3 from Boulder named to Governor’s Competitive Council executive panel

DENVER – Three Boulder-based business leaders have been appointed to the executive committee of a new public-private partnership, the Governor’s Competitive Council.

The partnership, announced Wednesday by Gov. Jared Polis, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade and members of the business and innovation communities. The Council will develop a collaborative long-term vision to enhance the state’s business competitiveness nationally and foster a top-ranking economy and innovation ecosystem across the state.

Among the appointees are Dan Caruso, managing director of Boulder-based Caruso Ventures, Wendy Lea, co-founder and chair of Energize Colorado, and Seth Levine, partner and co-founder at Boulder-based Foundry.

“The best future for Colorado is one where every Coloradan shares in the economic and cultural prosperity that follows when the state is the world’s leading hub for innovation,” Caruso said in a prepared statement. “The loss of momentum in how Colorado is being viewed by those who deploy capital is a crisis that harms every Coloradan. It’s fixable if our community rallies together to forge a compelling vision and execution plan. This council is a big step in the right direction.”

The executive committee is guiding the formation of the council, which will seek to engage business, economic and elected leaders from across the state. Other members of the committee, which is still in formation, include:

• J. J. Ament, president and CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.
• Debbie Brown, president, Colorado Business Roundtable.
• Marielena DeSanctis, Ph.D, chancellor, Colorado Community College system. 

• Binh Diep, general manager, Slalom.
• Cory Finney and Marc Nager, managing partners, Howdy Partners.
• Loren Furman, president and CEO, Colorado Chamber of Commerce.
• Raymond H. Gonzales, president, Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
• Christine Heitz, CEO, Colorado Thrives.
• Zaneta Kelsey, co-founder and CEO, Access Mode.
• Eve Lieberman, executive director, OEDIT.
• Brittany Morris Saunders, president and CEO, Colorado Technology Association.
• Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, president and CEO, Colorado Springs Chamber and Economic Development Corp.
• George Sparks Jr., president and CEO, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
• Walker Stapleton, former Colorado treasurer and commissioner of the Colorado Economic Development Commission.
• Jason Wardrip, business manager, Colorado Building and Construction Trades Council.

The council will bring together the public and private sectors to analyze the current business landscape and develop a shared vision for the future. It will build on work underway to solicit input from Colorado’s business community and economic development partners from across the state in partnership with the statewide Economic Development Council of Colorado. The council will also develop a data-driven strategy to benchmark the state’s competitive advantages and identify legislative, policy and regulatory recommendations to strengthen the state’s economy.

The council’s findings and recommendations will be outlined in a strategic roadmap intended to directly inform the state’s economic priorities and policies. This report will be shared with all gubernatorial candidates as well as the state Legislature.map intended to directly inform the state’s economic priorities and policies. This report will be shared with all gubernatorial candidates as well as the state Legislature.

Share on Facebook on LinkedIn