Councilmember Garcia Takes Helm Of DRCOG
Denver Councilmember Rick Garcia, District 1, was elected chair of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) Board of Directors at their February 21st board meeting. Garcia is the first Hispanic in the 52-year history of the organization to serve in this leadership capacity. He is also only the third Denver representative to serve as chairperson. Garcia has represented Denver on the DRCOG Board of Directors since 2003, previously serving as vice chair, secretary, and on the Regional Transportation Committee. He was also instrumental in developing the 2030 Metro Vision strategic plan for the region which jurisdictions use to guide transportation, land use, open space, and environmental quality initiatives. Garcia serve Northwest Denver’s District 1, where he chairs the Neighborhood, Community and Business Revitalization Committee.

CSU -Pueblo Names Meyer Permanent Provost
Colorado State University – Pueblo President Joseph Garcia announced that Dr. Russ Meyer, interim provost and dean of the college of humanities and social sciences, has been named the chief academic officer at the university. Meyer was selected from among three finalists and more than 30 applicants in a national search. He replaces Barbara Montgomery, who stepped down in August to return to teaching in the department of English and foreign languages. As provost, Meyer will be responsible for leadership and direction of the University’s instructional and research programs and all aspects of the academic mission. He will have direct oversight of all academic degree and non-degree programs, student academic support services, admissions and records, research and sponsored programs, continuing education, information technology services, the library, the president’s leadership program, and the Pueblo School for Arts and Sciences.

Denver Theatre Division Welcomes New Director Of Communications
Jack Finlaw, Director of the City and County of Denver ’s Division of Theatres and Arenas, announced that Jenny Schiavone has been tapped to fill the role of Director of Communications. Schiavone comes to the Division of Theatres and Arenas from the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA), where she served as Senior Public Relations Manager. In addition to the 11 years she spent at the DCPA, Schiavone has served as a publicist for Denver bands, independent theatre companies and several area restaurants. The Division of Theatres and Arenas maintains, manages and operates Denver’s premier public assembly facilities, with venues including the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, the Buell Theatre and Boettcher Concert Hall in the Denver Performing Arts Complex; the Colorado Convention Center; the historic Denver Coliseum; and Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

CHP+ Announces New Regional Outreach Coordinator
Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) has added Suzette Elledge to the statewide outreach team as the Denver regional outreach coordinator. As a part of the CHP+ outreach team, Elledge will serve as a liaison to community partners and stakeholders such as community based organizations, employers, schools and Latino community agencies to promote CHP+ education, outreach and application assistance services. Elledge is based in Denver and will serve counties in the metro Denver area, primarily Denver, Jefferson and Park. Prior to joining CHP+, Elledge served as the early intervention service coordinator for Developmental Pathways. Elledge is also in her third year as chairperson for CHP+, the Colorado Walk for Autism Research, and sat on the Board of Directors for Early Childhood Connections for Arapahoe and Douglas counties from 2002 to 2005.

CBS4 Wins 12 Broadcasting Awards
CBS4 won 12 prestigious awards of excellence from the Colorado Broadcasters Association in several key categories including Best Newscast, Best Spot News, Best In-Depth Coverage, Best News Feature, Best Weathercaster, Best Sportscaster, Best Promotional Campaign and Best Advertising. First-place awards were awarded to Ed Greene for Best Weathercaster and Vic Lombardi for Best Sportscaster. Denver is part of CBS Television Stations, a division of CBS Corporation. Visit www.news4colorado.com or www.e-cba.org/awards.asp for a complete list of winners.

Sister Nancy Hoffman Honored With New Scholarship
Centura Health and the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center (UCDHSC), announced an endowed scholarship to honor the legacy of Sister Nancy Hoffman, former senior vice president of Mission and Ministry at Centura Health from 1996 to January 2007. The Sister Nancy Hoffman Scholarship is available to minority healthcare administration students accepted to the UCDHSC master of business administration program in health administration. UCDHSC offers the only nationally accredited health administration program in the Rocky Mountain region. The scholarship is eligible to a first-year graduate student accepted to the MBA program in health administration at UCDHSC.

Pastor Paul M. Martin Assigned To Interim Ministries
The Rev. Dr. Paul M. Martin , who for the last 16 years has served as the Senior Pastor of the historic Macedonia Baptist Church, has been appointed to participate in the Interim Ministries Programs of the American Baptist Churches U.S.A. and the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. Martin will have a chance to serve various congregations as they prepare themselves to secure the services of a permanent pastor for the leadership of the congregation. Martin and his wife Dr. Agnes L. Martin have also established a ministry entitled “Charisma Ministries,” aiming to provide loving care and informative workshops to communities and churches as they prepare to do ministry in the 21st century. Dr. Martin will serve as Adjunct Professor in Humanities Department of several Colleges in the Los Angeles Community.

