Diversity and Inclusion

The Chamber implemented its Diversity committee in April 2007 to be a resource, to provide avenues for success and to encourage participation in the support our community provides. Our goal is to cultivate an environment where our women- and minority-owned businesses have the opportunity to thrive and grow. To help us to understand the needs and demographics of the community in regards to diversity, please take a moment and follow the link at the bottom of this page to complete a short, 5-minute survey.

Mission Statement

The South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce focuses on developing the diversity of our membership, as well as the diversity of the chamber leadership by raising the awareness of diversity issues and working to create a positive environment for business opportunities between minority owned, women owned, and all businesses in the South Metro Denver area.

Definition of Diversity

This includes (but is not limited to) females, males, people of color, people with disabilities, people of all ages, people who live alternative lifestyles, people of all religions, people with cultural or language backgrounds other than American or English, and people who have recently immigrated to the United States.

MODERATOR – CHARLES JOHNSON
At the end of the 1990 season, Colorado played in the Orange Bowl game on January 1, 1991, defeating Notre Dame by a score of 10–9, which propelled Colorado to a controversial share of the mythical national championship of Division I-A college football for 1990. Johnson was named MVP of the 1991 Orange Bowl.
Sixteen years later, after a career in Denver radio and television as well as co-founding a corporate Internet data center, Johnson was appointed in February 2007 as the Assistant Athletic Director at the Boulder campus. He also acts as color commentator on radio broadcasts of University of Colorado men's basketball games.

LISA DOWNING
Lisa Downing is the owner of Vision Quest Entertainment. Since 1982, Vision Quest has been providing quality live musical entertainment as well as Bands, DJ's, Team Building, Celebrity Impersonators, Magicians & a wide variety of other event services for Corporate Events, Festivals, Private Parties, Weddings, Hotels, Restaurants & Country Clubs.

Vision Quest is an expert in matching the perfect entertainers and event services with each individual client. We are personally familiar with all of our providers, we love to provide services for last minute events, and we work with the best artists and vendors in town.

Vision Quest Entertainment builds relationships with clients and prospective customers by acquiring personalized knowledge of client preferences, consistently providing appropriate entertainment services and providing extreme follow-up. Vision Quest Entertainment is dedicated to providing Colorado with exceptionally talented, reliable professional entertainment and event services. Lisa Downing has maintained a reputation for being responsive and service oriented while always keeping your budget in mind.

In addition to owning and managing Vision Quest Entertainment, Ms. Downing is also an active concert pianist, recording artist, piano instructor and performs her original compositions nationwide. Ms. Downing’s first solo piano album is entitled "Think On These Things" and was released in 1991. Her recent Holiday album, "Christmas for Two” was released in 2008, and her most recent album of original compositions, “A Delicate Balance” was released in 2009. These collections of original solo piano compositions and original arrangements of traditional Holiday melodies might be classified as “Piano Impressionism”, "Neo-Classical" or "New Age". Melodic, reflective and contemplative pieces will generate peaceful visualizations that are perfect for quieting your world and centering your soul.

GREG MOORE
Gregory L. Moore was named editor of The Denver Post in June 2002. The largest paper in the Rocky Mountain region, The Post boasts circulation of 275,000 daily and 750,000 on Sunday. As the newsroom’s top executive, he is responsible for 265 employees and all aspects of coverage.

Before joining The Post, Moore had been the managing editor of the Boston Globe for nearly 8 years and was responsible for coordinating coverage in the daily paper and overseeing special projects. Moore has been in the newspaper business for 30 years, beginning his career in 1976 at the Journal Herald in Dayton, Ohio. Before becoming an editor, he worked as a reporter covering crime, education, politics and government.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Moore joined the Globe in April, 1986 after six years at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. It was at his hometown newspaper that he began his editing career, first as state political editor in 1982 and later as day city editor. At the Globe, Moore started as a senior editor in charge of criminal justice and courts coverage. A year later, he was named city editor and in 1989 he became the assistant managing editor for local news, responsible for coverage of Boston, the suburbs and the five other New England states. In 1991, he was promoted to deputy managing editor at The Globe.

Moore is a founding member of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and is a former member of the NABJ board. In 1996, he was named Journalist of the Year by NABJ's New England region. In 2004 he was elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board. He is a former member of the board of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, has been an instructor at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and the American Press Institute.

He is a 1976 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University where he earned a Bachelors degree in journalism and political science. He serves as a trustee at Ohio Wesleyan.

Greg is married to Nina Henderson Moore. Together they have two daughters, Jasmine Henderson Moore and Jaden Henderson Moore. Greg has a son from a previous marriage, Michael Langston Moore.

