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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / MARCH 2016
T
he Honorable Federico F. Peña, Denver
mayor from 1983 to 1991 and Secretary of the
Department of Energy and the Department
of Transportation in the Clinton Administration,
offers a unique perspective on the evolution of
Denver. Peña, who currently serves on the boards
of Wells Fargo & Co. and Sonic Corp., is a trustee of
the University of Denver. Peña was a national co-
chair of Obama for America 2012. He served in the
same role in 2008 and was a national board member
of the Obama-Biden transition.
Our interview with Mr. Peña provided insight that
Peña’s impact set the stage for many of today’s suc-
cesses.
JS: The prosperity Denver and Colorado have seen in
recent years is due, in part, to the efforts leaders set
in motion decades ago to set a course for development
in the city and in the region. Your tenure as mayor
mirrored similar economic conditions to those of
recent past, including an economic downturn followed
by a turnaround. Looking back on that time, Denver
International Airport must be the most memorable
– if not one of your top – accomplishments that
fueled Colorado’s prosperity. How did you do it? What
conditions emerged that enabled such a significant
shift to happen?
Peña:
My first term as mayor, I had a clear vision
and specific platform, which was to support Denver’s
growth. Expanding Stapleton Airport, building a new
convention center and bringing Major League Base-
ball to Denver were among our goals. We were also
committed to lifting up the neighborhoods, such
as Five Points, 38th Avenue West, Cherry Creek and
others. Cleaning up our air pollution and expanding
transportation were also critical. The opportunities
were many and we had our work cut out for us.
A year or so into my first term, Denver was hit by
a major recession and the good that came from the
recession was that it galvanized the business com-
munity to work together with my administration to
get things done. Times were so desperate then, with
unemployment at 2 percent above the national aver-
age, downtown vacancy was at 30 percent and we had
a net loss population in the state of Colorado. There
was no other option. We had to refocus our efforts to
those that would build up our economy across many
sectors.
JS: How did public/private partnerships play a role in
your administration?
Peña:
The criticality of boosting our economy was
high and given the many important initiatives on the
table, our ability to reach out and build partnerships
with the community became essential to the results.
At 36 years old, what did I know? I wasn’t a council-
person or a city planner. I soon realized we needed a
blend of mature, insightful people inside and a new
talent outside the administration who together could
solve problems and think
outside the box.
We relied on partnerships
with business leaders, orga-
nizations such as the Denver
Chamber, unions and neigh-
borhood groups to broaden the
voices and build momentum.
Many talented and dedicated
people came together to launch
these major initiatives. I would
say it was a real partnership.
JS: What do you see as Colorado’s
greatest opportunity?
Peña:
Continuing our focus on driving innovation
and entrepreneurship. We are a magnet for bright,
innovative and dynamic minds across many indus-
tries. We need to harness that talent and find ways to
infuse the intellectual capital and bring it to bear to
solve problems.
JS: If you were to speak to the today’s leaders and
Federico F. Peña
Denver Mayor
1983-1991
Leading the Way
Joy Spatz, AIA
Principal,
Studio
Collaborative
Then: Stapleton’s familiar air traffic control tower
