Rudy Giuliani - Leadercast 2015 Speaker

Rudolph W. Giuliani is the former Mayor of New York City. After joining the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Rudy Giuliani rose quickly through the ranks, becoming the Chief of the Narcotics Unit at age 29. After the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981, Giuliani was named Associate Attorney General, the third highest position in the U.S. Department of Justice. In 1983, President Reagan appointed Rudy Giuliani as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Giuliani spearheaded successful efforts against organized crime, white-collar criminals, drug dealers and corrupt elected officials. Few U.S. Attorneys in history can match his record of 4,152 convictions with only 25 reversals. In 1993, Rudy Giuliani was elected Mayor of the City of New York. He focused on reducing crime, reforming welfare, and improving the quality of life and was re-elected in 1997.Under Mayor Giuliani’s leadership, overall crime was cut by 56%, murder was cut by 66%, and New York City—once considered the crime capital of the country—became the safest large city in America according to the FBI. Mayor Giuliani also implemented the largest and most successful welfare-towork initiative in the country, turning welfare offices into Job Centers and reduced welfare rolls by 640,000—nearly 60%.    

On September 11, 2001, America suffered the worst attack in its history when terrorists crashed planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Mayor Giuliani was widely lauded for his steady hand during challenging times. He was named “Person of the Year” by Time magazine, knighted by the Queen of England, dubbed “Rudy the Rock” by French President Jacques Chirac, and former first lady Nancy Reagan presented him with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Freedom Award. Rudy Giuliani is an American hero. His views on leadership have helped shape our country, and have the capacity to transform the leadership of our organizations and businesses as well.

Aja Brown - Leadercast 2015 Speaker

MAYOR, CITY OF COMPTONPOSITIVE CHANGE REQUIRES EXTREME BOLDNESS

On June 4, 2013, Aja Brown made history as the City of Compton’s youngest elected Mayor at the age of 31. With over 10 years of experience in community and economic development, Mayor Aja Brown has proven to be a strategic visionary concentrated on improving outcomes through policy reform, innovation and strategic partnerships, proudly serving the citizens of Compton. Since induction, Mayor Brown has made major strides in improving the quality of life for Compton residents and stakeholders alike. Mayor Brown has launched several community initiatives including the “Compton Community Policing Task Force,” a network of law enforcement agencies and community activist that implement gang intervention and prevention strategies, tackling complex social issues such as human trafficking head on.

Mayor Brown has received the prestigious University of Southern California 2014 Young Alumni Merit Award, participated as the 2013 Pat Brown Institute Distinguished Lecturer, is the recipient of the National Action Network Martin Luther King Award and is a strong advocate for youth, women’s rights and equality. Mayor Aja Brown’s bold brand of leadership is turning the tide in one of America’s most troubled cities.

Continued business growth anticipated for Colorado in upcoming quarters

April 23, 2015 

Continued business growth anticipated for Colorado in upcoming quarters, says CU-Boulder report.

With an increase in business filings in Colorado through the first quarter of 2015 -- including new and renewing entities and trade names -- employment in the state is expected to keep growing during the second and third quarters of the year, according to a University of Colorado Boulder report released today by Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams.

The quarterly indicators report, prepared by CU-Boulder’s Business Research Division at the Leeds School of Business, uses data from the secretary of state’s central business registry.

During the first quarter of 2015 a total of 28,115 new businesses formed, up from 26,523 during the same period in 2014.

“Coloradans continue to drive our economy upward by adding their ideas to the marketplace,” said Williams. “Our small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities and their growth is encouraging.”

Colorado recorded 103,719 new entities during the 12-month period ending in March, up from 102,127 new entities recorded in the 12-month period ending in December 2014.

“Despite a drop in employment in Colorado from February to March, other indicators continue to point to a very healthy economy,” said economist Richard Wobbekind, executive director of CU-Boulder’s Business Research Division.

“While new business filings remain impressive, the employment outlook is dampening slightly for 2015.”

Existing entity renewals spiked in the first quarter of 2015 at a record 126,282, up from 107,848 in the fourth quarter of last year. Domestic limited liability companies represented the greatest increase in renewals among existing entities.

The number of Colorado entities in good standing went up in the first quarter to 571,386, a 7 percent increase compared with the same time in 2014.

Visit the secretary of state’s website at http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/business/quarterlyReports/index.html to view current and past reports or to sign up to receive reports by email.

Richard Wobbekind, Leeds School, 303-492-1147

richard.wobbekind@colorado.edu

Brian Lewandowski, Leeds School, 303-492-3307

brian.lewandowski@colorado.edu

Elizabeth Lock, CU-Boulder media relations, 303-492-3117

elizabeth.lock@colorado.edu 

Tim Griesmer, Colo. Dept. of State, 303-860-6903

tim.griesmer@sos.state.co.us

Tattered Cover Bookstores are Sold

Joyce Meskis is selling the Tattered Cover Book Store after four decades. Len Vlahos and his wife, Kristen Gilligan will be senior management as of July 1, and after two years will gain controlling interest of the book store. Masks plans to retire and be available as a consultant. The financial terms of the deal are being kept confidential. Aldo Svaldi of the Denver Post writes;

"It was a confluence of circumstances," Meskis said. "They were ready to think about the world of bookselling as a part of their professional lives.  At my age, I have been thinking about what if this or that happens."

