The Colorado Chamber today hosted a Legislative Candidate Training Program which provided nonpartisan educational resources and training to state-level political candidates to establish foundational knowledge essential to public policy making in Colorado. The program is an expansion of the Colorado Chamber’s current Political Program that includes a robust candidate interview and endorsement process. The expansion is an integral part of the CO Chamber’s Vision 2033 – A Blueprint for Colorado’s Future.
The training curriculum was led by expert economists, Kate Watkins and Henry Sobanet.
Kate Watkins is the president and lead economist for Bright Fox Analytics, an economic and data analysis consulting firm dedicated to helping businesses, nonprofits and governments navigate the evolving economic and policy landscape. Prior to founding Bright Fox, Kate served as the chief economist for Colorado’s legislature and provided over 10 years of service as a nonpartisan economist for the legislature.
Henry Sobanet is senior vice chancellor for administration & government relations and chief financial officer for Colorado State University System. In this role, he covers system-wide financial issues and long-term planning, annual budgeting, treasury functions and government affairs. Henry has an extensive background with the Office of State Planning and Budgeting where he served as director for Governor Bill Owens and Governor John Hickenlooper.
Over 35 legislative candidates joined the program where they learned about Colorado economy & demographics, business environment & regulations and fiscal policy. The topics established foundational knowledge for the candidates including the strengths and weaknesses in Colorado’s economy, top concerns for businesses, Colorado’s regulatory climate, the state budget process, the inner workings of TABOR and more.
The Colorado Chamber will be holding an additional Legislative Candidate Training following the 2024 General Elections.