Jefferson County Commissioner Kathy Hartman has been named Freshman Commissioner of the Year by Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI), a group that represents boards of county commissioners from more than 60 Colorado counties. CCI made the award at its annual meeting in Colorado Springs November 27.

Larry Kallenberger, executive director of CCI, said, ?Kathy Hartman?s energy is infectious. Everything she does causes people to get even more excited. She brings Jeffco?s perspective to the table but also is very successful at the state level, working on issues of statewide importance.?

Sworn in as a Jeffco commissioner last January, and appointed by the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners as its representative to CCI, Hartman was honored by her peers for quickly demonstrating her ability to guide policy at the county, regional and statewide level.

?I am so honored,? Hartman said. ?I also feel very lucky. When I took office, the two seated Jeffco Commissioners, Jim Congrove and Kevin McCasky, were very generous with their time and helped me learn issues quickly. I am privileged to work with an incredibly talented, dedicated group of professionals at Jefferson County. I especially appreciate the elected officials and employees who patiently helped me understand issues and confidently pointed out to me when I didn?t. This award is very much the result of a team effort.?

Prior to her election, Hartman was executive director of Stride, a non-profit agency that has assisted homeless and low-income families move from poverty to self-sufficiency in Adams, Arapahoe and Jefferson Counties. Drawing on this experience, she quickly grasped the challenges counties face balancing human services needs with limited resources. 

She represents Jefferson County on the governing board of the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, where she previously represented community-based organizations. Her former service on the Workforce Development board came in handy when she recently participated in the Denver Regional Workforce Study that looked at worker supply and demand in a nine-county region.

CCI chose Hartman to represent it on the Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) Advisory Committee, where state and county agencies are working to solve the challenges presented by this system. She also is working to help legislators and local policymakers understand human service issues and secure adequate budgetary support for populations served by human service agencies.

In addition to 16-years experience guiding a non-profit agency, Hartman draws on seven years as an investment advisor for two major Wall Street firms. Her financial expertise has been an asset to Jefferson County and CCI as counties across the state address declining revenue growth and increasing expenditure needs. 

Because she quickly grasped Jeffco?s overall financial picture, she supported a budget process that requires the county to ?spend within its means.? While new to the world of planning and zoning, she researched regulations and land-use cases and learned the legal ramifications of county decisions. She is very interested in water issues and advocates for mountain groundwater regulations. She holds regular town-hall meetings to familiarize herself with the issues affecting citizens throughout the county.

Hartman brings a bi-partisan approach to working with many individuals in order to find the best solutions to regional issues. She sits on the Denver Regional Council of Governments Board of Directors, where she has strong interest in transportation, air quality, urban growth and the needs of senior citizens.
She was also just chosen to chair the Metro Area County Commissioners (MACC) group in 2008.