Tattered Cover operates four retail stores in the metro area: on East Colfax Avenue near East High School, in Lower Downtown, at Denver Union Station and one relocating to the Aspen Grove Shopping Center in Littleton.

Tattered Cover has three store locations licensed at Denver International Airport, with a fourth planned.

Meskis purchased  Tattered Cover in 1974, when it was a small, struggling shop in Denver's Cherry Creek North neighborhood.

Tattered Cover, known for a high level of customer service, managed to survive the expansion of the big-box booksellers, the shift to online book sales and the advent of digital books.

"It has always been tough," Meskis said. "It is a challenge every day of the week."

Tattered Cover gained an international reputation as a leading independent bookseller, and its stores have become Denver tourist destinations.

Meskis has brought thousands of authors to Denver over the years and is known as a vocal defender of freedom of speech, including fighting and winning a case 15 years ago that protected the privacy rights of book buyers.

"There has never been a greater opponent of censorship than Joyce Meskis," said Denver attorney Dan Recht, who represented her in a case in which the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency attempted to get her to turn over sales records. "Joyce is a committed, staunch, unwavering First Amendment advocate and has been for her whole life."

Vlahos and Gilligan, a former Boulder resident, will relocate to Denver from Stamford, Conn., as part of the transition.

Vlahos is the executive director of the Book Industry Study Group, a national nonprofit that promotes innovation and shares best practices within the book-publishing industry. He spent 20 years at the American Booksellers Association, where he got to know Meskis, and was the group's chief operating officer when he left in 2011. He also is  author of the young-adult novel "The Scar Boys."

Gilligan spent a decade at the trade association, where she was director of meetings and events. Meskis is a past president of the group.

Stretching the sale out two years will give the new owners time to learn the business and get grounded in the community, Meskis said.

"She believes in the mission of making literature available to a community and the free flow of ideas," Vlahos said. "That drives her and the staff. It is almost like a higher calling."

Vlahos also described Meskis as "one of the smartest business people I know." He said he and his wife plan to build on what Meskis has created.

Meskis said her two daughters pursued other careers, ruling out a family transition. She also said she is coping with Parkinson's disease. While not an immediate impediment, the condition motivated her to plan ahead — something that, she said, is in her nature.

"I believe in the store, and I believe in it as a service to the community. And I want to see it continue in good hands," she said.

Once retired, Meskis said she plans to support the new owners as needed and read more books, adding people shouldn't be surprised if they see her hanging out among the towering shelves at one of the Tattered Cover stores.

"Who knows what the future may hold," she said.

Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aldosvaldi

New Transcontinental Flights, La Guardia Airport to San Francisco

Long-haul Flights From La Guardia

Flights that are longer than 1,500 miles are currently banned from New York's La Guardia Airport, however regulators are considering removing the ban, and the effect on ticket prices, air traffic, noise and operations. This restriction is decades old, going back to 1984. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, are looking into the perimeter rule, “to determine whether it remains in the best interest of the region’s air travelers.” The authority said any change would occur only after thorough analysis and consultation with all interested parties in a public and transparent manner.”

Journalist Andrew Tangle and Jack Nicas reported;

“The mix of flights at La Guardia would change materially,” said Mike Boyd, president of aviation-consulting firm Boyd Group International. “Why would you have a 50-seat jet going to Charlottesville when that slot can be used for a 150-seat jet going to Seattle?”

Discussions on lifting the rule began late last year and have accelerated recently, people familiar with the talks said. The authority plans to study how abolishing the rule would affect air traffic, ticket prices, noise and operations at the region’s airports, these people said. The study could be completed within a few months, and lifting the rule would require approval by the bistate authority’s board of 11 commissioners, these people said. The discussions come as the governors of New York and New Jersey recently backed a report that, in part, called for easing regulatory burdens at the region’s airports.

Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. control 40% and 28%, respectively, of the departing seats at La Guardia. JetBlue Airways Corp. and United Continental Holdings Inc. have much smaller positions there and have instead invested heavily in John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports, which could lose some value if travelers can fly nonstop to more destinations from La Guardia.

Officials at two airlines said Delta has been lobbying Port Authority officials to reconsider the perimeter rule. Delta declined to comment.

Rob Land, JetBlue’s senior vice president of government affairs, said officials should complete a long-awaited project to replace a key terminal building before embarking on a rule change that would pack more travelers into an already overcrowded airport.

“The deplorable conditions at La Guardia from a customer perspective as well as an airline perspective operationally are only getting worse by the day and we have yet to begin the yearslong ‘pardon our dust’ period that is the Central Terminal project,” Mr. Land said. “It would seem the last thing we want to do is add more crowds to La Guardia until we appropriately address capacity issues.”

La Guardia’s two main 7,000-foot runways could support aircraft that can reach some near European cities, such as London and Paris, and Latin American destinations like Mexico City and Bogotá, Colombia. But La Guardia lacks a federal border-clearance facility, which is needed to accept travelers from most international airports, and has little space to add one.

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Still, without a perimeter rule, airlines at La Guardia could serve a handful of new international destinations, including Dublin and Vancouver, because those airports can pre-clear U.S.-bound travelers under agreements with U.S. border officials. Airlines already serve Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Halifax from La Guardia.

