Leadership

The Adjutant General Priorities

• People
• Readiness
• Modernization/Innovation

Major General Laura L. Clellan

The 44^th Adjutant General of Colorado

Major General Laura Clellan is the 44th Adjutant General of Colorado, the Executive Director of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs and is a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. General Clellan leads the DMVA, which consists of the Colorado National Guard, the Division of Veterans Affairs, and the Colorado Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, totaling more than 6,700 Soldiers, Airmen, civilians, state employees, and volunteers. As such, she is responsible for the operation and management of readiness, fiscal, personnel, equipment, and real property resources of the Department, and ensures the training readiness of all personnel to accomplish both state and federal missions. Additionally, General Clellan is responsible for supporting the State Partnership Program with the Republic of Slovenia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Education

• University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College - BS - Biology
• University of Phoenix - MA - Education
• United States Army War College - MSS - Strategic Studies

Assignments

1. Jul 20-Present, The Adjutant General, Colorado, Centennial, Colorado
2. Nov 19-Jun 20, Retired Reserve, Fort Knox, Kentucky
3. Oct 17-Aug 19, Assistant Adjutant General, Englewood, Colorado
4. Sep 14-Oct 17, Commander, Land Component Command, Centennial, Colorado
5. May 12-Sep 14, Commander, 168th Regional Training Institute, Colorado Army National Guard, Fort Carson, Colorado
6. Jun 11-May 12, Executive Officer, 89th Troop Command, Colorado Army National Guard, Denver, Colorado
7. May 07-Jun 11, Commander, 193rd Military Police Battalion (I/R), Colorado Army National Guard, Denver, Colorado and OPERATIONENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan
8. Jul 06-May 07, J1, Special Operations Detachment - Korea, Colorado Army National Guard, Aurora, Colorado
9. Jul 03-Jul 06, Assistant Professor of Military Science, University of Colorado, Colorado Army National Guard, Boulder, Colorado
10. Jan 02-Jun 03, S1, 89th Troop Command, Colorado Army National Guard, Denver, Colorado
11. Jan 01-Jan 02, Commander, State Area Headquarters, Colorado Army National Guard, Centennial, Colorado
12. Jul 00-Jan 01, Assistant S3, 1/89th Troop Command, Colorado Army National Guard, Denver, Colorado
13. Nov 98-Jul 00, Commander, 220th Military Police Company, Colorado Army National Guard, Denver, Colorado and Hungary
14. Jan 97-Oct 98, Observer Controller, 91st Training Division, United States Army Reserve, Denver, Colorado
15. Jan 92-Jul 92, Executive Officer, 978th Military Police Company, Panama (Joint Task Force Panama)
16. Oct 90-May 91, Platoon Leader, 193rd Military Police Company, Saudi Arabia (Operation Desert Storm)
17. Nov 89-Sep 92, Platoon Leader, 978th Military Police Company, Law Enforcement Battalion, Fort Bliss, Texas and Honduras
18. Jul 89-Nov 89, Student, Military Police Officer Basic Course, Fort McClellan, Alabama

Summary of Join Assignments

1. Jul 06-May 07, J1, Special Operations Detachment – Korea, Aurora, Colorado

Decorations and Badges

• Legion of Merit 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
• Bronze Star Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Commendation Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Achievement Medal (with 2 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Meritorious Unit Commendation
• National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
• Southwest Asia Service Medal (with 3 Bronze Service Stars)
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal (with Campaign Star)
• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
• Armed Forces Service Medal
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with Bronze Hourglass, M Device, and Numeral 3)
• Army Service Ribbon
• Army Overseas Service Ribbon (with Numeral 5)
• Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization Medal with Bronze Service Star
• Kuwait Liberation Medal - Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait Liberation Medal - Government of Kuwait
• Colorado Achievement Ribbon
• Colorado TAG Outstanding Unit Citation (with Bronze Service Star)
• Colorado Active Service Medal (with Bronze Service Star)
• Colorado Emergency Service Ribbon
• State Foreign Deployment Service Ribbon (with Bronze Service Star)
• Colorado State Mobilization Support Ribbon
• Parachutist Badge
• Drivers Badge

Professional Memberships and Achievements

• National Guard Association of Colorado
• Military Officers Association of Officers
• Association United States Army
• Military Police Regimental Association

Promotions Date of Appointment

Promotions                      Date of Appointment

Second Lieutenant            24 May 89

First Lieutenant                9 Jul 91

Captain                            28 Jul 95

Major                               2 Mar 01

Lieutenant Colonel           1 May 07

Colonel                            3 Dec 12

Brigadier General             27 Oct 15

Major General                  5 Dec 23

(current as of Dec 2023)

Michael Bruno serves as the Deputy Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.  In this role, he serves as the primary deputy to the Executive Director.  The DMVA has three divisions. The division of the National Guard serves our communities, state and nation by providing ready forces for domestic operations, homeland defense, and overseas contingency operations. The Division of Veterans Affairs assists military members, veterans, and their families to access benefits and services and is a statewide training resource for Colorado’s network of State and County Veterans Service Officers. The Colorado Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, has three missions: emergency services; aerospace education; cadet programs. 

In his military role, Brig. Gen. Michael J. Bruno is the Director of Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, Colorado. In this role, Brig. Gen. Bruno directly supervises the Joint Staff and is the commander of the standing Joint Task Force-Centennial, responsible for leading the Colorado National Guard’s response to domestic events, as directed by the Governor. Additionally, he directs the Colorado National Guard’s specified partnerships, including those with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Republic of Slovenia.

Bruce Cowan assumed duty as the Division of Veterans Affairs Director for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on April 1, 2024. He has over 39 years of military service, most recently as the United States Property and Fiscal Officer for Colorado. He has more than 30 years of leadership experience while serving in various positions in the U.S. Air Force, including a deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq).

He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1985, serving as a finance technician in South Korea and Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs. He joined the Colorado Air National Guard in 1988, serving in various leadership roles to include: Medical Operations Officer for a homeland defense mission, Commander of the 140th Medical Group, and Vice Wing Commander for the 140th Wing.

Cowan is honored to serve as the Division of Veterans Affairs Director. He is committed, along with our great team of DVA and in partnership with the County VSOs to ensure our Veterans and their families receive only the highest levels of customer service and assistance. Our vision is to earn and maintain the trust and confidence of all we serve and make Colorado a state of choice for all Veterans.

Cowan holds a Master’s Degree in Project Management from Colorado State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Colorado. In addition has also completed Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.

Sarah Edwards has served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs since April 2023. She is a veteran with 12 years of military service in the Colorado Army National Guard, where she served as a field artillery officer in diverse leadership and staff positions. Her roles included battalion and brigade operations, intelligence, logistics, executive officer, and battery command. She deployed in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve and participated in several multinational exercises.

Edwards’s previous civilian experience includes acting as Administrative Director for the Colorado European Union Center of Excellence and Grants and Contracts Administrator at the University of Denver.

Edwards is deeply committed to the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. She focuses her efforts on supporting the department’s three divisions and constituents with high-quality services and programs. Her work is guided by the department’s key priorities: people, readiness, and modernization/innovation.

Edwards holds a master’s degree in international security from the University of Denver and a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also holds a certificate in conflict resolution and is a trained mediator. Her professional memberships include the National Guard Association of Colorado, the United States Field Artillery Association (Rocky Mountain Redlegs), and the Society for Human Resource Management.