Recent Articles from Kelly Brough
Opinion: The message we should have the courage to carry
This past week, Denver joined cities around the country in protesting police brutality in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In troubled and divided times, the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce shares her call to action and message of hope.
How to get through Colorado's election ballot
Don’t be daunted by this year’s long ballot. Some of our most critical issues will be near the bottom, so stay strong and use this guide to speed up the process and make it to the very end of your ballot.
Immigration: A sensible approach to a complex issue
We know just saying the word immigration evokes strong emotion. So many of our lives have been touched by the choices our own families made to come to the United States, sometimes generations ago, combined with current concerns about the impact policies could have on our citizens’ ability to find...
The looming fiscal cliff
We keep hearing about the “fiscal cliff” and its impact on our nation’s and Colorado’s economy. Last month, David Walker, former United States Comptroller General, was here to talk about it at an event we hosted with Colorado Concern and the Colorado Society of CPAs. What we learned was stunning. In 1912, federal spending was 2 […]
Texas-sized lessons on individuality, creativity and growth
The Leadership Exchange (LEX) delegation just returned from three days in Austin, Texas, and we are energized by the experience – not weirded out by it. I say weird in the fondest sense because Austinites take great pride in their unique culture and strive to “Keep Austin Weird,” with bumper stickers, festivals and websites dedicated […]
One view of budget sequestration:
A recent meeting of the Colorado Space Coalition (CSC), a Chamber affiliate, called to light an important issue facing Colorado in the coming months: sequestration. According to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, “A budget sequester is when money that would otherwise be spent under current law is held back and is used instead for […]
Youth biz
Earlier this month, Karen Mills of the U.S. Small Business Administration visited the Chamber building for a roundtable discussion on young entrepreneurship. She met with representatives of the Chamber’s Denver Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and young entrepreneurs to discuss ways the SBA can better reach and support young business people. In 2011, the […]
Education nation: Colorado’s view
NBC News was in Denver last month for a week-long focus on education and readying our nation’s students for a 21st century workforce. This is a topic near and dear to us at the Chamber, as we know we must change the current educational outcomes, if we hope to achieve the economic future we all envision. […]
Ms. Brough goes to Washington
On Friday the 16th, a delegation of 70 metro Denver business leaders joined Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy and former mayors Wellington Webb and Bill Vidal on a trip to our nation’s capital to talk jobs. I was privileged to be in such great company and represent the business community along with […]
Here’s a story that will give you goosebumps
Newly minted Denver Mayor Guillermo (Bill) Vidal’s story is the kind that gives you goose bumps. He is a Cuban immigrant who, as a child, was sent with his brothers to the United States and lived in an orphanage until their parents rejoined them four years later. He grew up to become an engineer and […]
Believing in economic recovery
Our Denver Metro Chamber members are an optimistic bunch. In a recent, informal survey, 55 percent of our members reported that they expect Colorado’s economy to be better a year from now and only 8 percent expected it to get worse. We need that kind of positive thinking, and especially from our members who should […]
The good news: Colorado has a strong economic outlook
The Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation has released its sixth annual Toward a More Competitive Colorado report, a comparison of Colorado’s competitive position against the other 49 states. Each year, this report highlights Colorado’s strengths and challenge. Here’s a summary of key points: Colorado’s Strengths: •We have a strong economic outlook — Second[...]