Weekly News from COBRT - September 25, 2018
LEADERSHIP. REACH. RESULTS.
September 25, 2018
Colorado Business Roundtable Announces Board Of Directors
Colorado Business Roundtable is honored to announce its new Board of Directors. We are delighted to work with talented business leaders from some of the nation's largest employers, that help propel Colorado's economic future.
 
"The newest members of Colorado Business Roundtable's Board of Directors are deeply committed to not only their employees and business, but making a significant, positive impact for their communities and the state of Colorado. They each bring such passion, a high level of understanding and engagement, and a wealth of experience," states Jeff Wasden, Colorado Business Roundtable President. "We are excited to aggressively continue the mission and goals of Colorado Business Roundtable and know our new Board of Directors will be a tremendous asset as we advocate on behalf of the business community."
 
  • Scott Hughes, Apple
  • Roberta Robinette, AT&T
  • Chris Schmidt, Deloitte
  • Becky Takeda-Tinker, CSU-Global
  • Ray Johnson, IBM
  • Dave Eddy, Boeing
  • Rebecca Kersting, Nuss Professional Group
  • Michael Smith, Walgreens
  • Phil Kalin, Pinnacol
  • Gayle Dendinger, CAP Logistics
  • Greg McIntyre, Jacobs Engineering
  • Peter Moore, Robinson Waters & O'Dorisio, P.C.
 
Stay tuned as we announce additional Board of Directors later this month.
Colorado Business Roundtable Supports And Opposes Different Ballot Initiatives 
The Colorado Business Roundtable Board of Directors has taken formal positions on several ballot questions Coloradans will be voting on in November. COBRT has taken a position of support on Proposition 110, transportation funding; Amendment Y and Z, concerning redistricting and reapportionment. COBRT opposes Amendment 73, which raises corporate income tax rate and taxes Coloradans making over $150,000 in income; and Proposition 112, a setback initiative that would shut out the oil, gas industry.
 
"COBRT takes all policy decisions very carefully and weighs the potential impact to business, not just in the short term but how a proposition or amendment affects our overall competitiveness, jobs, wages, and business climate in the state," stated Colorado Business Roundtable President, Jeff Wasden. "Colorado Business Roundtable Board of Directors takes their responsibility seriously and we appreciate their leadership and service to the business community. We encourage voters to educate themselves on each of the ballot questions and feel free to reach out to COBRT if you have any questions on our policy decisions."

Thank you to everyone who attended the Climate Change Panel Discussion with Guest Moderator Congresswoman Diana DeGette. We appreciate the Congresswoman and panelists taking time to discuss how climate change is affecting their businesses. 
When Arrow Electronics joined the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance in 2017, Aiden Mitchell, the company's vice president of global internet of things solutions, said the technology distribution giant would be an advisor for the group, pulling on its hundred of supplier around the globe to assist municipalities in making their cities smarter. On Tuesday, the company took its commitment a step further, announcing the Colorado Open Lab, an innovation center where the public and private sector development and test smart technologies before deploying them. The lab, slated to open in mid-2019, will be located inside Arrow's headquarters in Centennial. 

On Sept. 13, the House Ways and Means Committee, chaired by Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), approved Tax Reform 2.0; teeing up a potential vote by the full House before the end of this month. The first measure approved by the Committee was H.R. 6760, the Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018. It would cement cuts in personal taxes and a deduction for non-corporate businesses known as pass-throughs, as well as continue immediate write-offs for business investments, all of which are now temporary in the tax overhaul that took effect this year. The legislation would also permanently cap the federal deduction for state and local taxes at $10,000, Seven amendments were offered by the Democratic members of the committee, however, none were agreed to. The Committee approved the bill 21-15. 


Thank you Colorado Farm Bureau, World Trade Center Denver, Canadian Consulate Denver, and Mexican Consulate Denver for helping Colorado Business Roundtable put on the NAFTA Burger BBQ! Thank you to everyone who attended to help support NAFTA on Friday. 
David Leinweber, the owner of Colorado Springs' beloved Angler's Covey fly fishing shop, asked a Republican candidate earlier this year to voice full-throated support for the state's outdoor recreation industry. The candidate told him, "No way. It will put a target on my back, and I'll be labeled as green," Leinweber recalled. "And he lost my vote." Leinweber has long voted Republican. But he's worried about the direction of his party as its leaders remain curiously silent during what he sees as attacks on public lands, the environment and the role of outdoor recreation as a vital economic engine for the Pikes Peak region and all of Colorado. 

