DENVER — Each year, in partnership with Governor Jared Polis and all living Colorado Governors, CiviCO helps to honor Colorado leaders who inspire excellence and community service with the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals. The eight recipients for 2020, announced by Governor Jared Polis earlier this year, will be honored at a virtual event in January as part of Colorado Leadership Month, an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the essential and integral contributions of Colorado leaders both past and present. The medal recipients will also be highlighted during a Rocky Mountain PBS special on January 14 at 7 p.m.
The medals, established in 2015, represent one of the highest honors bestowed upon citizens and organizations of Colorado for their significant contributions to communities across the state. Each of the 2020 medal recipients represent Colorado values that are grounded in service, integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation. The 2020 medal recipients have also led in unprecedented ways during an unprecedented year. They rose together to tackle some of our states greatest challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
“Colorado has a unique opportunity to set the bar for leadership in this country. These eight remarkable leaders have paved the way for community advancement and put Colorado on the map for how individuals and organizations serve their communities and make statewide impact,” said Governor Jared Polis. “The Governor’s Citizenship Medal is the highest honor of the state and I am honored to select and recognize these outstanding leaders.”
Along with the traditional five medal categories, three COVID-19 Hero Medals will be given to two individuals and one organization who have displayed tremendous acts of resourcefulness and courageous efforts during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The 2020 Medal categories and recipients are:
- Vanguard Legacy: Polly Baca, President & CEO, Baca Barragan Consultants – Honoring a business leader who has made transformational contributions to the community throughout his or her career.
Polly Baca has spent decades advocating for the people of Colorado through her service in the legislature, her work in national politics and her roles in nonprofits. She has long been a pioneer for women and the Latino community after experiencing segregation at an early age. Polly served in both the Colorado House of Representatives (1975-1978) and the Colorado State Senate (1979-1986). She was the first woman to hold the office of Chair of the Democratic Caucus of the Colorado House of Representatives and the first woman of color elected to the Colorado State Senate.
- Emerging Community Leader: Ananda Birungi, Northglenn, Thornton High School, Entering First Year – Harvard University – Recognizing a young community leader who has demonstrated excellence and made a positive impact on his or her school and community.
Ananda Birungi is a recent graduate of Thornton High School and is a Freshman at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. A Ugandan immigrant, Ananda is a shining young leader and advocate for empowering women through education. She has initiated projects with significant impact in her under-resourced school and broader Colorado community, including support for young women of color and seniors navigating the college application process.
- Growth & Innovation: Kent Thiry, Senior Advisor, KKR & Former CEO & Executive Chair, Davita - Given to an entrepreneur or business leader who has led with exceptional ingenuity and growth while inspiring and creating new possibilities for others.
Kent Thiry (KT) was CEO of DaVita from 1999 to 2019, a Fortune 400 Company with 65,000 teammates across 12 countries. During his time there, DaVita became known for its distinctively engaged culture and corporate social responsibility. In 2016, KT led Let Colorado Vote, a group that passed two statewide ballot initiatives, re-establishing the presidential primary and opening Colorado’s primaries to unaffiliated voters. KT has founded several innovative nonprofits and initiatives committed to advancing economic mobility, including Colorado Thrives, AdvanceEDU and the Gap Fund.
- Public & Community Service: Rosemary Rodriguez, Executive Director, Together We Count - Honoring a government or community leader who serves the public with innovation, operational excellence and progressive vision.
Rosemary Rodriguez is a Colorado native and a long-time civil servant who has spent her lifetime serving the citizens of Colorado in a number of critical roles. Her goal has always been fair representation and government responsiveness to citizens. From 1997 to 2002, Rosemary served as Denver’s clerk and recorder where she fought to create a more transparent, accessible and equitable process for all of Denver’s voters regardless of race, gender or socio-economic status. Prior to founding Together We Count, a nonprofit organization meant to promote fair participation in the 2020 census, Rosemary was the State Director for Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado. She also served as a commissioner on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and chaired the commission in 2008.
