Gov. Hickenlooper Appoints Stephanie Copeland as Executive Director of the CO Office of Economic Development & International Trade

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Denver, CO — Gov. John Hickenlooper recently announced that Stephanie Copeland has been appointed executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), effective January 2017. She will replace Fiona Arnold, who has served in the role since November 2014.

“From small startups and early phase companies to large multi-national companies, Stephanie focuses on ensuring high growth for companies both in the U.S. and Europe. Colorado is extremely lucky to have her expertise and know-how,” said Hickenlooper. “Stephanie’s leadership will enhance OEDIT’s ability to attract investment from both the international and national business communities, as well as unlock new opportunities to accelerate the state’s job growth.”

Spanning close to three decades in the telecommunications sector, Copeland was part of the the birth and growth of the internet in both the US and Europe. She joins OEDIT most recently from The Zayo Group, where she served as a president of the communications infrastructure services firm. She was responsible for helping take the company public and managing full operational responsibilities. Previously, Copeland served as chief operating officer at WildBlue, where she was responsible for the operations of the $500 million rural broadband business.

“I am thrilled to become a part of such a talented team, and build on the exciting economic momentum that has been built in Colorado,” said Copeland. “I look forward to collaborating with people and industries across the state to find even more innovative and creative ways to continue strengthening our economy in every part of Colorado.”

Copeland started her career in sales and quickly established herself as a thought leader. In the early 1990s, she moved to St.Petersburg, Russia to take a management position with Cable and Wireless, establishing a joint venture to bring competitive telecommunications to the region. Copeland moved back to the U.S. in 1994, as part of the team that started MFS International, a company that built some of the first competitive telecom networks in Europe. Joining the early team at Level 3 communications in 1997, Copeland developed and ran the first transport products for the company in the U.S., Europe and Asia. In 2001, Qwest communications recruited her to run pricing for the company, spanning the consumer, small and large business segments. She remained at Qwest for ten years until the sale of the company to Centurylink, holding several leadership roles including the vice president of marketing and the vice president of the small business segment.

Copeland holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Illinois in German and Commercial studies. She completed post graduate courses at the University of Paderborn in Paderborn, Germany. Copeland is a Blackstone Entrepreneur, and is an advocate and supporter of women in business, serving as a mentor to support women across the communications industry. She was named Fierce Telecom’s top women to watch in 2015.

Photo credit: By Xnatedawgx (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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