A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown

Building Great Things with Mortenson Construction Vice President Brian Fitzpatrick

Brian Fitzpatrick joined Mortenson in 2007 and is a member of the Denver Leadership Team. As Vice President, General Manager, of Mortenson’s Denver office, Brian is responsible for overall strategy development and direction of all facets of the group, including relationship management, preconstruction, construction, business development and community outreach activities.

From Mortenson's website: "We are a top 20 builder and developer fully invested in our customers’ success and improving the communities in which we live and work. We’re a construction industry leader in markets like sports facilities, renewable energy, data centers and healthcare. At the end of the day, we want to be known for making sure the built environment has a lasting positive impact. Let’s build a better world."

Brian joins the show and discusses his career history, his favorite projects since joining Mortenson, how the pandemic provided both challenge and opportunity, and a lot more. He also discusses how companies can be proactive in solving their workforce challenges, and why community outreach is so important. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Educational Leadership and Inspiration featuring MSU Denver President Janine Davidson

Janine Davidson, Ph.D., has served as president of Metropolitan State University of Denver since 2017. She is a national thought leader in higher education and on topics such as public service, U.S. foreign policy and national security.

As president of Colorado’s third-largest public university, Davidson is a fierce advocate for MSU Denver’s 17,000 students. From her first days on campus, she has championed the role public universities play in “holding the line on the American dream.” She has staunchly advocated for legal status for Dreamers and supported MSU Denver’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals students, as well as its minoritized students and military and veteran students.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Janine shares how she works with businesses to ensure her students get real world experience and connections in a job market hungry for workers, the evolving role of higher education in American culture, why higher education is still great value (despite some commentary claiming it isn't), and her remarkable background as a pilot for the United States Air Force and a civilian working in the Pentagon. It's a fascinating episode with a truly remarkable leader. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

A Chat with University of Colorado President Todd Saliman

Todd Saliman became the 24th president of the University of Colorado in July 2021 following his appointment by the Board of Regents. A lifelong Coloradan and proud CU alumnus, Saliman was born and raised in Littleton, and he graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in political science. With 30 years of experience in public policy and higher education in Colorado – including serving in the state legislature, working for two Colorado governors and overseeing CU’s budget operations for more than a decade – Saliman has devoted his career to advancing the state and CU. He believes deeply in the value of higher education and the power of a four-year degree to unlock opportunity.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Todd discusses the present and future of higher education in Colorado. He also discusses the need to grow Colorado's own talent, the evolution of meeting the needs of the business community, and why University of Colorado's partnership with Colorado Business Roundtable is so vital. University of Colorado employs 30,000 people, which makes it the third largest employer in the state. It's a stimulating conversation that covers a lot of ground on education, workforce development, and cultivating partnerships. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals featuring Bradford Walton and Jen Landers

Inspired by the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian award of the United States – the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals honor Colorado leaders who inspire excellence and community service. On this edition of A Seat at the Table, Debbie Brown welcomes Bradford Walton of Ball Corporation and Jen Landers, Executive Director of CiviCO to discuss these incredible honors, including how Ball Corporation earned this year's Corporate Citizenship Medal.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Bradford Walton has worked with Ball Corporation for more than two years. At Ball he has the dual role overseeing Ball’s external communications, inclusive of community and corporate citizenship. Driving the Foundation team at Ball, he is focused on connecting to the communities where they live and operate across the globe. He previously served as global communications director for Intuit, where he developed global communication campaigns and customized plans for the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and India.

Jen Landers is the current executive director of CiviCO and prior to that she was the executive director of Colorado Young Leaders, a leadership program for Colorado high school students. Colorado Young Leaders has since folded into CiviCO’s powerful programming to further empower a new generation of leaders. Jen is driven to act and serve Colorado now by showing how businesses that focus on the community drive profits and so much more.

 

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade with Pat Meyers

Pat Meyers is Chief Economic Recovery Officer and Executive Director for Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). OEDIT creates a positive business climate that encourages dynamic economic development and sustainable job growth. 

In December 2017, Pat was appointed the Chief of Staff to Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper and served in the role until the Governor’s term ended in 2019. Pat is a senior advisor to now Senator Hickenlooper and was a board member of his Senate campaign. In March 2020 Pat was appointed the Constrained Medical Supply Team Leader for the State of Colorado’s Covid Innovation Response Team, where he led the team obtaining PPE and other medical supplies for the State. In 2021, Pat was awarded the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Award for his work on the Covid Response Team.

