State Award and Scholarship Opportunities in Partnership with World Trade Center Denver

The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the Minority Business Office of the Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade (OEDIT), and Manufacturer's Edge are pleased to announce partnerships with the World Trade Center Denver (WTCD), resulting in grant awards to qualifying companies.  If you have been thinking about starting to expand your business through exports, now is time to check out the courses and services offered at the World Trade Center Denver to help you get there.  Following are three programs where you may be eligible to earn grants, scholarships and recognition along with the main benefit of growing your business! 

1) Leading Edge for International Opportunities - Deadline Mar. 31, 2016 - This international grant and training provided by SBDC and OEDIT's Minority Business Office provides an educational pathway and equips small and medium size minority and women-owned Colorado businesses to develop a strategic plan for conducting international business, thus creating a new revenue stream within your operation.  Come to an Informational Session on March 25th, 2016 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.  Recipients will receive their Certificate of International Trade from the WTCD.  For more details, click here. 

2) Small Manufacturer's AdvantEDGE - This program and potential awards brought to you by SBDC, OEDIT and Manufacturer's Edge is intended to help Colorado's small manufacturers under 20 employees to help with operations support, process improvement, export strategies, advising, and more.  A manufacturer's initial engagement could be acquiring education with the WTCD if you have never exported before or need a refresher.  However, if you are an experienced exporter, a more thorough approach via a Gap Analysis on your international business practices may be what you need.  For more details on this program, please email Sumer Sorensen Bain at Manufacturer's Edge.

3) Governor's Award for Excellence in Exporting - Deadline Apr. 15, 2016 - The WTCD is soliciting applications or nominations for the Governor's Exporter of the Year, which will be awarded at this year's World Trade Day on May 19th.  Think of this award as an excellent way to share your export success.  The Governor's Office, the OEDIT and the WTCD will all promote the winners of this award and you will be recognized at the largest international business conference in the region.  

We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities to grow your business!
 

WORLD TRADE CENTER DENVER
2650 E. 40th Avenue
Denver, CO 80205 USA
t  +1 303-592-5760
f  +1 303-592-5228
www.wtcdenver.org

CAP Worldwide Team Moves Over 400 Tons of Freight to Over 68 Countries

CAP Worldwide team moves over 400 tons of freight to over 68 countries

CAP Worldwide, a member of the Colorado Business Roundtable, moved massive amounts of freight to over 68 countries worldwide during the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase Jan. 30 through Feb. 14, 2016. 

In 1955, a group of mineral collectors and rock hounds from the Tucson Gem & Mineral Society held a free exhibition, open to the public, at a local elementary school. Year after year the show became larger and is now one of the largest gem, fossil, mineral and jewelry shows in the world. According to the Visit Tucson website, this show attracts 55,000 tourists annually to this two-week long show. Various show sites are set up through the Tucson area in hotels, parking lots, warehouses and tents in and around the city. In total, the city hosts 40 registered shows over a two-week period with approximately 3,000 exhibitors.

The CAP Worldwide team operated for three weeks out of a warehouse in Tucson designated for customers to gather their mineral specimens, fossils, gems and jewelry. The team aided in packaging the customers’ freight to get it ready to either load into ocean containers or to prepare it for air moves. Several of CAP Worldwide’s customers also arranged for live loading at the shows for stress-free conveyance. Additionally, the team facilitated the paperwork to ensure proper clearance into the customers' respective countries as paperwork requirements vary per country.

Shipments are still moving all around the world with customers still arranging for freight moves. As of today, CAP Worldwide has moved over 400 tons of freight into 68 countries globally. 

CAP Worldwide is an International Air Transport Association (IATA) endorsed agent and FMC licensed NVOCC offering complete export and import air and ocean freight services. CAP’s strong partnerships with the world’s premier air and ocean carriers allows CAP to offer competitive rates and transit times using their global agent network.

Hover on the map below to view all of the countries CAP Worldwide shipped to from the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase

Representative Perlmutter, USTDA Director Zak, 160+ Colorado Leaders Urge U.S. Engagement Overseas

COBRT was pleased to be a partner for this special event! This article was originally posted here by U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC).