Travelers, politicians and airline officials have criticized La Guardia, built in 1929, for being outdated. Vice President Joe Biden last year said it was out of a “Third World country.”

The next step in a project to replace La Guardia’s 50-year-old Central Terminal Building, known to travelers as Terminal B, has been delayed until at least April pending the outcome of a broader design competition for New York airports. Some industry officials said they worry that lifting the perimeter rule could further delay La Guardia’s overhaul—concerns that are shared by some at the Port Authority, a person familiar with the process said. “Lifting the perimeter rule will absolutely have some impact on the procurement,” the person said.

The perimeter rule has roots in the 1950s, when the Port Authority limited La Guardia flights to within 2,000 miles, according to court documents. The authority formalized the rule in 1984 but tightened the restriction to 1,500 miles, with the exception of Denver. The rule isn’t in effect on Saturdays, and some airlines have experimented with longer flights on that day. Delta currently flies to Aruba and back on Saturdays.

The idea was to limit air traffic at La Guardia to business travelers and steer vacationers taking longer-distance flights to farther-flung Newark Liberty and JFK airports.

An executive at one airline said officials implemented the perimeter rule partly because decades ago, La Guardia’s runways could only handle aircraft that could fly less than 1,500 miles or so. But 30 years later, smaller jets can fly much farther than they used to.

“Today’s aircraft performance is such that it’s a really an anachronistic design to divide markets between La Guardia and the long-haul New York airports,” said Bob Mann, a New York-based airline consultant.

Limiting carriers to a 1,500-mile radius from La Guardia has resulted in nonstop service for a few dozen smaller cities in the eastern U.S., including Roanoke, Va., Lexington, Ky., and Bangor, Maine. Airline officials and consultants said that because slot restrictions prohibit carriers from adding more net flights at La Guardia, airlines would almost certainly drop flights to smaller cities in exchange for new service to the West Coast. Airlines stand to earn far more by flying larger planes to bigger cities than on serving small cities with 50-seat jets.

“This will change [smaller cities’] access to New York,” said Mr. Boyd, the airline consultant. “But it’s good business—the highest and best use of an asset.”"

Be skeptical of government-owned broadband networks

Vastly expanding the reach of taxpayer-funded broadband networks, and overriding common-sense state technology laws — as President Obama recently proposed — is the perfect example of the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." Colorado businesses and taxpayers must turn a skeptical eye toward municipal or government-owned networks (GONs) and, fortunately, our state laws allow local citizens to vote before such an expensive investment is foisted on them. The robust and excessively rosy claims for GONs — which the president echoed in his announcement — are centered on assertions that that they work well and cost taxpayers nothing. These claims simply don't stand up to long-term scrutiny, as demonstrated by the experience in cities around the country.

Expect this debate to heat up fast nationally and here in Colorado. In fact some local government advocates are proposing to eliminate your right to vote on GONs, hoping to duck the in-depth scrutiny that comes along with a local election.

Consider these basic facts that some government advocates don't want you to know:

Look at history. GONs routinely disappoint consumers and taxpayers. Many municipal networks are more expensive to consumers than services offered by private network providers. In fact, advocates often say that there is no cost to taxpayers at all, despite ample evidence to the contrary. And when things go awry, local taxpayers foot the bill - which results in higher taxes, precious local funds diverted from other priorities, or both.

Consider the costs. Local governments routinely tell their citizens that budgets are often too tight to adequately fund public safety, transportation or education, to name just three essential government functions. Adding GONs to the mix is one more (and very expensive) demand on local tax dollars.

Can the private sector do it better? The past troubles that GONs have had are public record and well-documented. A solution that reduces the risk to taxpayers and local budgets is to partner with the private sector to bring cutting-edge broadband services to more Colorado communities. Effective routes to do this include providing tax incentives to build out networks, updating ordinances to reflect ever-changing technologies and speeding up permitting processes. Companies have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Colorado over the past three years — including Comcast's WiFi investment for downtown Denver, and the gigabit network CenturyLink is deploying in Denver and Colorado Springs. Sustainable broadband deployment is assured when the private sector can respond to changing technologies and provide state-of-the-art service — a level of agility that government just doesn't have.

The desire here in Colorado — and across the country — for high-speed, low-priced broadband access is understandable and we applaud President Obama for drawing attention to this issue. But as with every major taxpayer investment, the risks and rewards must be weighed by taxpayers and local elected officials. Local governments can and should aggressively advocate for the rollout of broadband in their communities, but it's clear that government is not best suited to build, subsidize, manage and maintain its own network.

That's why a robust local dialogue leading to an up-or-down vote is the best route to ensure that taxpayers know what they're being asked to buy — and, potentially, bail out. Coloradans should push back hard against a Washington-designed solution being sold as a broadband panacea.

Jeff Wasden is president of the Colorado Business Roundtable.

Originally published at the Denver Post.

Dish Network CEO Exchange, Clayton for Ergen

Joe Clayton, the president and CEO of Douglas County-based satellite TV company Dish Network Corp., retires at the end of March, and will also leave the Dish's board of directors.  Dish Network, founder and chairman Charlie Ergen will be the returning CEO.