Techstars, the Boulder-based startup accelerator, is teaming up with Western Union, the Denver metro-based global money-transfer company, to launch a global payments innovation accelerator. The accelerator, which will be based in the Denver Tech Center, will focus on startups innovating how payments and money transfers take place throughout the world. 

The Colorado Business Roundtable believes in the power of being a champion. We are going to recognize Colorado's champions in collaboration, partnerships, the business community and who go the extra mile to help make the business ecosystem of Colorado stronger. We welcome your nominations in the following categories:
  • Aerospace
  • Education and Workforce
  • Energy
  • Engineering
  • Farming and Agriculture
  • Financial Services
  • Government
  • Health and Wellness
  • Hospitality and Lodging
  • Manufacturing
  • Nonprofit
  • Technology
  • Tourism and Outdoor Recreation
 
The deadline for nomination forms is October 12, 2018.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is creating a political action committee, putting him a giant step closer to jumping into the race for president in 2020, Colorado Politics confirmed Monday. But the governor also extended his timetable for deciding whether to enter the race, saying he now plans to wait until after he leaves office in January. The leadership PAC is called Giddy Up, and it is allowed to raise money and other campaign resources to help Hickenlooper travel to raise his profile and do other things candidates do. 

Join Colorado State University-Global Campus and the Colorado Business Roundtable for "Cybersecurity Threats in the Future: What every organizational leader needs to know." The event will be Tuesday, October 30 from 7:00 am to 9:00 am at History Colorado Center.

Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving. Hear from top companies about the cybersecurity challenges they have faced, solutions their companies took to overcome cyber threats, and how they believe businesses can prepare their workforce to effectively address the current and future cyber challenges ahead.

The keynote speaker is Criss Bradbury, senior manager in the cyber risk services department at Deloitte. Panelists are from Microsoft, IBM, AT&T and more.


Colorado is well represented at National Science Foundation Reskilling America conference. Lt. Governor Donna Lynne spoke on a panel called Models for Building a Competitive and Innovative Workforce - Towns, Cities, States, and Regions. COBRT President Jeff Wasden represented business on a panel, What Signals is Industry Trying to Send? 
Join the Public Affairs Committee and the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce to learn about critical ballot initiatives that affect women in business in Colorado and hear from both sides of the issues. This is an educational event meant to inform women and men in the business community to make informed decisions come this November. 

The event is Tuesday, October 2nd from 5 pm to 7 pm at Molson Coors Downtown Denver Tap Room. 

DENVER, Colo. - XTO Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil Corporation, today announced its plan to transfer 5,000 acre-feet of water to the State of Colorado on behalf of ExxonMobil in order to address serious drought conditions on the state's Western Slope. In the coming days, XTO will release water that ExxonMobil maintains at Ruedi Reservoir in Pitkin County for use downstream of the reservoir, including for irrigation and fish habitat purposes. The company has coordinated the release with the state's Division Engineer's office. 

Denver, Colo.,  - Four Colorado public schools and two groups of public educators last night each received $15,000 awards from The Succeeds Prize during a celebration honoring excellence in education. The Succeeds Prize is the most prestigious awards and recognition event for Colorado teachers and schools. The awards also share promising teaching practices and elevate excellent educators to impact Colorado's nearly 900,000 students. A partnership between 9NEWS, Colorado Succeeds and mindSpark Learning, The Succeeds Prize awarded schools across six award categories with a total of $150,000 in cash prizes. The winners were selected by accomplished panels of experts representing the education, government and business communities. 

Listen at KDMT 1690 AM Denver's Money Talk from 
4-5 p.m. Monday through Friday or  live stream online. Podcasts are available at  http://www.cobrt.com/radio-podcast and on your favorite podcast app the day after live airing.

Stream or Download These Recent Episodes

See all at our events page and use this contact form to add yours!
09/27/18
Above and Beyond Exhibition Media Day - Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum

10/02/18
Ballot Issues: What You Need to Know - Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce

10/30/18

10/29/18 - 10/30/18
Future of Mining Americas - Mining Magazine and Mining Journal

11/08/18
Spreading Wings Gala - Wings Over the Rockies
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