CoBank President Mary McBride and DaVita Village Trust Director Lori Vaclavik join call for strategic investments in American global leadership, economic development and diplomacy

DENVER — Representative Ed Perlmutter and USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak joined the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition on February 18, 2016 to discuss how America’s engagement abroad spurs economic growth here in Colorado and promotes our national security.

“It’s critical that we strengthen all our foreign policy tools – development and diplomacy alongside defense – not just for our national security, but also for demonstrating our values as a nation,” said U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter. “Ensuring the U.S. remains a competitive and global leader is equally important for the success of Colorado businesses and future growth of our local economy.”

“I’m grateful for this opportunity to describe how USTDA’s win-win program helps to both foster sustainable growth in emerging economies and to create jobs across America and right here in Colorado,” said Leocadia I. Zak, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. “Our activities advance our national interests, provide a critical return on investment and build lasting partnerships between Colorado firms and the world’s fastest-growing markets.”

Denver is headquarters to some of the largest global brands and organizations with rapidly growing international operations in emerging markets. Last year, Colorado exported more than $20 billion in goods and services overseas, and trade supported more than one in five local jobs, making U.S. international engagement a strategic issue for the state.

“The global economy is growing more integrated every day, and growth for U.S. businesses, including those in Colorado, will increasingly depend on serving markets outside of our borders. America’s strategic investments in diplomacy and development help to open new markets for U.S.-produced goods and services and are critical to advancing our nation’s broader economic interests,“ said Mary McBride, the President of CoBank.

“Our nation is engaging across the world in new and more effective ways by providing people a hand up, not just a hand out. American aid agencies are building bridges and creating sustainable communities globally,” said Lori Vaclavik, Director of DaVita Village Trust. “This matters to us here in Colorado, because together we’re demonstrating our nation’s highest values.”

Jason Gross, Executive Director of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, said, “In today’s interconnected world what happens overseas affects us here at home. From violent extremism in the Middle East, to pandemics in West Africa and Latin America, to the instability in Central America, we cannot afford to step back, and leaders here in Denver understand this fully. They recognize how important our development and diplomacy tools are to keeping us safe and creating opportunity here in Colorado.”

Costing a mere one percent of the entire U.S. federal budget, international affairs programs supports all of America’s civilian tools of development and diplomacy to strengthen our national security, build economic prosperity, and demonstrate our nation’s humanitarian values around the world.

The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 400 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic, military, and community leaders in all 50 states who support strategic investments to elevate development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world. 

World Trade Center Denver Selects Site and Development Team for New Global Campus

WORLD TRADE CENTER DENVER SELECTS SITE AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM FOR NEW GLOBAL CAMPUS

For more information, contact Karen Gerwitz, President, 303-592-5760 or email [email protected]

DENVER – February 16, 2016 - The World Trade Center Denver, a trade association with a million dollar brand and global recognition, selects the TOD (Transit Oriented Development) site located at 38th and Blake Street in the revitalized River North Art District (RiNo) neighborhood for a New World Trade Center Global Campus. The site is located just one commuter rail stop from Union Station downtown on the route to Denver International Airport. The development team selected after a year of due diligence is Sean Campbell, who co-developed the business ecosystem Industry on Brighton Blvd., Trae Rigby, head of Saunders Commercial Development—a new extension of Saunders Construction, Inc., and Andrew Feinstein, a longtime RiNo real estate investor and co-managing partner of the EXDO Event Center.

“The proposed site of the new World Trade Center Denver will create a transit-oriented community that will be like no other in the city,” said Mayor Hancock. “It will allow us to easily showcase the best of Denver on a global scale.”

“We are delighted about the place-making opportunity and business development experience of the site and team we selected,” said Karen Gerwitz, president of the World Trade Center Denver. “With a global twist on a uniquely local ecosystem, we chose developers with the right global mindset to make this a legacy project for Denver.”

The new global campus will likely break ground early next year and open in Q1 of 2019 with a phased approach. While local architects Oz Architecture have been selected to do the master planning, an international design competition will bring awareness to the project and create a truly global center. WTC Denver’s new corporate offices will house best-in-breed large and small international businesses, representing strong industries and innovative technologies within the global ecosystem. The first phase will also include a flagship business hotel that will anchor the project on the corner of 38th between Walnut and Blake, and an international business center housing a state-of-the-art conference center, a co-working environment for growing international businesses and resources, and globally-themed restaurants and retail stores.

