Chris Romer
Guide To Colorado Legislators | All members by name 2007 | All members by district 2007 | All members by party 2007
32nd Senate District, Democrat, 2007-
County, counties: Denver, Jefferson
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Bio
Official Bio
In 2000 Chris Romer saw that we could not trust the politicians to provide adequate funding for our schools. Chris Romer was the driving force behind Amendment 23 that guarantees funding for our public schools.
We all know that without Amendment 23 our schools would have been starved for funds. Chris Romer does more than talk. As Amendment 23 co-author Cary Kennedy put it, "Without Chris there would not be an Amendment 23."
Chris Romer has dedicated his life to serving our community, as a businessman, a civic leader, a concerned parent, and a leading advocate for children and schools. Chris now seeks to continue that service as a candidate for State Senate District 32, where he wants to provide better schools for our kids, better health care for our families, better jobs for our workers and the best quality of life for everyone who calls Colorado home.
Business Experience Chris' 23 years of business experience have given him the tools needed to be a sound financial manager and to seek fiscally responsible solutions. Currently employed by JPMorgan Chase, he is a public finance banker, specializing in municipal finance. He is a recognized expert in solving state and local budget problems and has developed programs to help fund schools, hospitals, college facilities, student loans and affordable housing.
Chris has helped finance more than $10 billion in municipal infrastructure projects, such as the Denver Public Schools, Denver International Airport, Children's Hospital, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, National Jewish Medical & Research Center and RTD's FasTracks project.
Community Leadership
Chris' business experience is matched by more than 20 years of community involvement. His civic pursuits have largely focused on improving schools and expanding opportunities for young people and at-risk youth. In 2000, Chris led the fight for Amendment 23, which resulted in an additional $238 million investment each year in public education, or about $323 more per student. He is a founder and past president of the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation, which provides mentoring programs and scholarship funds for at-risk students. Chris also served as chair of the Colorado Children's Campaign, a children's advocacy group.
Because he believes that parents can be a strong force for positive change in our schools, Chris recently helped found Great Education Colorado, a parents' advocacy group for better education funding. The group is now pushing an initiative to redirect a small percentage of oil and gas profits into education-to repair dilapidated and dangerous school buildings and to provide more textbooks. This approach will raise millions for education without costing taxpayers one dime.
Chris has spent the last two years as the volunteer superintendent of the New America Schools, two public schools which provide English immersion and civics program to young working immigrants.
Personal History Chris was born in Denver in 1959, one of Roy and Bea Romer's seven children. He graduated from East High School and from Stanford University with a degree in Economics, where he helped pay his own way through school with odd jobs. A lifelong Denver resident, he now lives in the Cherry Creek neighborhood with his wife, Laurie, and his three wonderful daughters, Rachel, 17, Paige, 15, and Grace, 8, of whom he is most proud. Chris is a lifetime Democrat and active campaign volunteer, and a dedicated girls soccer and lacrosse coach.