Mayor Hickenlooper Appoints Pumilia As CFO
Mayor John Hickenlooper has appointed Claude Pumilia as Denver’s first chief financial officer (CFO). Pumilia brings 15 years of experience as a senior operating and financial executive to his new position, which was created in November 2006 when Denver citizens approved the charter amendment. Pumilia’s first task will be to oversee the design and implementation of this new organization to both maximize accountability and efficiency and enhance performance measurement and business process improvement. Pumilia will assume his new post April 16, and will lead integration of the City’s financial operations, including accounting, payroll, budget and treasury functions.

DPL Hosts 2007 Latino Leadership Award Winners
The Denver Public Library (DPL) Commission’s Latino Leadership Awards committee has selected the 2007 Latino Leadership award winners. Flora Rodriguez Russel and Federico F. Peña are the recipients of the Cesar Chavez Leadership Hall of Fame award, and Magdalena Aguayo is the recipient of the Lena L. Archuleta Community Service Award. The award winners were honored at the 6th annual awards presentation on Saturday, March 24. The Cesar Chavez Leadership Hall of Fame award celebrates the induction of two individuals into the Cesar Chavez Leadership Hall of Fame. Named for Cesar Chavez, a national Hispanic leader who served the Latino community and helped Latinos gain recognition for their contributions to the nation, this award is presented to Latinos who reside in Colorado and have made a major contribution to Denver’s Latino community.

Hope Communities Announces 2007 Board Of Directors
Hope Communities has added Peg Ingram and Charlene Meeker to its Board of Directors. Ingram is team leader of Keller Williams Realty Downtown where she oversees 140 brokers/ associates. In 2000 she was voted Entrepreneurial Woman of the year by the Colorado Business Council. Meeker is an account manager for MGA Communications. She also serves as the Chair of the Resource Development Committee for the Colorado Housing Investment Fund Coalition, where she strives to pass legislation for the establishment of a statewide investment fund for affordable housing. Hope Communities is dedicated to promoting healthy, diverse communities that generate affordable housing, economic opportunity, personal empowerment and spiritual wholeness.

FBR Welcomes New Financial Manager
The Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) welcomes Doyle Garrigus as their new Financial Manager. Doyle received an accounting degree from Indiana State University, and his professional experience includes General Motors, Federal Express and Brega & Winters Law Firm. Doyle came out of retirement to join FBR. FBR, a non-profit organization, distributed over 22 million pounds of food last year through over 900 partner agencies in northern Colorado and Wyoming. FBR’s key programs are Fighting Hunger Feeding Hope, Denver’s Table and Children’s Nutrition Network. They are a member of America’s Second Harvest, the Nation’s Food Bank Network.

Strohm And Link Receive Inaugural Award
John Strohm and Mary Pat Link were awarded the Inaugural Dorothy Devenish Memorial Award for their unwavering care and commitment to their community. This award memorializes Dorothy Devenish’s selfless devotion to the community. When she passed away, she shared her largess with several organizations in her will, including the Food Bank of the Rockies Endowment Fund. FBR selected Strohm and Link because they exemplify Devenish’s kindness and generosity. Each founding member received a certificate recognizing their membership and Strohm and Link were honored with the special award.

Denver Department Of Revenue Announces New Assessor
The Denver Department of Revenue introduces Paul Jacobs as the City’s new Assessor. Jacobs’ initial focus will be to complete the 2007 reappraisal of all Denver properties. Jacobs has worked in both the public and private sectors and brings 30 years of broad experience in the assessment field. He has managed the reappraisal of over 2.5 million parcels of real property and introduced digital imaging and Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal systems to jurisdictions with property accounts ranging in size from 700 to over 562,000. Jacobs graduated summa cum laude from Utica College of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and a major in construction management. Jacobs fills the Assessor position formerly held by John Ragan, who retired in February after 20 years with the Denver Assessor’s Office.

KWGN Wins Top Honors In NPPA Competition
The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) has honored KWGN News2 as one of the best in the nation. News2 finished as one of four finalists in the prestigious 2007 NPPA "Station of the Year" competition. Photojournalist Everett McEwan won first place in the NPPA competition for national spot news for his story on the rescue of a dog trapped in storm drain. McEwan was also the first runner-up for Photographer of the Year. Denver continues to be one of the most competitive news photography markets in the country and to be honored with the NPPA's recognition is a significant endorsement of News2's high standards.