“Having worked in the World Trade Center in New York, I know first-hand how the World Trade Center brand can transform an area in the city,” said Campbell. “We are honored to be selected to partner with the World Trade Center Denver and to help create a truly transformative global center in Denver.”

“As a fifth generation Denverite, I welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the World Trade Center Denver to elevate Denver's profile on the international stage,” said Feinstein. “We are well positioned with this project to make Denver a globally-recognized city.”

The World Trade Center Denver trade association will continue to offer trade services on-site, including access to a full-time trade institute and international business advisors, market data research, and an incubator for companies new to global trade. One of the major benefits of the new space will be the ability to better convene the international business community to connect to global opportunities and share lessons learned on a peer-to-peer basis.

“Recognizing the importance of global connectivity, shared innovation and trade, we see a value in having a highly dynamic hub of international activities and believe that the vision of the future World Trade Center Denver campus is the right solution to meeting this need,” said Governor John Hickenlooper.

The World Trade Center Denver was located in the two 29-story towers that carried their name at 16th and Broadway in downtown Denver for 28 years. Last year, the organization moved into a temporary location within their member company Geotech Environmental Equipment at 2650 E. 40th and will continue to work out of this temporary location until the opening of Phase One of the new campus. Throughout its history, the World Trade Center Denver has trained over 30,000 participants in the various aspects of international business. The trade association is also an active member of the World Trade Centers Association, with over 300 locations in 100 countries and headquartered in New York.

Leasing will be managed by Tom Lee, Managing Director of Newmark Grubb Knight Frank and Drew McManus, Senior Director of Cushman & Wakefield.


New World Trade Center Denver campus conceptual design compliments Oz Architecture




Top 10 Benefits of the U.S. Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) Program

A PDF of this text in a readable, graphic list format is available here

1. Inverted Tariff Relief

  • Duty rates applicable to imported finished products are often lower than the tariffs applicable to foreign materials, parts, or components.
  • For production operations that use foreign inputs, FTZ operators can apply either the foreign input duty rate or the resulting finished item duty rate. In many cases, the finished item is duty-free. Choosing the lower finished item duty rate eliminates the payment of duty in such cases.

2. Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) Savings

  • MPFs are collected on imported merchandise at the time consumption entries are filed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The collection rate is .3464% of customs value, capped at $485 per consumption entry. [North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) qualifying goods from Mexico and Canada are not subject to MPFs.]
  • Because U.S. FTZ operators may file weekly consumption entries ($485 x 52 weeks= $25,220 maximum annual FTZ MPF payable), high-volume import distributors that currently file thousands of entries annually can gain significant MPF savings by flowing import products through a U.S. FTZ.

3. Defer Payment of Duties/Taxes

  • Imported goods are admitted into an FTZ without payment of import duties/taxes/fees. Indirect taxes are deferred until the actual time of filing an FTZ consumption entry.
  • Calculation of the FTZ duty deferral is based on the time value of money for the average deferral time period.

4. Avoid Payment of Duties/Taxes on Exports

  • Imported goods admitted into an FTZ, which are directly exported from that FTZ, avoid indirect taxation. No FTZ consumption entry is required for direct export transactions.

5. Defer, Reduce, or Avoid Duties on Imported Production Equipment

  • Merchandise admitted into an FTZ for production use within that zone is not subject to duty until completely assembled, installed, tested, and used in the production for which it was admitted.
  • This merchandise is subject to tariff classification according to its character, condition, and quantity at the applicable duty rate at the time production use begins.

6. Simplify and Accelerate Drawback Claims

  • Drawback-qualifying products may be admitted into an FTZ in Zone Restricted (ZR) status and “deemed” exported.
  • Immediate drawback claims can be filed on these ZR status goods, even if they remain in the FTZ indefinitely.
  • Unlike the CBP’s typical “proof of export” documentation requirements, FTZ deemed exports only require a copy of the CBPF 214 admission document citing the ZR status to support drawback claims.
  • Drawback is payable based on the quantity and condition of goods on the date the ZR admission is CBP accepted.

