Imagine Becoming Part of "Vibrant Denver"

That's the TICET: Join a committee to help Mike Johnston envision a more vibrant city.

June 14, 2023

Mayor-elect Mike Johnston and members of his transition team at Cesar Chavez Park. Patricia Calhoun

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In December 1982, 36-year-old state lawmaker Federico Peña stood on the steps of the Denver City and County Building and announced that he was a candidate for mayor, joining a formidable field of power-broker challengers that included incumbent Bill McNichols; Denver District Attorney Dale Tooley, who'd run against the old gray mayor twice before; attorney and civic leader Monte Pascoe; and Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies director Wellington Webb (yes, that Wellington Webb). But Peña had a vision for something new, and urged voters to "Imagine a Great City."

Forty years later, Peña endorsed former state lawmaker Mike Johnston, who was running in an even more crowded field of mayoral challengers but pulled far ahead to win the June 6 runoff.

Three days later, Peña and other supporters joined Johnston at César Chávez Park in northwest Denver to announce the mayor-elect's transition teams and the chance for residents to get involved with one of 28 committees all working to create a "Vibrant Denver" by studying what's working — and what isn't — in the city. Peña is one of five transition co-chairs, overseeing Transformation.

The others are former Denver Post editor Greg Moore, Transparency; entrepreneur Makisha Boothe, Innovation; Denver Partnership head Kourtny Garrett, Collaboration; and State Senator Julie Gonzales, Equity. Taken in the right order, they spell TICET, Johnston noted: "I'm a dork like that."

Also on hand: Transition Executive Director Ami Desai, current COO (on leave) of Gary Community Ventures, which Johnston headed before making his run; and State Representative Leslie Herod, co-chair of the inauguration festivities, who promised to put the city's "vibrant culture on vivid display." She also made a vivid introduction of Peña, "who not only imagined a great city but built one," she said, starting the year she was born.

Peña had met Johnston when he was in the Colorado Legislature, and made a rare endorsement in this race because of his "bold ideas," he said. "Some might have thought they were too imaginative, but this guy has already aimed high. ... He's going to open the doors. You can't build a great city with just the physical stuff. More important are the people."

And people still have a chance to get involved on transition committees. The deadline to sign up on the Vibrant Denver website is 5 p.m. today, June 14.

Full disclosure: Rob Simon and the late Sandy Widener, my co-founders at Westword, had left the paper by the time they got involved in Peña's first campaign for mayor. Together, they came up with the "Imagine a Great City" slogan, and although it's been difficult to determine exactly who was the winning wordsmith, the City of Denver is definitely better for their efforts.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

Contact: Patricia Calhoun

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