Colorado Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne, right, speaks at the Capitol on Sept. 18, 2018. (Jesse Paul, The Colorado Sun)

Colorado’s lieutenant governor is returning to the health care industry after leaving public office.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center announced Wednesday that Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne will become chief operating officer of the New York hospital and also chief executive officer of the hospital’s faculty practice, Columbia Doctors, on Jan. 15.

Before becoming Colorado’s lieutenant governor and chief operating officer in 2016, she worked as an executive for Kaiser Permanente. She also previously worked in various administrative positions in New York City government.

In a statement, Lynne said she will remain with Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office during the transition to the new administration of Gov.-elect Jared Polis.

“There is no one like Donna,” Hickenlooper said in a written statement. “She took on the new role of chief operating officer and was able to do so in dramatically swift fashion all while serving as a world-class lieutenant governor. Donna is one of my most trusted advisors. Colorado owes her enormous gratitude for providing us such a shining example of how government should serve its citizens.”

Lynne ran to replace Hickenlooper but fell short in the Democratic primary this year. 

As part of her campaign, Lynne received a “fight for Colorado” tattoo on her arm and touted it in a campaign ad.

Colorado Sun staff writer Jesse Paul contributed to this report.

The Associated Press

Email: newsroom@coloradosun.com