Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper on Friday will lose his right-hand man – again. First, Chief of Staff Michael Bennet flew the coop to become superintendent of Denver Public Schools. Now, Cole Finegan, an integral part of the mayor’s first-term success, is leaving for a yet-unknown private-sector job.
He’ll be missed, and not just by Hickenlooper. The city has benefited from Finegan’s legal expertise, keen political instincts and his ability to see all sides of a deal.
Hickenlooper, a political neophyte when elected in the summer of 2003, surrounded himself with savvy lieutenants, many of whom took pay cuts to follow him to city hall. Finegan left his law practice at Brownstein, Hyatt and Farber. He arrived at city hall with a rich resume, serving as an aide to Oklahoma congressman James Jones while getting his law degree, and then as legal counsel and director of policy and initiatives for Gov. Roy Romer.
Finegan has been city attorney since September 2003 and added chief of staff duties when Bennet left last year. His fingerprints are all over some of the mayor’s biggest successes, from police reform to a new franchise with Xcel Energy to settling the long-running dispute over police department “spy files.” His office reorganization reduced the city’s outside legal bills by more than $1 million.
Kelly Brough has stepped up to become chief of staff, providing welcome continuity. The new city attorney has yet to be named.
Hickenlooper has retained most of his top appointees over his three years in office. As he begins his run for a second term, their experience serves the city well.
