Why would a smart, perfectly rational 45-year-old woman with a great job, wonderful family and a productive, already demanding life agree to become the fourth chief of staff (in six years) to the mayor of a city facing a $120 million budget hole and dim prospects for recovery?
Roxane White’s answer was straightforward: “Working for John Hickenlooper from 2003 to April 2008 forced me to think harder, more critically and creatively to solve problems than at any other time in my life. His refusal to take no for an answer or to acknowledge something cannot be accomplished inspired and challenged me.”
She was born in Victor, Mont., and her father died when she was 13. Her mother, a schoolteacher, suffered a debilitating stroke yet returned to the classroom to take care of her two daughters. Roxane and her high school sweetheart (community activist and University of Colorado Denver professor Tony Robinson) vowed to escape Montana.
Roxane got a speech and debate scholarship to Lewis & Clark, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in religious studies in three years. She also studied enough Greek to receive a scholarship to Louisville Presbyterian Seminary in Kentucky, then completed her masters in theology at Berkeley.
She began her career at Larkin Street, a San Francisco youth shelter. She quickly rose from intern to executive director of the $3 million non-profit, then earned a second master’s degree in social work administration at San Francisco State. She moved to Denver in 1993.
White led Urban Peak for eight years before heading Denver’s Department of Human Services. For the past 18 months, she has been the executive director of the Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation. “The opportunity to go back to the city at a time when government and the communities it serves must redefine the role of local government is irresistible,” she insists.
Her priorities are clear:
• Deliver the services citizens are entitled to efficiently and predictably, from street maintenance and public safety to caring for civic and public assets.
• Reinvigorate the economic environment in order to restore jobs and a sustainable, healthy tax base.
• Maintain and encourage great and safe neighborhoods. That means quality connections and the appropriate mix of housing, jobs and recreational opportunities that promote the diversity and well-being of all Denver residents.
• Evaluate the appropriate role of government in maintaining the social safety net for the chronically poor, the newly out-of-work, the homeless and other vulnerable populations.
White shares the concerns of leaders nationwide who recognize the challenge of increasing revenues in sales tax-dependent jurisdictions at a time when tax increases or new fees are not realistic. Reinventing government must be more than a catchy phrase. The transformation must begin locally in order to make a real difference.
White has laudable goals.
“I want my kids to be able to find great jobs in Denver with businesses based here because it is a vibrant place with great K-12 education, universities and an unparalleled quality of life. I want people to say I played a role in ensuring that Denver is the most livable city in the world.”
Susan Barnes-Gelt (sbg13@comcast.net) served on the Denver City Council and worked for Mayor Federico Peña.