7. Delay or Avoid Other Government Agency (OGA) Import Reporting/Release Requirements

  • Because FTZ admissions are not tied to the CBP import consumption entryprocess, they are not typically subject to advance release by U.S. government agencies. Only when the goods are withdrawn from the FTZ for U.S. consumption are they open to agency review and release.

8. Reduce Certain Property Taxes

  • The U.S. Foreign Trade Zone Act exempts imported inventory held in an FTZ from state and local ad valorem taxation [19 U.S.C. 81o(e)].
  • Domestic goods being held for exportation are also exempt.
  • In addition, Arizona State and Puerto Rico Commonwealth provide for reductions of real property ad valorem taxation for qualified FTZ projects.

9. Lower Inventory “Book” Value

  • FTZs provide a financial ratio reporting advantage.
  • Within a U.S. Customs Territory import “landed cost” model, duties/fees must be added to post entry inventory value due to the recognized liability.
  • Because FTZs are considered outside of the U.S. Customs Territory, no duty or fee liability is payable for imported goods until the inventory is removed from the FTZ and entered for consumption into U.S. commerce. Thus, the duty and import taxes do not need to be recognized for inventory valuation purposes until the inventory is transferred from the FTZ.

10. Homeland Security Recognized Supply Chain “Best Practice”

  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security, through CBP, has designated use of FTZ inbound admission procedures a secure supply chain “Best Practice.”

 

U.S. Foreign Trade Zones: A CBP Recognized “Best Practice”

  • Operators are thoroughly vetted
  • Facilities are secure
  • Compliance oversight is monitored by CBP
  • FTZ-destined goods receive priority electronic inbound release by CBP at the U.S. port of first arrival

 

Thank you to contributor Mark Conrad Saxelby, Director, Customs and Foreign Trade at Ryan, providing Innovative Solutions to Taxing Problems and Award-Winning Tax Services. Email Mark at [email protected] or for additional information call 1.855.RYAN.TAX or visit ryan.com. © 2015 Ryan, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker Opens Registration for 2016 SelectUSA Investment Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                    
Thursday, January 7, 2016                                                                               
 
News Media Contact:
Office of Public Affairs, 202-482-4883
 
U.S. SECRETARY OF COMMERCE PENNY PRITZKER OPENS REGISTRATION FOR 2016 SELECTUSA INVESTMENT SUMMIT
Innovation-Focused Summit to Provide Global Investors and Economic Developers with Latest Information on Investment in the United States  
 
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced that registration is now open for the third SelectUSA Investment Summit to be held June 19-21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. The Summit’s theme is “The Innovation Advantage” and will feature investment opportunities from every corner of the United States for global investors, while high-profile business and government leaders will share their insights on the latest innovation and trends.
 
“For three straight years, business leaders from around the world have ranked the United States as the number one place to invest,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The SelectUSA Investment Summit is an opportunity to underscore some of our country’s greatest strengths, including a vibrant culture of innovation, a skilled and productive workforce, and an attractive consumer market. This third annual convening promises to provide international firms and economic developers with tools that will lead to more investment in the United States.”
 
The 2016 Summit will build on the overwhelming success of the last SelectUSA Investment Summit which brought together thousands of participants from more than 70 international markets, including companies and business associations, as well as economic development organizations (EDOs) and other representatives from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. Global CEOs and other business leaders representing major international firms such as BMW, Carlyle Group, Google, Michelin, Nestlé, Nissan, Samsung, Sony, Unilever, and Walmart, joined entrepreneurs at the Summit who have successfully grown their startups and SMEs in the United States.
 
Following the March 2015 Summit, participants announced approximately $3.6 billion in U.S. investments, supporting an estimated 7,779 U.S. jobs, according to data compiled by fDi Markets through September 2015.
 
“Our first two Summits were oversubscribed, and we are expecting spaces to go quickly again this year,” said Vinai Thummalapally, Executive Director of SelectUSA and former U.S. Ambassador to Belize. “For companies thinking about opening or expanding operations in the United States, there is no more efficient way to meet the right people and discover opportunities from across the entire country.” 
 
