Jay Morein serves as the executive director at Denver Human Services, where one in three Denver residents receive support. Morein is revitalizing the vision of DHS by focusing on building a healthy community where everyone is connected, supported, safe and well.
Prior to serving in the executive director role, Morein was the chief of operations at the department where he supported and advised the day-to-day workings of Denver Human Services, which included direct oversight of the assistance, protection and prevention, and support services sections, and ensured alignment of operations with strategic goals. He also served as the department's chief of staff from 2015 to 2019.
Morein started his human services career in 1981 as the chief accountant for Denver Human Services. His role quickly expanded to include budget development and management, and later, he was appointed as the agency's deputy executive director. In 2009, Morein assumed the role of director of finance and administration for the Boulder County Department of Housing and Human Services and in 2011, he was tapped by the Colorado Department of Human Services to serve as director of the Office of Performance and Strategic Outcomes. In that position, Morein oversaw the $2.1 billion state human services budget, the audit division, the child welfare and food assistance quality assurance activities, and was instrumental in developing and implementing the statewide performance management system. Morein was deeply involved in the negotiation with the Administration for Children and Families for Colorado's Title IV-E Waiver. On retiring from the State of Colorado, Morein was tapped by Casey Family Programs to consult with other states and tribes in their pursuit of Title IV-E waivers.
A Denver native, Morein and his wife June live in the Denver suburb of Parker and have four children—Rachel, LeAnne, Sarah, and Alex.