"Over the last four years, Joe's leadership has been instrumental to Dish as we have worked to engineer a fundamental transformation of our business," Ergen.

Wall Street Journal reporter, Shalini Ramachandran, wrote, "Mr. Ergen, the company’s mercurial, 61-year-old founder, stepped away from the CEO role nearly four years ago. As chairman he helped game out Dish’s major strategic moves, including investments to enter the wireless business and a recent plunge into streaming TV.

Now, as he assumes day-to-day control once again, Mr. Ergen faces the challenge of capitalizing on those bold bets by finding revenue growth that can counterbalance stagnation in Dish’s core pay-TV business. Dish reported Monday that it lost 79,000 subscribers last year, with 63,000 shed in the fourth quarter as it battled major TV programmers in carriage fee disputes.

By some measures, the U.S. wireless industry is already mature: The number of U.S. wireless subscriber connections, including cellphones and tablets, amounts to more than the entire U.S. population, according to CTIA, the wireless industry trade association.

But in an interview, Mr. Ergen said he views the industry as “relatively in its infancy” and sees a world of wireless-enabled devices beyond tablets and smartphones, from refrigerators to cars to smartwatches – that will “lead to tremendous growth.”"

Metro Denver Rent Triples U.S. Average

As posted by Aldo Svaldi of The Denver Post _______________

A new year is bringing no relief to renters across the metro area, two separate reports show.

Metro Denver rents, including both homes and apartments, rose at triple the U.S. annual rate in January, according to a report Friday from Zillow.

The Zillow Rent Index for Denver showed a 10.2 percent jump in monthly rents to $1,827 between January and January 2014.

That was the third highest rent increase of 35 major metro area that Zillow tracks after San Francisco, up 14.9 percent, and nearby San Jose, up 13.4 percent.

"Since 2000, rents have grown roughly twice as fast as wages, and you don't have to be an economist to understand why that is hugely problematic," noted Stan Humphries, chief economist with Zillow.

Rising rents combined with flat incomes are making it much more difficult for renters, who represent a third of U.S. households, to save the money needed for down payments to buy a home.

"The rental market used to be and should remain a stepping-stone to homeownership. But given how widespread rental affordability problems have become, the rental market could be acting more like a barrier to buying," Humphries said.

A  report from Apartment List in San Francisco, which is more focused on apartments, also found Denver rent increases at triple the U.S. average in January.

Rents on two-bedroom apartments across metro Denver, not including Boulder, are up 9.5 percent on an annual basis versus a 2.9 percent gain for the U.S.

Centennial had the biggest rent increase of any suburb at 14.1 percent, which pushed the average two-bedroom rents there to $1,310 a month.

LoDo is the most expensive neighborhood with rents on a two-bedroom of $2,920 a month, double the city of Denver average.

Broomfield remained the most expensive suburban apartment market with an average rent on a two-bedroom of $1,480. But rental increases there were moderating — up only 2.2 percent on the year.

Aurora still had the cheapest apartments in the metro area at $850 a month, but rents rose 12.8 percent year-over-year, the fastest among the large cities in Apartment List's universe.

That was the fastest pace among the larger-population cities that Apartment List tracks. Rents continue to rise despite a robust supply of new apartments hitting the market. Many of those apartments, however, are being built on the high-end, which in itself could be pushing up rents.

Aldo Svaldi: 303-954-1410, asvaldi@denverpost.com or twitter.com/aldosvald

Labor secretary to hold more talks in West Coast ports dispute

BY STEVE GORMAN of Reuters ____________________________________

(Reuters) - U.S. Labor Secretary Tom Perez planned to hold a second round of talks with shipping company executives and union leaders for 20,000 dockworkers on Wednesday, seeking to broker a deal to end months of labor turmoil clogging cargo traffic at 29 West Coast ports.

Perez was sent to San Francisco as an emissary of President Barack Obama, who has come under mounting pressure to intervene in a conflict that has reverberated through the trans-Pacific commercial supply chain and, by some estimates, could cost the U.S. economybillions of dollars.

Steadily worsening cargo congestion that the union and shippers blame on each other has slowed freight traffic since October at the ports, which handle nearly half of all U.S. maritime trade and more than 70 percent of the nation's imports from Asia.

More recently, the shipping companies have sharply curtailed operations at the terminals, limiting the loading and unloading of cargo vessels to daytime shifts at the five busiest ports and to non-holiday weekdays only throughout the system.

Daytime work has continued in the dockyards, rail yards and terminal gates. Some smaller ports remained open to nighttime vessel operations as well.

The union and shipping companies each accuse the other side of instigating the disruptions to gain leverage in contract negotiations that have dragged on for nine months, appearing to hit a roadblock in the last two weeks.

The bargaining agent for the shippers and terminal operators, the Pacific Maritime Association, has said talks hit a snag over a union demand for changes in the system of binding arbitration of contract disputes.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union has insisted the two sides are near an accord.

Perez joined the talks for the first time on Tuesday, meeting separately with each party, then briefly with both sides together, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

"Secretary Perez made clear that the dispute has led to a very negative impact on the U.S. economy, and further delay risks tens of thousands of jobs and will cost American businesses hundreds of millions of dollars," Labor Department spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement at day's end.

