Senior Management | Colorado General Assembly

Kerri L. Hunter, CPA, CFE

State Auditor

Kerri was appointed unanimously by the General Assembly to the position of State Auditor in May 2021 for a 5-year term starting July 1, 2021. As Colorado’s State Auditor, Kerri leads the Office of the State Auditor (OSA) and its staff of 81 professionals and approximately $14.3 million annual budget. With more than 29 years of governmental auditing experience at the OSA, Kerri has dedicated her career to promoting government accountability and seeking positive change in government for the people of Colorado. She possesses in-depth knowledge of Colorado’s state and local governments and is highly regarded as a subject matter expert in internal control, the federal Single Audit Act, and auditing standards.

Prior to her appointment as State Auditor, Kerri served as the OSA’s Deputy State Auditor for Financial Audits, responsible for overseeing the financial audits, including the State’s annual statewide financial and compliance audit, as well as the OSA’s Local Government Audit Division, quality assurance program, internal and external peer review processes, and accounting, budgeting, contracting, and financial reporting functions.

Kerri participates in various professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, the National State Auditors Association, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, and State Employees Leading Colorado. Kerri serves as a Board member and Audit Committee Chair for the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. Kerri is a 2021 recipient of the Pro15 Northeast Colorado’s 2021 Alumni of the Plains Award for professional excellence. In 2016, Kerri was named by the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants as one of three "Women to Watch" in the Emerging Leader category. In 2008, she was awarded the Rotary Foundation Paul Harris Award for exceptional service. As one of Colorado’s select Boettcher Foundation Scholars, Kerri earned a degree in Accounting with honors from the University of Denver. Kerri is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Colorado and a Certified Fraud Examiner. A fifth-generation Coloradan, Kerri grew up on Colorado’s eastern plains.

Michelle Colin, J.D.

Deputy State Auditor, Performance Audits

Michelle Colin is the Deputy State Auditor responsible for overseeing the Colorado Office of the State Auditor’s (OSA) performance audits, which focus on reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and improving the quality of services, and the OSA's tax expenditure evaluations. Michelle leads a team of experienced professionals who conduct audits and tax expenditure evaluations addressing issues that are relevant and meaningful to members of the public and General Assembly. As a member of the OSA’s executive management team, Michelle is also responsible for overseeing the OSA’s fraud hotline team, human resources function, and other administrative operations. With more than 26 years of experience at the OSA, Michelle possesses significant institutional knowledge and expertise in state government operations.

Michelle currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Mountain and Plains Intergovernmental Audit Forum. She is also a member of the Pew Charitable Trust's Evaluators Network Advisory Group, helping to provide resources and facilitate collaboration among state tax incentive evaluators. Michelle received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Colorado, Boulder and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Denver, and is a licensed attorney in Colorado.

Marisa Edwards, CPA

Deputy State Auditor, Financial Audits

Marisa Edwards is the Deputy State Auditor responsible for overseeing the Colorado Office of the State Auditor’s (OSA) financial audits, including the State’s annual federal single audit and statewide financial audit covering nearly $61 billion in assets and $45 billion in expenditures in Fiscal Year 2022. In addition, Marisa oversees the OSA’s Local Government Audit Division, quality assurance program, and internal and external peer review processes, along with the OSA’s financial operations, which includes its accounting, budgeting, contracting, and financial reporting functions. Marisa has been at the OSA for more than 15 years and has been involved in numerous financial and single audits, including managing the Department of Human Services and the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing audits. She is highly regarded as a subject matter expert in governmental financial and single audits, including the requirements under the federal Single Audit Act, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Governmental Accounting Standards Boards standards, and generally accepted government auditing standards.

Prior to her appointment to Deputy State Auditor, Marisa was the Quality Assurance Financial Audit Manager. In this role, she was responsible for the overall quality of the State’s annual financial and single audit, which included overseeing the implementation of new auditing and accounting standards, providing training and assistance to audit staff related to the application of auditing standards and internal policies and procedures, and conducting internal and external quality control reviews.

Marisa is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Colorado and a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the National State Auditors Association, the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the State Employees Leading Colorado. She began her career as an intern in the Washington State Auditor’s Office and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and business administration from Central Washington University.