The 2016 Summit will be held at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Participants will include international and domestic companies of all sizes seeking to establish or expand operations in the United States, as well as U.S. state, regional, and local EDOs; business associations; service providers; and other organizations that facilitate business investment.
 
In addition to an agenda featuring high-profile CEOs, government leaders, and other experts, the Summit will include an exhibition hall where U.S. economic development organizations can host individual or joint booths, display the advantages of their locations, and connect directly with investors. Participants will also be able to submit topic proposals and potentially present at the SelectUSA Academy, a pre-Summit orientation that covers the fundamentals of investing and promoting investment in the United States. Interested parties can visit http://www.selectusasummit.us for more information.
 
Members of the media who wish to cover this event must register at http://www.selectusasummit.us/apply. If we are able to accommodate your request for credentials, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.
 
About SelectUSA
Housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce, SelectUSA promotes and facilitates business investment into the United States by coordinating related federal government agencies to serve as a single point of contact for investors. SelectUSA assists U.S. economic development organizations to compete globally for investment by providing information, a platform for international marketing, and high-level advocacy. SelectUSA also helps investors find the information they need to make decisions; connect to the right people at the local level; navigate the federal regulatory system; and find solutions to issues related to the federal government. For more information, visit www.selectusa.gov.

Grants Available for Minority and Women-Owned Colorado Businesses Interested in Exporting

The Colorado Minority Business Office announced today that a third round of export grants are available to minority and women-owned small and medium-sized businesses in Colorado. Grants of up to $10,000 are available to companies that are new to exporting or are expanding into new export markets.

Export grants encourage Colorado's small and medium-sized businesses to develop a strategic plan for export markets. Grants may be used for international business development and marketing projects including client development, foreign trade shows and conferences, trade missions, foreign business-to-business matchmaking services, targeted overseas advertising and more.

Businesses interested in applying for a grant must attend the Leading Edge for International Opportunities class, a 48-hour training course that provides training for small businesses on all aspects of international trade. The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is covering the cost of the course through the World Trade Center, which is available in-person or via recorded webinar. Completion of the course will provide businesses with certification to the NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional, an annual membership to the World Trade Center of Denver, and attendance to the 2016 WTC Annual Meeting. Additionally, the Colorado International Trade Office will provide consulting to grant recipients.

The deadline for grant applications is Feb. 29, 2016 at 4 p.m. Late acceptance will be approved based on individual exceptions. To find out if your business is eligible and to apply, please visit http://www.advancecolorado.com/business-colorado/minority-businesses. For more information, please contact LeRoy Romero at 303-892-3764 or [email protected].

# # # 

Colorado Business with Mexico is, in fact, a Two Way Street

August 2015 

By Elie Smilovitz 

Consul for Political, Economic and Press Affairs of Mexico in Denver

Today Mexico is Colorado’s second largest trading partner. But this wasn’t like that in the early 90’s. Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came to be in 1993, trade between Colorado and Mexico has increased nonstop at a rate of 9.6% per year, according to Mexico’s Secretary of Economy.

Colorado companies are increasingly seeking new markets for their products and services. Since 1993 their exports have grown 138%. However, even that very high figure looks small next to the 590% growth in Colorado’s exports to Mexico.

Currently, bilateral trade reaches 2.8 billion dollars, according to Promexico. This trade is directly related to 100 thousand jobs in Colorado that depend upon trade with Mexico. Still, 2.8 billion is much less than the 195 billion worth of trade between Texas and Mexico; the 60 billion in California; the 18 billion in Illinois and even the 14 billion of Arizona or even Utah’s 4 billion. Judging by these figures gathered from various US and Mexican sources, there is a lot of room for growth.

In Detail

Processed food, together with chemicals account for nearly half of Colorado’s exports to Mexico. While electronics and computers represent nearly half of Mexico’s exports to Colorado. Even if the trade balance currently favors Mexico, Colorado’s exports surpass a billion dollars per year to that market. So it is, indeed, a two way street for Coloradans when it comes to trading and doing business with Mexico.

Overall, Mexico’s exports to the US have 40 cents of US made components, making the US-Mexico trade partnership one of the deepest integrated in the world. It is, indeed, a partnership, not a one way street sale.