Perez urged the parties "to come to an immediate agreement to prevent further damage to our economy," she said.

More talks were scheduled for Wednesday.

The union and the PMA have declined public comment since agreeing last Friday to honor a news blackout requested by a federal mediator who joined the talks last month.

Effects of the port slowdowns have rippled through the U.S. economy, extending to agriculture, manufacturing, retail and transportation.

The last time contract talks led to a full shutdown of the West Coast ports was in 2002, when the companies imposed a lockout that was lifted 10 days later under a court order sought by President George W. Bush.

How 40 West Arts is transforming West Colfax

40 West Arts is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on delivering direct, positive impact to help catalyze the resurgence of the West Colfax Corridor—the historic heart of Lakewood—through the energy of arts and culture and the inspiration of creative enterprises. Who We Are: We are artists, neighbors, business owners and students who believe the Arts enrich our lives and have come together at the intersection of the arts, historic neighborhoods, new light rail stations, a famous avenue, and a vibrant Arts college. Working with local entrepreneurs, civic leaders, and a passionate group of volunteers, we will continue to work toward manifesting a shared vision of energizing our community through the work, creativity and fun of an arts district.

Our Purpose: The overarching purpose of 40 West Arts is to give artists and creative enterprises a community-based resource for furthering their creativity and moving their entrepreneurial efforts forward. 40 West Arts provides artists and other creatives:

• A connection to a state-designated creative district
• A forum for social and professional dialogue with creative peers
• Galleries and other venues to show and sell their work
• A conduit to “Call for Artists” revenue opportunities
• Resources and services to help expand their creativity and their business

40 West Art's mission supports the advancement of individual artists and creative entrepreneurs as well as business and property owners in an historic corridor—and it helps to energize an entire community and contribute to a state-wide initiative to stimulate the economy through arts and culture activities. The Broader Context: 40 West Arts is contributing to the renaissance along West Colfax. The West Colfax story is as vivid and varied as any in the country. It comes with its own lore—and a history rich in character and creativity. As the historic heart of Lakewood, West Colfax has seen both high and low times. Now, West Colfax is re-emerging from decades of economic challenges, and artists are the vanguard rallying behind both traditional and creative enterprises—and 40 West Arts is positioned to help support and sustain this effort. The renaissance is happening—right before our eyes.

The 40 West Arts mission supports the advancement of individual artists and creative entrepreneurs as well as business and property owners in an historic corridor—and it helps to energize an entire community and contribute to a state-wide initiative to stimulate the economy through arts and culture activities.

40 West Arts is a leader in this revitalization and Bill Marino, executive director of 40 West Arts talks about it here.

Vital for Colorado Chairman: "Don’t Let Anti-Science Extremists Destroy Denver’s Economy"

This week, the competing campaigns of environmental activists and industry advocates have been heating up surrounding issues of natural gas development.

Activists are pushing for a moratorium on fracking in the city of Denver, even though most of the state's development projects are well outside of Denver's city limits. The area around the Denver International Airport is one of the few areas in the city limits with any active wells leased out to oil and gas companies.

"Don't Frack Denver" activists say they want to stop the threat of expanding fracking within the city where it could affect their quality of life. They launched their effort on Tuesday by delivering a letter to Mayor Hancock and holding a news conference outside the City and County Building.

Industry advocates say this environmental effort is misguided and is essentially equivalent to "declaring war on Denver's economy."

Vital for Colorado, a leading pro-industry business advocacy group, has issued a news release statement in response, referring to the activists as "anti-science extremists."

"Groups that peddle fear, instead of facts, are out to hurt Colorado's economy and out to reduce the tax base that supports our schools, parks and libraries," said Peter Moore, the group's board chairman.

The oil and gas industry has been a boon for Denver’s economy in recent years. The industry makes up about 20 percent of downtown Denver’s office space, or about 4.5 million of the 22.3 million square feet of available space, according to the Denver Business Journal.

A Hancock spokeswoman said he understood the activist coalition's concerns, but she said he wouldn't consider backing any local action until a state oil and gas task force looking at regulatory issues publishes its recommendations. Those are due Feb. 27.

“Mayor Hancock hears their concerns loud and clear and will continue to work toward a shared goal of preserving our environment and quality of life here in Denver. The Mayor is keeping a keen eye on this issue, and eagerly anticipates the recommendations from the Governor’s Oil and Gas Task Force before any action would be considered on a municipal level. Understanding the Task Force is working on a responsible balance, the Mayor asks for the community and stakeholders to remain patient and allow a thoughtful process to take place.”

Councilman Chris Herndon, who represents northeast Denver, echoed Hancock's comments.

A moratorium effort may be lacking an actual legal footing given that recent state court rulings have overturned other cities' fracking bans.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves injecting water, sand and chemicals under high pressure to break up rocks deep underground, thereby releasing oil and gas. The industry says it has been safe for six decades and is subject to intense federal and state regulations that keep it from harming the environment.

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Overall, the oil and gas industry recently contributed $29 billion to Colorado’s economy and helped support more than 100,000 good-paying jobs.

“The oil and gas industry, like any industry, is not perfect, but it operates under some of the most stringent regulations in the country,” Moore said. “It’s been one of the brightest spots in our economy. The facts — and science – are on the side of industry.”