Pat’s practice has included securities and franchise compliance, finance transactions, tax, mergers and acquisitions, employment matters, litigation, license and distribution, and general corporate law. He has written numerous articles and has taught various continuing legal education courses.

Pat discusses all of this plus Colorado Forward, where you can learn more about the work of Governor Jared Polis and the General Assembly to save Coloradans money, support economic recovery and resilience, and build a Colorado for all, and Opportunity Now Colorado, an $85 million grant program catalyzing transformative change for Colorado’s workforce.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Future of Education and Workforce Development with Colorado Succeeds

Colorado Succeeds was founded in 2006 by a group of CEOs who saw the need for a non-partisan business advocacy organization focused solely on education and workforce development. As end consumers of the education and talent development system, Colorado Succeeds members advocate for policies that improve outcomes for learners, and support innovative programs in and out of the classroom. They shape and advocate for public policy that removes barriers to innovation, incentives best practices, measures outcomes, and places the learner first. They supercharge policy implementation by providing technical assistance and support to education providers and employers. And they fund education and workforce development best practices to bring them to scale.

On this episode, Debbie is joined by Katie Zaback, Vice President of Government Affairs and Ben Gerig, Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships to discuss how post-secondary education continues to evolve, where the business community can be involved, and what the future looks like for workforce development. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

The Continuing Evolution of Education and Business with Don Haddad

The future of education is frequently at the forefront of our policy discussions, and it's not hard to understand why. Our children are our future leaders in business, government and every other sector of society, so it is imperative that the education they receive prepare them effectively for the future. Dr. Don Haddad has been a leader in this space for a long time, and he joins A Seat at the Table to discuss the innovations, partnerships, and evolutions he has been a part of over his impressive career.

Dr. Don Haddad is the Superintendent of the St. Vrain School District and has an impressive career spanning 37 years where he has benefited from a broad range of experiences in several school districts while working in various teaching, coaching and administrative positions at every level, PK-12. You can read more about St. Vrain School District here, and Dr. Haddad's bio here.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

Rate, review and subscribe on your favorite podcatcher.

For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Verizon’s Remarkable DEI and Community Outreach Initiatives with Josh Miller

Josh Miller is Manager of Community Engagement-Colorado, Kansas and Kansas City, MO for Verizon. He is part of a team that designs, implements, and executes company programs pertaining to everything from diversity, equity and inclusion to addressing climate change to equitable digital inclusion for all. Verizon has a multitude of programs designed to ensure the highest satisfaction from its four identified stakeholder groups: customers, employees, shareholders, and society as a whole. 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Josh shares his journey through the world of politics that ultimately led him to Verizon, discusses what it was like to have his first day coincide with Colorado's shutdown order related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, how virtual programs translate to the real world, and a lot more. It's a jam-packed episode that paints a detailed picture of Verizon's robust initiatives. 

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Abolishing All Types of Poverty with CrossPurpose Founder Jason Janz

Jason Janz co-founded CrossPurpose with Juan Pena in 2008, influenced greatly by spending his childhood and adolescence in poverty. With the goal of abolishing relational, economic, and spiritual poverty through career and community development, Jason’s passion for social entrepreneurship and serving the poor is satisfied through his role as CEO where he builds the team, sets the organizational culture, and raises funds.

On this episode of A Seat at the Table, Jason joins Debbie Brown for an energizing chat about the innovative model of CrossPurpose, why there needs to be 10 more organizations like his, why poverty isn't just what you see on the streets and much more. 

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For more of our events, podcasts, and news, please visit the Colorado Business Roundtable website.

Disrupting the Health Care Space with Peak Benefits Owner Bryan Perry

Bryan Perry is the Owner of Peak Benefits, a company that builds premium benefits plans at budget prices. In Bryan's own words, "The healthcare industry employs armies of consultants whose entire job is to maximize their company’s revenue from your healthcare plan. Business leaders are frustrated because they don’t have more tools when they get their annual 6% increase. We think it is wrong that your rate increase is someone else’s profits." 

On this episode of A Seat at the Table with Debbie Brown, Bryan discusses his journey in business and the founding of Peak Benefits. He talks at length about the opacity of healthcare pricing, why and how he's dedicated to creating "win-win-win" solutions for businesses, consumers and providers, and where the healthcare industry goes from here, plus a lot more.

Hosted by Colorado Business Roundtable President Debbie Brown.