Councilwoman Debbie Ortega has been a life long civil servant, serving Denver for more than 30 years. From 1987 to 2003, she served on Denver City Council, representing District 9. In 2004 Debbie was selected by then Mayor John Hickenlooper to be the first ever Executive Director of Denver’s Homeless Commission. She took the lead in creating a sustainable foundation for the successful Denver’s Road Home program which is Denver’s ten-year plan for ending homelessness. Most recently, Councilwoman Ortega served as the Regional Service Director at Denver Human Services, where she managed Denver’s Road to Work employment program which trains and prepares formerly homeless and disabled individuals for employment in the hospitality industry.
Councilwoman Ortega is the Chair of Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corporation, a housing development organization that is building veteran housing at 27th and Federal, and new affordable housing that will be adjacent to West Denver’s new library at Colfax & Irving. She is also the Chair of two premier non-profit organizations in Denver: the Latina Safe House, a non-profit organization focused on addressing domestic violence, and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, the vehicle for the seven county region that manages the HUD Super NOFA. Additionally, Councilwoman Ortega serves on multiple community boards including, Mile High Council Board and Arc Thrift Stores.
Debbie’s successful track record for finding solutions during tough times will greatly benefit the hardworking people of Denver. She has been at the forefront in brokering deals and facilitating compromise with business leaders, government officials, and community members on projects such as:
- Creating Downtown’s Historic LoDo Neighborhood & $750,000 revolving loan fund
- Creating a transportation structure to connect North Denver to Downtown, while simultaneously opening up the Central Platte Valley for Commons & Cuernavaca Parks, Coors Field, Pepsi Center, and Elitch Gardens. This area is now the front door to the multi modal hub at Denver Union Station for RTD’s FasTrack system.
- Creating economic development and job opportunities
Councilwoman Ortega’s experience and connections will be a valuable asset as Denver works to overcome the challenges it is currently facing.