Vital for Colorado is a broad coalition of business and civic leaders formed to support responsible energy development.  More than 35,000 Coloradans, businesses, civic leaders and trade organizations have signed its pro-energy pledge. For more information, go to www.vitalforcolorado.com

Forecast: Strong economic performance anticipated in 2015

DENVER – February 5, 2015 – The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce presented the 2015 Metro Denver Economic Forecast yesterday at Vectra Bank's 22^nd Annual Economic Forecast breakfast. The event took place at the Seawell Grand Ballroom of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (view presentations and the webcast online). The 2015 Economic Forecast is researched by Patty Silverstein, chief economist for the Metro Denver EDC, and reviews the events of the past several years as well as highlighting emerging trends for this year. The forecast includes national-level information and includes estimates for statewide indicators as well.

“Metro Denver will continue to benefit from solid economic performance in 2015. Even as we experience increasing employment and confident consumers, we need to recognize that our aging and retiring baby boomers and well-educated and ready-for-the-workforce millennials are changing the face of our community and influencing housing patterns and how we do business,” said Silverstein.

Compared with the national average, Metro Denver's employment growth in 2014 was more than 1.3 percentage points higher at 3.2 percent, which included gains in each supersector except information. Silverstein forecasts job growth in 2015 to be 3 percent, which represents the addition of about 45,000 jobs.

According to Silverstein, four supersectors of the regional economy should post strong employment growth in 2015: natural resources & construction (5 percent), education and healthcare services (4.1 percent), professional and business services (4 percent), and leisure and hospitality (3.6 percent).

“As the area continues to attract new companies, draw in talented workers, and promote entrepreneurship, Metro Denver will have better-than-average job growth and a lower unemployment rate than the United States and Colorado,” said Silverstein.

In fact, robust job growth in 2014 lowered Metro Denver’s unemployment rate in October to 3.6 percent, the lowest rate since October 2007. While unemployment increased slightly since October, the rate remains near historic lows for the region.

“With a forecasted average unemployment rate of 4 percent in 2015, our companies can expect to see a very tight labor market,” said Silverstein.

Silverstein also highlighted the demographic shifts that are changing the face of Metro Denver’s workforce. She noted that millennials (born between 1981 and 1997) now compose the largest population group in Metro Denver.

“While generation X and baby boomers dominate the workforce today, the millennials are making their mark on the workplace and will represent the largest component of the labor force within 10 years,” she explained.

Changing demographics not only have implications for future labor force growth patterns and consumer spending, but also residential real estate purchases.

The Metro Denver EDC's CEO Tom Clark says that with limited supply in the residential real estate market and above-average population growth, home prices and appreciation are rising and construction activity is picking up.

"While increased residential construction activity is very positive for our economy, we do see challenges related to millennials and baby boomers seeking affordable, owner-occupied housing due to almost flat construction of condos and a historic rise in apartment construction,” said Clark. “We are working with the state legislature on construction defects legislation to address this critical gap.”

The forecast for Metro Denver includes the seven counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson. Economic indicators analyzed include: population trends, employment by industry, unemployment, retail sales growth, commercial real estate, and residential activity.

2015 Forecast - Key Indicators (e)=estimate (f)=forecast

Metro Denver	2014 (e)	2015 (f)
Population	3.002 million	3.053 million
Net MIgration	30,629	30,879
Employment Growth Rate	3.2%	3%
Non-Agricultural Employment (thousands)	Total: 1,512.6	Total: 1,557.9
Unemployment Rate	5%	4%
Retail Trade Sales Growth Rate	5.7%	5%
New Residential Units	17,902	18,836

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» 2015 Economic Forecast for Metro Denver (national, state, and regional forecast, PDF) » 2015 Economic Profile Brochure for Metro Denver/Northern Colorado (PDF)

About the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation An affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation (Metro Denver EDC) is the nation's first regional economic development entity, bringing together more than 70 cities, counties, and economic development agencies in the nine-county Metro Denver and Northern Colorado area. The Metro Denver EDC focuses on six areas to expand the regional economy: national marketing, new and existing business, mobility, DIA/international flights, tax reform, and special opportunities. The organization also leads three industry-focused affiliates: the Colorado Energy Coalition, the Colorado Space Coalition, and the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition. To learn more, see www.metrodenver.org.

Media contact: Janet Fritz - Senior Director, Marketing and Technology, Metro Denver Economic

Posted at; The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation

Providing Hope to Those Who Need it Most

There are few things in this world that need protection as much as a newborn child, and, for the most part, their care and protection fall to the parents.  But what happens when the parents themselves need help and protection?  Each year 4,000 babies are born to teen moms with 67% of those moms living below the poverty line.  Life for these moms isn't easy, with less than 1% of them will ever graduate from college and fewer than half will earn their high school diploma.  In Colorado, a single mother must work over 80 hours per week at minimum wage in order to meet the basic needs for her and her child. Luckily for them, there are organizations out there who dedicate themselves to helping and caring for these struggling mothers and their children.  Hope House of Colorado is one of these organizations.  Through residential programs, GED help and career resources, Hope House strives to be a positive force for change in the lives of teen mothers.  Through Hope House's efforts teen mothers are provided resources to drastically improve their lives and the lives of their children. and thats not all.  What really helps set Hope House apart is the amount of support and love that they are able to share.  They provide a safe and caring environment to help support those who need it most, mothers and their children.

