The first indication that Arlene Hirschfeld was destined to become a leader came when she was appointed bathroom monitor as a first-grader at Denver’s Steck Elementary School.
Though she remembers little about the job, a recent visit with the woman who had been her nanny reminded her how excited she had been with the appointment.
“Apparently I was responsible for looking out after the kindergartners,” Hirschfeld said. “My nanny says it was something I took very seriously.”
Hirschfeld, a Denver native and mother of two, recently was one of the 2006 inductees to the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, chosen for her lifelong commitment to philanthropy and community service.
Her induction, Hirschfeld said, is “the thrill of a lifetime.”
“It’s something you’d never expect.”
Those who know her best might disagree.
“Arlene is an amazing woman whose generosity and commitment to philanthropy, especially within the Jewish community, is second to none,” said Doug Seserman, president and chief executive of the Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado. “She is a great role model of leadership in both the general and Jewish communities.”
Hirschfeld is a past chairwoman of the federation’s board.
Both Hirschfeld and her husband, Barry, are longtime supporters of the Denver Art Museum and have space named for them in its new Frederic C. Hamilton Building, a 146,000- square-foot addition set to open in October. They’ve both served as museum trustees, and Arlene is co-chairwoman of a $70 million capital campaign.
Museum director Lewis Sharp describes her as having “a wonderful spirit and an amazing capacity to engage a wide variety of people with the museum.”
“She continues to be a driving force behind many of the museum’s outreach programs, and as co-chair of our capital campaign committee, Arlene has played an integral role in helping us reach our highest goals.”
In 1986, she became the first Jewish woman elected president of the Junior League of Denver and was recently chosen to be chairwoman of the Rose Community Foundation board.
Her parents set an example for her with their own commitment to giving to those in need and always looking for the positive, she said.
“Dad always told us to look for the good in people and to remember that everyone counts. I grew up not only wanting to become the best I could be but to help others achieve their best too.”
Those lessons helped develop what she sees as her greatest strength – serving as a matchmaker in Denver’s nonprofit community, sharing a knack for finding the right people to fill important leadership roles in charitable organizations including the Women’s Foundation and the Children’s Diabetes Foundation at Denver.
Her family discovered she was a “people person” early on.
“My mother always said that if there were any childhood illnesses to be brought home, I’d be the one to do it because, of my brother and I, I was the one who had to kiss everyone in our carpool hello and goodbye.”
One of Hirschfeld’s recent tasks was to lead the diabetes group’s High Hopes Tribute Dinner that honored Barbara Davis. She also was instrumental in founding local support groups for the Harvard University Divinity School and the Women’s Museum in Washington.
She and Barry, who was her childhood sweetheart, are frequent visitors to Japan, where son Barry Jr. lives and works. Son Hayden settled in his hometown of Denver after graduating from college and is active in business and volunteer circles.
Staff writer Joanne Davidson can be reached at 303-809-1314 or jmdpost@aol.com.