- Corporate Citizenship: VF Corporation, Denver - Recognizing a Colorado based company that has made a significant positive impact in the community.
Founded in 1899, VF Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies connecting people to the lifestyles, activities and experiences they cherish most through a family of iconic outdoor, active and workwear brands. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, VF is a purpose-led company committed to powering movements of sustainable and active lifestyles for the betterment of people and the planet. Through the company’s independent grantmaking arm, the VF Foundation has contributed more than $20 million globally over the past three years to non-profit organizations that protect outdoor spaces, promote the value of trade work, and contribute to a world that prioritizes equity and belonging for all people.
- COVID-19 Hero Medals: Awarded to individuals and organizations who provided extraordinary effort and impact in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Dr. Rachel Herlihy, Colorado State Epidemiologist & Principal, Population Health Solutions, LLC
Dr. Rachel Herlihy is a preventive medicine physician and the State Epidemiologist for the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. She has been with the Department since 2011. Dr. Herlihy is currently leading COVID-19 surveillance, case investigation, and outbreak response activities for Colorado. She is passionate about protecting the public’s health and impacting change on a significant scale.
Pat Myers, COVID Innovation Response Team, Constrained Medical Supply Team Leader
Patrick Meyers is owner and CEO of PEM Enterprises, is the former Chief of Staff to Governor John Hickenlooper of Colorado, the Chief Operating Officer for the Hickenlooper 2020 presidential campaign, the Chairman of the Hickenlooper 2020 Senate campaign. He is now with the State of Colorado on the COVID Innovation Response Team. Pat has led the team as the Constrained Medical Supply Team Leader and has been instrumental in sourcing PPE and other supplies to the state.
Colorado Health Foundation, Denver
The Colorado Health Foundation is a long-time statewide philanthropic organization focused on bringing health in reach for all Coloradans by engaging closely with communities across the state through investing, grantmaking and advocacy. For more than two decades, The Foundation has focused on improving the health of Coloradans, with a specific emphasis in recent years on achieving health and racial equity. The Foundation has provided critical funding to organizations across the state responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The 2020 Medal recipients embody what it means to not only be a successful leader but more importantly, a significant leader for our state,” said Jennifer Landers, Executive Director of CiviCO. “CiviCO is dedicated to shaping the best community leaders in Colorado and we are honored to partner with the State, Governor Polis, and former Governors to honor these esteemed medal recipients. We strive to bring a sense of hope through their stories as we continue this valued tradition even through these trying times.”
The eight medal recipients will also be represented in the “What's Your Story?” exhibit at the History Colorado Center. This interactive and immersive exhibit honors the legacy of Colorado leaders and engages visitors by allowing them to learn about their leadership traits, as well as share in the passion and impact from so many of Colorado’s great influencers.
“CiviCO is honored to continue the legacy of this unique exhibit by honoring the great citizens of our state who created opportunities for all of us to flourish in Colorado. These stories and their values need to be told to new generations of leaders who can become better versions of themselves for a better Colorado,” said Ryan Heckman, Co-Chairman of CiviCO and the primary benefactor of the exhibit.
The Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals and all associated events are generously sponsored and presented in partnership with the Office of the Governor and Gold Sponsor JPMorgan Chase. Nominating Partners include Endeavor Colorado, History Colorado Center
Mile High United Way, The Boettcher Foundation, and the University of Colorado School of Public Affairs.
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About CiviCO
What began as a breakfast with Mike Fries, Scott Reiman, and then entrepreneur John
Hickenlooper has emerged as the state’s premier community leadership development
organization. CiviCO (formerly Quarterly Forum) was built with a spirit of collaboration and a
commitment to civic responsibility. As our state’s strength, vitality, and potential continue to grow, our mission continues to expand. We educate, inspire, and connect the next generation of community leaders through our elite cross-sector leadership program,
enriching experiences, executive coaching, and mentorship. Through a partnership with Colorado Young Leaders, our mission now also empowers youth to lead through service. CiviCO provides leaders with pathways to a life of significance and community impact - for the future of Colorado. Learn more at www.livecivico.org.