Barbara O'Brien (born April 18, 1950) was the 47th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado from 2007 to 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She is currently serving her second 4-year term as an elected member of the board of Denver Public Schools.
Barbara O’Brien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 47th Lieutenant Governor of Colorado | |
| In office January 9, 2007 – January 11, 2011 | |
| Governor | Bill Ritter |
| Preceded by | Jane E. Norton |
| Succeeded by | Joe García |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Barbara O'Brien April 18, 1950 Brawley, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Richard O'Brien[1] |
| Profession | Charity president[1] |
Political career
editLieutenant Governor of Colorado
editShe was chosen as running mate by Bill Ritter, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Colorado in the 2006 election.[2] The Ritter/O'Brien ticket won with 57% of the vote.[3] As lieutenant governor she made education her signature issue.[4][5] Ritter chose not to run for re-election in 2010,[6] and O'Brien also stepped down at the end of her term.
Prior to becoming lieutenant governor, she was a speechwriter and policy advisor for Governor Richard Lamm.[citation needed]
Denver School Board Director
editBarbara O'Brien was elected as the at-large school director of the Denver Public Schools School Board on November 5, 2013, claiming 59.5% of the vote and winning over Michael Kiley and Joan Poston.[7] and was reelected in November 2017 to another term.[8]
The Denver Post newspaper stated that candidates who promised reform won the majority of local school board elections across Colorado in the November 2013 off-year election, and that O'Brien, as well as her fellow winners for Denver School Board positions, were reform candidates.[9]
Business career
editAs of March 2012[update], O'Brien was a senior fellow at the Piton Foundation, which uses its private funding to develop, manage, and incubate programs to create opportunities for lower-income families in Denver.[10][full citation needed]
In 2013, O'Brien was named President of Get Smart Schools, a Denver-based public education reform group.[1]
Personal
editO'Brien is married to Richard O'Brien, and has two sons, Jared and Connor.[1]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Snapshots of Denver Public School board candidates". October 11, 2013.
- ^ "Ritter lauded for savvy decision; Running mate Barbara O'Brien supports abortion rights". Denver Post. January 19, 2006. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ "2006 election results". Colorado Secretary of State. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013.[full citation needed]
- ^ "States Compete for Federal School Dollars". New York Times. November 10, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ "O'Brien eager for part of school aid; The lieutenant governor says Colorado could receive $5 million for education". Denver Post. July 24, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ "Ritter to withdraw from Colorado governor's race". Denver Post. January 6, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
- ^ "Final Unofficial Results". Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder. City of Denver. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
- ^ http://data.denverpost.com/election/results/county/denver/2017/
- ^ Lofholm, Nancy (November 6, 2013). "Colorado school boards shift toward reform". Denver Post. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
- ^ Piton Staff, retrieved 2 March 2013.