GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado — Doug Dennison, community relations spokesman for the Bill Barrett Corp. gas drilling firm, has been elected president of the Western Slope Colorado Oil and Gas Association.

Dennison, a Western Slope native, was the Garfield County Oil and Gas Liaison from 2003 to 2006. He left the position to work for the industry.

Western Slope COGA is an industry trade group that represents most of the natural gas and oil operators working in western Colorado.

Dennison replaces businessman and retired U.S. Air Force Col. James West, and will serve as president of the association for two years.

His agenda will be to build on the organization's work done in the past two years.

Specifically, he mentioned the industry's goal of finding common ground with sportsmen, the agricultural community and local governments.

He noted that the organization is working with Garfield County and Colorado State University to come up with an air quality monitoring system geared toward detecting toxic pollutants that may come from industry facilities.

Another figure familiar to Garfield County observers of the oil and gas industry, Susan Alvillar of Williams RMP, has been named president elect of the organization. She will be in line to become president in two years, when Dennison's term is up.

Dennison said the change in leadership on the West Slope COGA board is not a sign that the organization itself will be changing significantly.

Dennison will still be working for Barrett.

“My real job with Bill Barrett in Garfield County is clearly a key focus,” he said. “Largely what the board does is establish the direction of the organization. It won't take up a ton of my time.”

Most of the detail work, he said, falls to David Ludlam, the organization's executive director.

jcolson@postindependent.com