Chris Lindley is the former director of Eagle County Public Health and Environment. Lindley has been instrumental in leading the local behavioral health initiative by building a collaborative approach to addressing gaps in care. He was recently awarded the local Chief’s Community Partnership Award 2019 for vision, passion and can-do attitude in bringing the Hope Center to the Eagle River Valley.
Lindley holds a master’s of public health, a master’s in the science of epidemiology and a master’s of business administration. He was a unit commander and environmental science officer of preventive medicine in the 793rd Medical Detachment of the US Army Medical Reserves. Among many awards and a presidential commendation, he received the Bronze Star Medal for saving multiple lives during a suicide bomber attack that demanded the treatment of 91 injured soldiers while leading troops in Iraq.
Lindley is the founder of two successful fitness and wellness companies across 10 locations, including Endorphin in Eagle. He was a professional firefighter in Denver, where he graduated from the fire academy as class valedictorian and a top recruit. He was assigned to the busiest fire station in the state with more than 6,500 calls a year and was a member of the swift water, high angle, collapse, and underwater rescue special operations, teams. He was also the Prevention Services director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), during which he directed Colorado's wellness, workplace and public health prevention strategies; supported research, educational campaigns, policy efforts and federal/state initiatives; and built strong coalitions with public health professionals, policymakers, CDPHE partners, residents and key stakeholders.
