Last Thursday, I was honored to be recognized as Colorado Manufacturing Advocate of the Year in the annual Colorado Manufacturing Awards hosted by Company Week and Manufacturer’s Edge. Promoting the middle income jobs associated with legacy and next generation manufacturing has been a priority for me since I was elected. Ensuring there are spaces for lower-impact makers in the growing mixed-use areas of our City, and support for manufacturing’s middle-skilled workforce will continue to be important if I’m re-elected with your help.
I will continue to support strong policies for minority and women-owned companies to do business with Denver in construction and contracted services. But I will also champion city policies that expand access to business ownership, such as worker-owned co-ops that allow employees to pool resources to become business owners and start building their own wealth. Denver can model cities like Cleveland and Berkeley by supporting the formation of co-ops and creating contracting opportunities and partnerships for them. Supporting start-up capital and technical assistance for micro-entrepreneurship is also important, a way that many artisans and makers (especially women!) can turn their talents and passions into profit in areas like sewing, arts, specialty food products and more.
My work to promote apprenticeship training in construction is a great example of how policies that support workers can also help businesses thrive, in this case by ensuring the construction industry has a next generation of skilled and trained workers to ensure their future success. Denver is blessed with a strong economy, and by promoting inclusivity in business ownership and opportunity, and by supporting those industries creating the most middle-wage jobs, we can ensure that success is shared by more of our community.
Forward. Together.