The Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce on Thursday said John Ikard, president and chief executive of FirstBank Holding Co., will be its next chairman.
Ikard will begin his one-year term Sept. 1, succeeding Rob Cohen of IMA Financial Group Inc. Ikard is co-chairman of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.’s executive committee.
Some of the biggest issues for the chamber are health care, education and transportation, Ikard said.
Ikard, one of Gov. Bill Ritter’s roommates in a house they shared for two years while attending Colorado State University, may be able to put that connection to good use at the chamber.
“The governor enjoys a strong relationship with the chamber right now, but with John at the head of the table, that relationship can only grow stronger,” said Evan Dreyer, Ritter’s spokesman.
“I’m a Republican and Bill’s a Democrat, but we agree on 90 percent of the stuff,” Ikard said. “We’re going to disagree on a few things here and there.”
Ikard is also a member of Ritter’s business advisory committee and the Colorado State University Global Leadership Alliance.
He is being appointed after Denver Metro Chamber chairwoman-elect Patricia Vincent announced last week that she will leave to run New Mexico and Texas power companies owned by PNM Resources.
Originally from Las Cruces, N.M., Ikard has an MBA from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, and moved to Denver to work at FirstBank in 1981.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at 303-954-1488 or kyamanouchi@denverpost.com.