Hope House of Colorado

City of Denver Office of Economic Development Hosts Tech Job Fair

On Thursday, October 30th, The City of Denver and ICOSA Media came together in collaboration in order to strengthen the already booming job market of Denver's tech sector.  The event, titled Denver’s Tech Talent: Meeting Tomorrow’s Needs and hosted at the ICOSA Media Event Center, was set up by the Denver Offices of Economic Development to connect those looking for employment with companies seeking talented employees.  The day began at 9:00 a.m. when ICOSA Media CEO and founder of the Colorado Business Roundtable, Gayle Dendinger, welcomed all the attendees to the event.  Shortly after, tech company CEO's sat down with a representative from the Colorado Technology Association to discuss what drives them to succeed, and how those looking to work in the technology sector could improve their chances of meeting the right company.

After the panel discussion, the fair opened up for the public to meet and talk with some of the biggest and fastest growing tech companies in Denver.  Special consideration was made for veterans who re-entering the work force, and all were given a chance to get to know a lot of the companies driving the economic success story that is Colorado.

A full photo gallery can be found here.

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U.N. Calling for Open Elections in Hong Kong

HONG KONG - The United Nations Human Rights Committee called on China today to ensure universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The panel met in Geneva and issued a statement emphasizing that officials need to do more to make certain that people both have the right to vote and also the right to run for office.

Focusing on the Aug. 31st decision by China’s Communist Party-run legislature, the committee finds that the guidelines for the 2017 election would practically block anyone not approved by Beijing from even appearing on the ballot. Hong Kong residents have been reacting to the legislature's decision through large-scale popular protests. Despite tensions with both the police and with opponents of the pro-democracy movement, the heart of the city is still occupied by peaceful protesters.

“I hope that Beijing will be persuaded to revisit the issue... We always have to live in hope.” -Emily Lau, head of the Democratic Party in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong and Macau, both former colonies, became parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights prior to their returning to Chinese sovereignty in the late 1990s. That treaty, enforced by the United Nations, is a commitment to respect civil rights including the freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and the right to free elections. While the Chinese government in Beijing never ratified the treaty itself, it did agree that the treaty would continue to apply in Hong Kong and Macau after it resumed control of the territories.

The Human Rights Committee is tasked with reviewing how states are complying with the treaty. The United Nations has now officially said Hong Kong’s performance is “not satisfactory.” The Hong Kong government has two months to reply.

ICOSA Hosts City of Denver Community Planning and Development Workshop

On July 30th, ICOSA played host to the City of Denver Community Planning and Development department and Urban Land Institute.  That morning a variety of city planners and volunteers spent their day at the ICOSA facilities touring the area and working on plans to revitalize the 40th station area.  The 1/2 mile area surrounding the station includes portions of the Swansea, Northeast Park Hill and Clayton neighborhoods. The evening event was open to public, and was attended by roughly 100 neighbors, community leaders and business owners.  The meeting's agenda focused on what the neighborhood could be like in 5,10 and 20 years and what type of housing, employment or neighborhood amenities could be implemented. The group also discussed how can the area can be improved with foot, bike and vehicle or bus routes and the positive and negative health impacts could be.

Presenters discuss possibilities for the future of the area

The morning brainstorm sessions were the focus of the evening meeting, making residents aware of the possibilities in the area and gathering feedback on what the area residents would like to see happen.

The RTD's East Rail Line, otherwise known as the Eagle P3 Project will connect Downtown Denver to Denver International Airport and is scheduled to open in 2016.  In a report from TRD FasTracks, released for July-October 2014 the Eagle P3 project has added more than $954 million to the Colorado Economy.  Since groundbreaking, the Eagle P3 Project team's contractor, Denver Transit Partners, has also employed 4,800 employees.

Presenting to the community about the proposed future

The next public meeting will be held at ICOSA (4100 Jackson Street) on Wednesday, August 13th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.  At this meeting it will focus on community design around the 40th and Colorado station. Discussion will include proposed land uses, connectivity, station access, building heights, storm water quality and other important considerations.

Uganda Women Leadership Conference, Part 2

U.S. Ambassador DeLisi is hopeful as he and his wife celebrated a group of young Ugandan fellows at their residence who will spend the summer in the United States growing their global networks to build film schools, launch small businesses and pursue careers in human rights.  The Honorable Minister Nsereko is hopeful about the public health partnerships we are forming together as she invited us to a ceremony in a rural province where they distributed some of the $400 thousand worth of medical supplies that we shipped over in partnership with Project Cure. And there is even hope for me that I will learn from my mistakes as my iPhone was stolen out of my hands once again as I sat in a cab with my window down in a Kampala traffic jam at night on the way to the airport.  There is hope that next time I will roll up my window like the taxi driver suggested!  Later that evening, I was reminded over a Skype back home that despite the “tragic” loss of my iPhone someone will at least eat better this week from its sale on the black market; a potent reminder that my very worst day is many people’s best.

