PREVIOUS Medal RECIPIENTS
VANGUARD LEGACY
Business or community leader who has made transformational contributions to the community throughout his or her career.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | Dr. Carlotta Walls Lanier
2022 | Federico Pena
2021 | Wellington Webb & Wilma Webb | Civic Leaders
2020 | Polly Baca | Community Changemaker
2019 | Tim Gill | Entrepreneur & Philanthropist
2018 | Dana Crawford | Preservationist
2017 | William J. & Kathy Hybl
2016 | Samuel Gary, Sr. | Chairman, Gary Community Foundation & The Piton Foundation
2015 | Daniel L. Ritchie
EMERGING COMMUNITY LEADER
A current high school or recent high school graduate who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership within their school and broader community.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | Osvaldo Garcia-Barron | Graduate | Boulder High School
2022 | Mitchell Mauro
2021 | Fabian Jimenez | Graduate | Lake County High School
2020 | Ananda Birungi | Graduate | Thornton High School
2019 | Kylee Cisneros Gomez | Student | Antonito High School
2018 | Sara Gebretsadik | Student | Denver South High School
2017 | Taylor Phinney | American Cyclist
2016 | Lisa Tessarowicz | Co-Founder, Epicentral Coworking
2015 | Craig Smith | President, HomeAdvisor
PUBLIC & COMMUNITY SERVICE
Government or community leader who serves the public with innovative, operational excellence and progressive vision.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | Lauren Y. Casteel | The Women’s Foundation of Colorado
2022 | Ed Perlmutter
2021 | Tim Foster | President, Colorado Mesa University
2020 | Rosemary Rodriguez | Together We Count
2019 | Lt. Governor Barbara O’Brien | Denver Public Schools
2018 | Russell George | Boettcher Foundation
2017 | Christine Benero | Mile High United Way
2016 | Darin Atteberry | City Manager, City of Ft. Collins
2015 | John Suthers | Mayor, Colorado Springs
CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
A Colorado-based company that has made a significant and positive impact in the community.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | Steamboat Ski and Resort Corporation (SSRC), Rob Perlman, President and CEO
2022 | Ball Corporation
2021 | Lockheed Martin
2020 | VF Corporation
2019 | Aspen Skiing Company
2018 | GE Johnson
2017 | Otter Products & OtterCares
2016 | FirstBank, Denver
2015 | Zayo Group
GROWTH & INNOVATION
Entrepreneur or business leader who has led with exceptional ingenuity and growth while inspiring and creating new possibilities for others.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | John Street | CEO and Founder, PAX8
2022 | Amy Schwartz & Kelly Leid, Stead School
2021 | Dan Holt & Kelly Seidl | Founders of BillGO
2020 | Kent Thiry | CEO, DaVita
2019 | David Brown & David Cohen | Techstars
2018 | Paul Major | Telluride Foundation
2017 | Brad Feld | Managing Director, Foundry Group
2016 | Kim Jordan | Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, New Belgium Brewing
2015 | Nancy Philips | Executive Chairman, Flexential
COLORADO MOUNTAIN LEADER
(Posthumous) At the discretion of the sitting Governor, the Colorado Mountain Leader is awarded in memoriam to a community leader or enduring organization that has provided an innovative impact on the state of Colorado while providing a role model for the nation.
Previous Recipients:
2023 | John Fielder I Photographer & Environmental Conservationist
2022 | Clela Rorex
2019 | Pat Bowlen
2017 | Emily Griffith
COVID-19 Heros
The COVID-19 Hero Medals will be awarded at the sole discretion of Governor Jared Polis to individuals or Organizations that provided extraordinary effort and impact in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Previous Recipients
2021 | Jill Hunsaker Ryan
2021 | Jerry Gryglak
2021 | Nick Muerder
2020 | Patrick Meyers
2020 | The Colorado Health Foundation
2020 | Dr. Rachel Herlihy