Sectors such as energy, aviation, aerospace, information technologies/software and tourism are key to both Mexico and Colorado, thus, among the economic areas were bilateral business opportunities should be explored by both Mexicans and Coloradans alike.

Western Union, Level 3, Ball, Prologis or Gold Resource Corp. are among Colorado’s companies with an important presence in Mexico. On the other end, Grupo Cementos Chihuahua, Cemex or Bimbo have established themselves successfully in Colorado.

It’s Also a People Business

According to Denver International Airport (DIA), during 2014 alone, over half a million people traveled between Colorado and Mexico. Mexican skiers represent 13% of all international skiers coming to Colorado and there are 16 nonstop routes from DIA to 8 different Mexican destinations, mainly beach destinations. In addition, 5% of overall bilateral trade is made by air.

U.S. Economy Looking Stronger After Today's GDP Update

Amid globally turbulent and uncertain times, the latest GDP News Release from the BEA shows a much stronger U.S. economy than had previously been imagined. This news is reinvigorating investor and business confidence, which had recently been shaken by downward corrections in China's economy.

The initial GDP growth estimate for Q2 was 2.3% and has now been calculated to be 3.7% Business investment in the U.S. was stronger than expected and this has contributed to the upward revision. 

While the Fed had previously suggested an upcoming interest rate hike to match a strengthening economy, recent increases in global uncertainly have complicated such decision-making.  VIX, an index that serves as a measure of volatility, had recently jumped from 15 to over 53 as option prices became too volatile to even quote. Despite high trading volume, liquidity seemed to hit a breaking point when the high-frequency trading algorithms got out of their normal ranges and simply didn't know what to do.

So, despite the positive news of America's Q2 GDP growth, it is uncertain if the underlying factors will continue. Add increasing uncertainty from other major global economies such as China, and the Fed may be compelled to keep interest rates near zero. As always, it seems we're in uncharted territory.

As Yogi Berra said, “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

“The key to the monetary policy stance in the near term will not be past growth or inflation performance, but the outlook for both,” said Millan Mulraine, deputy chief economist at TD Securities.

“And given the recent financial market volatility and the lingering anxiety about global growth, the outlook for both is now more uncertain and tilted to the downside, especially for inflation. This will provide the pretext for the Fed to take a pass on raising rates in September,” he added.

Read the full GDP Report from the Bureau of Economic Analysis

Why Chinese economic worries look overdone →

WITH investors already in a febrile state of mind about China’s slowdown, the latest bits of gloomy news only seemed to confirm their worst fears. A survey showed that its manufacturing sector is on track in August for its weakest month since the dark days of the global financial crisis more than six years ago. Adding to the sense of panic, Chinese stocks plunged another 4% on Friday, closing off one of their worst weeks in years. The sell-off, which has already scorched emerging markets, enveloped developed markets as well; European, Japanese and Australian stocks all fell. Investors, though, are hardly known for taking measured views when markets get topsy-turvy. There is good reason to be anxious about China, but the pessimism is almost certainly overdone.

U.S. Global Leadership Forum

Foreign Policy Networking Event

Last week, the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition hosted a forum with Senator Cory Gardner, General James Mattis, Ambassador Christopher Hill, and KT McFarland.

Ash Harden, USGLC's Western Regional Outreach Director, said of the event's success, "The packed room at the Ritz-Carlton was a testament to Colorado’s support for America’s engagement in the world. The message was clear: Colorado benefits from the global economy and U.S. foreign assistance programs."

We thank Congressman Coffman and the representatives from the offices of our congressional leaders: Representatives Buck, Lamborn, Perlmutter, Tipton, and DeGette, who attended last week and showed their support of the International Affairs Budget.

Thanks also to the special guest speakers: Denver Mayor Michael Hancock; Dr. Douglas Jackson, CEO of Project C.U.R.E.; Lockheed Martin Vice President Nancy Ziuzin Schlegel; and Executive Director Lori Vaclavik of DaVita Village Trust.

This event was made possible by strategic partners such as the CELL, the Colorado Association for Commerce and Industry, the Colorado Farm Bureau, the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Posner Center, and WorldDenver. 

View all the photos from the event here: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/usglc/sets/72157656745440341/