CU goes to Washington: Colorado Capital Conference offers insight into federal policy and democratic process
From its mountains to its plains, Colorado is renowned for its incredible views. Lesser known are the views into our democratic process a longstanding Colorado event provides each year.
The annual Colorado Capital Conference – the result of a collaboration between the University of Colorado, Colorado Mesa University, Colorado State University and Colorado’s U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper – takes participants to Washington, D.C., where they interact with the nation’s leaders while hearing from various policy experts.
This year’s conference, held June 11-13, had nearly 100 participants selected through a competitive application process. President Todd Saliman and Regents Nolbert Chavez, Glen Gallegos, Frank McNulty and Ilana Spiegel were part of a contingent from CU, along with students from all four campuses.
“The bipartisan Colorado Capital Conference is one of my favorite events as it allows participants to directly engage with policymakers and provides valuable insight into our democracy,” President Saliman said. “This year’s conference was a tremendous success thanks to the excellent work of CU’s Government Relations team, which collaborated with our partners at CMU, CSU and the offices of Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper in developing the conference and managing its many logistics. I’m also incredibly grateful to Sens. Bennet and Hickenlooper for co-hosting all of us in D.C.”
Highlights of the 2024 conference included a discussion between UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy focused on the devastating effects of loneliness; a panel Sen. Bennet moderated with journalists from The New York Times, POLITICO and Colorado Public Radio about media coverage of Capitol Hill and the evolution of news; and a guided tour of the U.S. Supreme Court.
For more information about the Colorado Capital Conference, visit https://www.coloradomesa.edu/capital-conference.