Dave is a native Coloradan who never thought that he would run for public office. He started his career as an educator, teaching math, science, and technology at Heath Junior High in Greeley for 24 years. He then went on to teach at CU Denver for another decade, and worked in the private tech sector for about 4 years.
Our State’s employee pension plan is the single biggest challenge facing the State Treasurer. Almost 600,000 Coloradans depend on a neglected and underfunded pension plan. First responders, teachers, and state employees across the state were promised and depend on this benefit plan after retirement. I’ve worked hard over the past two years to improve PERA’s sustainability, including a 17.4% return on PERA’s portfolio in 2020 and a 20.3% in 2019. I’m committed to protecting PERA’s defined benefit plan and finding the sustainable funding pathway our state’s retirees deserve.
All Coloradans deserve a dignified and sustainable retirement. Unfortunately, almost 1 million business-sector employees in Colorado do not have access to retirement savings at work. I was happy to work with key legislators and leadership in both chambers during the 2020 session to pass SB20-200 to establish the Colorado Secure Savings program. This bill, when fully implemented by the Treasury, will enable employees to have that opportunity to build wealth without unduly burdening businesses.
As your State Treasurer, I’m committed to continuing to fight to ensure that all Coloradans have the means to retire in dignity.