as New Research Fellow

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DENVER (May 16, 2017) – Vital for Colorado, a coalition of business, civic and economic development leaders dedicated to promoting the benefits of energy production in Colorado, has appointed Simon Lomax to the newly created position of Research Fellow.

Lomax joins Vital for Colorado from the Denver office of FTI Consulting, a global business advisory firm, where he was a managing director. At FTI, he spent five years advising pro-industry groups on the campaign tactics used by environmental activist groups against energy and economic development projects. Before going into advocacy, Lomax was a newspaper, trade-press and wire-service reporter. He covered energy and environmental policy during the Bush and Obama administrations for Argus Media and Bloomberg News in Washington, D.C.

Lomax also worked on Capitol Hill as a Congressional Fellow with the American Political Science Association, and he has testified to Congress on activist efforts to undermine the scientific peer-review process. Last year, as a columnist for Complete Colorado, Lomax wrote extensively on the role of national activist groups and environmental donors – including California billionaire Tom Steyer – in state politics.

“We are very excited to have Simon joining our team,” Vital for Colorado Chairman Peter Moore said. “As a reporter and an advocate, he has been on the front lines of the energy debate nationally and in Colorado for many years. Simon has already made a serious and thoughtful contribution to the conversation over responsible energy development in Colorado, through his work with groups like Energy in Depth and Divestment Facts. The business community will benefit from his expertise as we continue our work to promote and defend the state’s energy sector, one of Colorado’s most important engines of economic growth.”

In his years as a reporter and advocate, Lomax has seen the full spectrum of the energy debate. He has closely followed energy and environmental proposals in Congress, federal agencies, state legislatures, state regulatory bodies, local governments and many other arenas. Lomax has also tracked the evolution of the “keep it in the ground” fringe and how national activist groups have tried to derail mainstream discussions over energy at the state and local level.

“I have admired the work of Vital for Colorado for a long time, so I was thrilled when Peter called about the job,” Lomax said. “The energy sector and the broader business community are inseparable in Colorado. You cannot attack one without attacking the other, which is why national anti-oil and gas groups continue to struggle here. Coloradans want a reasonable discussion and respectful debate over energy policy, not anti-business energy bans that threaten the state economy.”

With Lomax’s appointment, Vital for Colorado continues to expand. In February, the Vital for Colorado board announced the addition of Kevin Hougen, President and CEO of the Aurora Chamber of Commerce, and Wade Frisbie, Co-Chair of the Denver Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. While Vital for Colorado boasts nearly 60,000 coalition members, its board of directors, comprised of business, agricultural and legal leaders, drives the agenda for the organization.