The hope at the reception that the First Lady of Rwanda hosted for the Women’s Leadership summit as we arrived in Kigali was palpable.  A parliamentarian, a deputy chief of staff, a minister of youth services, the head of a foundation, all gathered to greet us; all women.   These are powerful women making positive change in a country with one of the largest percentages of women in parliament in the world.   There is hope that my own country can humble itself to learn from Rwanda where in 2014 there should be more than one woman running for President.  Jus’ sayin’!

The 300 children from the local villages that we hosted at Entusi on the second day of our summit for a basic health clinic arrived with hope that someone would pay attention to them. And we delivered. Everyone left with something. More importantly, every child who made their way through the clinic felt important and felt welcome. They had a seat at the table. For many, this was the first time they had been ever invited anywhere.

And so, our Second Annual Women’s Leadership Summit concluded yesterday and as 20 extraordinary women began making their way back to their families and their work in Kampala and Kigali and Colombia and Nigeria and the United States, Africa had changed each of us.   It always does, right?

Despite the enormity of the challenges that confront us from girls in captivity to the unforgiving conditions of poverty; despite the very different backgrounds and life experiences of each of the women who came together over this past week; everyone left with something in common.  They all left with hope.

On Lake Bunyonyi at the Entusi Retreat Center on June 11^th, there was a sense of hope that was so pervasive and so thick that you could almost touch it.

Twitter: Global Livingston Institute

Facebook: Global Livingston Institute

Level(3) Communications

 Connecting and Protecting the Networked World

Colorado governor John Hickenlooper envisions this state to be the next Silicon Valley. Companies like Level(3) are headquartered here, which makes that vision and technology collaboration possible. To increase competitiveness and success you must be able to access and exchange vital information. As most world trade centers will tell you, international commerce can take your company to the next level. Globalization has obliterated the distance obstacle, so there are more global business opportunities. In order to have international growth you must first evaluate your communication tools. Level(3) offers global business opportunity solutions, such as audio, web and video services in a secure digital environment. These combined services make a digital meeting as valuable as face-to-face meetings, without having to leave your office or even your home office. These are collaborative services as collaboration is the key to efficiently accomplishing tasks, minimizing replication, while reducing the time, money and effort needed to complete complex projects. If you are collaborative these Level(3) tools are services you will need, even if you are staying local. Here is a more in-depth look at those services provided by Level(3).  

Business Solutions

• Audio:

Quickly and efficiently connect geographically dispersed employees, customers and partners for instantaneous business communications with our reservation-less and operator-assisted audio conferencing solutions.

• Web:

Our web-based conferencing solutions enhance traditional audio meetings by making them more interactive and productive. An excellent option for making presentations to your customers, setting up training programs, and issuing corporate press releases. Its working environment enables shared, strategic decision-making, conference management, control of presentations and recording of all your meetings in a simple and user-friendly format.

• Video:

Participants can experience the immediacy, impact and personal touch of video conferencing. High-definition video enables viewers to actually identify participant facial expressions. Included in the collaboration video portfolio is the Level 3SM Telepresence solution that is not just video conferencing, but the ultimate "immersive" video conferencing experience.

Denver Broncos Training Camp

As season tickets for the National Football League fill season ticket holder mailboxes, the surge of excitement for the up-coming season fills our hearts (ah-tender). It also means the 90 degree weather here in Denver is about to come to an end. As a self-proclaimed cool weather enthusiast I remember the age old saying of Tom Hanks in You Got Mail, “Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms.” So simply change around the words to say, don’t you love Denver in the fall? It makes me wanna buy Broncos tickets. I would send you a just-off-the-press season ticket if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has it charms. So enough with that analogy, the NFL has 3 things to watch at AFC West training camps.

#1. Watch the Broncos because they are the team to beat. Why? The positions that they lacked have been filled this year.

#2. The Broncos are locking up deals with Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. A combo I will nickname “T2”.

#3. Taken directly from NFL.com, “Offensive coordinator Adam Gase has made it clear that the No. 2 running back job is wide open behind "Making the Leap" candidate Montee Ball. The Broncos still believe in Ronnie Hillman's talent, but he closed out the 2013 season fourth on the depth chart. It's not a bad idea for fantasy footballers to take a late-round flier on C.J. Anderson.” Check out these two videos discussing training camp:

Video #1 Camp Storylines Getting Tougher

Video #2 AFC West Summer School

With only 22 days more to go before the preseason starts it’s time to get new gear and make signs to get on the fan cam/scoreboard.

2014 Cherry Creek Arts Festival!

The Cherry Creek Arts Festival is recognized as Colorado’s signature cultural event during the Fourth of July weekend, the Arts Festival enjoys an annual attendance of 350,000 visitors. With a theme of “Art Lives Here,” the 2014 Cherry Creek Arts Festival brings together 250 juried visual artists, over 20 culinary vendors, and live entertainment in a unique celebration of the visual, culinary and performing arts. Most importantly, it remains a FREE venue where families can spend quality time together. During three days every year, art comes alive on the streets of Cherry Creek North through the Cherry Creek Arts Festival. With hundreds of artists bringing unique expressions of self to the Festival site, our patrons benefit from engaging cultural and arts education experiences. While the three-­‐day experience may be fleeting, the impact of the art lives on in our patrons, partners and the community 365 days of the year