Katie Powell serves as president of Munro Companies, which is the Grand Junction, Colorado, based parent organization of Munro, a manufacturer of pumps, pump controls, pumping stations and related products for the irrigation industry, and Munro Supply, a single-location, brick and mortar industrial supply distributor serving western Colorado and eastern Utah.
Powell joined Munro Companies in 2012, and she held various roles across business strategy, operations and executive management until she was appointed president in 2019. She joined the Kansas City Fed’s Denver Branch Board of Directors in 2026, bringing deep expertise into the manufacturing and distribution sectors and the dynamics of rural economies within the Tenth District.
Katie Powell poses for a portrait at the Munro Companies headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado.
“One of the most interesting things about my role is that I oversee two very different businesses,” Powell said. “While Munro Supply is very focused on the industrial goods needed by the foundational industries in Colorado and Utah, Munro as a manufacturer focuses on being innovative, whether that’s making our end users’ jobs easier or making the product itself last longer.”
Prior to joining the Denver Branch Board, Powell served on the Kansas City Fed’s Economic Advisory Council. The Council consists of business representatives from across the Tenth District and meets with Kansas City Fed leadership twice a year to offer insight on the regional economy.
“I felt like I was able to contribute to a really important conversation when I served on the Council,” Powell said. “I think it’s incredible that the Fed is asking for this input from a really diverse set of stakeholders all throughout the region. Everyone on the Council is there because they want the Fed to understand what’s going on in their communities and industries.”
Looking ahead to her time on the Denver Branch Board, Powell said she hopes to have a similar experience. In particular, Powell said it’s important to her that rural communities have representation on the Board.
“I think it’s incredibly important to understand what’s happening in the Western Slope,” Powell said. “The economy looks different in rural communities because we have different things that we’re concerned about and that have great impact – take agriculture, for example.”
Serving on various councils and boards has always been a mutually beneficial learning experience for Powell, and she said she expects no less from her time on the Denver Branch Board.
“So few people really understand all that the Fed does and why it’s so critical that it remains independent,” Powell said. “I look forward to continuing to learn about the Fed during my time on the Denver Branch Board and learning how I can contribute as a leader in my community so that others understand its mission. I also look forward to learning from my fellow board members and from the leadership at the Fed about what’s going on in our economies.”
The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City or the Federal Reserve System.
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