A CEO’s Insights

When Governor Bill Owens left office at the end of 2005, I asked him, “What was the best time of your governorship?” His answer was quick - and short. “When Andrew Romanoff was Speaker of the House.”  Andrew Romanoff, for those who missed his television ads, is a Democrat. During a portion of…

As a country it seems we’re all mad at those above us. A respected commentator on the topic of metropolitan regions opined that the federal government has become nothing more “than an insurance company with an Army.” In response to the gridlock in D.C., state governments have taken issues into…

For many companies seeking a new location, a right-to-work state is often in the top ten criteria, while union shop states can be less attractive. This is increasingly common amongst foreign companies. Right-to-work laws do not require an employee to join a unionized company or to pay dues for…

By the year 2020, 74 percent of Colorado jobs will require post-secondary training, certificate courses, or other degrees. For Colorado to compete globally, we must either attract these skilled workers or train them ourselves. Colorado’s lifestyle attracts some of the country’s brightest young…

A pertinent quote from Sam Hunter, former head of corporate real estate for GTE Corporation: “We don’t look at where you are as a community; we look at where you’re going.” If there is one thing we have learned in Metro Denver it is this: Building world-class infrastructure during recessions…

Metro Denver EDC and Denver International Airport (DIA) have been pursuing nonstop flights to European destinations since 1987. It wasn’t that we “loved” flying to London, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, and Stockholm—meeting with airlines in their home offices, attending their global conferences,…

On August 26-27, Colorado will open its doors to Rocky Mountain inventors, venture funders, startups, and tech entrepreneurs. This will be the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade’s (OEDIT) third year of bringing ideas, innovation, money, technology, and people together…

When the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced Metro Denver’s selection as one of six satellite expansion offices, Senator Michael Bennet called me at home to offer his congratulations. I told the Senator that I feared that instead of touting our success, the local newspapers’ headline…

There's one place where the state's leading energy companies—both cleantech and fossil fuels—as well as business leaders, economic developers, and the engage public will be on June 27, the Colorado Energy Expo at the Colorado Convention Center. The Expo is presented by our industry affiliate, the…

Tom Clark is on vacation this week, so it's a perfect time to recognize him for his leadership efforts in regional cooperation. In fact, he's quoted extensively in "A Tale of Three Cities," an essay written by Jay Walljasper for The McKnight Foundation. You see, Denver is one of the cities…

This week, we saw the death of a bill that increases the opportunity for young families and retirees to find attainable housing.  It was a sad day, especially because the bill was the result of over six months of exhaustive research on the part of a broad based coalition, comprised of Mayors,…

It’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed since the Metro Denver EDC's creation in 2003. That year the Metro Denver region was struggling to recover from the dot.com recession. After eight years of a reduced economic development program, the Denver Metro Chamber, under the leadership of…