WILLIE T. FRANKLIN III
Willie Franklin is the Manager of the Supplier Diversity and Small Business Program for CH2M HILL Companies, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. He provides the leadership, management and oversight of the firm’s socio-economic programs. Franklin’s responsibilities include the promotion, implementation, tracking and reporting of CH2M Hill’s spending with diverse companies associated with federal, civil, commercial and industrial sectors. He coordinates with CH2M Hill’s offices nationwide to ensure clients’ diverse spend initiatives and objectives are exceeded.

Franklin began his contracting career in 1981 in the U.S. Air Force as a purchasing agent. After eight years of military service, he continued polishing his contracting skills and became a civil servant with the U.S. Coast Guard. He was appointed as a Contracting Officer, and was responsible for administering vessel repair & maintenance contracts.

In 1991, Franklin’s career moved him to Colorado, where he’s held various contract and procurement positions. In 1995, he landed his “dream job” with CH2M HILL as an advocate for small and diverse businesses. Franklin transferred to CH2M HILL’s Corporate Office in 2000 and continues to live his dream of assisting minority, small, veteran, and women-owned businesses.

TRACY JENKINS WINCHESTER
Ms. Winchester has led the success of Colours TV since it was founded, building from a regional audience of 250,000 in 2000 to 17 million households nationwide today. A twenty-four year cable television veteran, Ms. Winchester has held several executive and management positions in programming and marketing at the corporate headquarters of Jones Intercable, Inc. (acquired by Comcast Cable) and the regional office for Fox Family Channel (acquired by ABC Family Channel) prior to becoming Vice President/General Manager and then President/CEO of CoLours TV. Over the years, Ms. Winchester has received national recognition for leadership from numerous organizations including the National Association of Women in Cable & Telecommunications, Cable TV Public Affairs Association, CTAM, and the Walter Kaitz Foundation.

From 1977 – 1985, Ms. Winchester worked in Washington, D.C. with Members of Congress from the United States House and Senate as a Press & Legislative Assistant. Ms. Winchester holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is an honors graduate from Boston College.

To register for any of our upcoming events and meetings, follow this link to our
Chamber Diversity Meetup Site:

Please take a few minutes to complete our Diversity survey -->

Current Chamber Members Committee Listing

View the Chamber's External Inclusion Efforts

Resources for Minority/Women Owned Businesses

For more information on the South Metro Chamber Diversity Committee contact Kevin Wong at kwong@bestchamber.com or 303 795-0142.


	South Metro Chamber Diversity Committee Diversity and Inclusion The Chamber implemented its Diversity committee in April 2007 to be a resource, to provide avenues for success and to encourage participation in the support our community provides. Our goal is to cultivate an environment where our women- and minority-owned businesses have the opportunity to thrive and grow. To help us to understand the needs and demographics of the community in regards to diversity, please take a moment and follow the link at the bottom of this page to complete a short, 5-minute survey. Mission Statement The South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce focuses on developing the diversity of our membership, as well as the diversity of the chamber leadership by raising the awareness of diversity issues and working to create a positive environment for business opportunities between minority owned, women owned, and all businesses in the South Metro Denver area. Definition of Diversity This includes (but is not limited to) females, males, people of color, people with disabilities, people of all ages, people who live alternative lifestyles, people of all religions, people with cultural or language backgrounds other than American or English, and people who have recently immigrated to the United States. MODERATOR – CHARLES JOHNSON At the end of the 1990 season, Colorado played in the Orange Bowl game on January 1, 1991, defeating Notre Dame by a score of 10–9, which propelled Colorado to a controversial share of the mythical national championship of Division I-A college football for 1990. Johnson was named MVP of the 1991 Orange Bowl. Sixteen years later, after a career in Denver radio and television as well as co-founding a corporate Internet data center, Johnson was appointed in February 2007 as the Assistant Athletic Director at the Boulder campus. He also acts as color commentator on radio broadcasts of University of Colorado men's basketball games. LISA DOWNING Lisa Downing is the owner of Vision Quest Entertainment. Since 1982, Vision Quest has been providing quality live musical entertainment as well as Bands, DJ's, Team Building, Celebrity Impersonators, Magicians & a wide variety of other event services for Corporate Events, Festivals, Private Parties, Weddings, Hotels, Restaurants & Country Clubs. Vision Quest is an expert in matching the perfect entertainers and event services with each individual client. We are personally familiar with all of our providers, we love to provide services for last minute events, and we work with the best artists and vendors in town. Vision Quest Entertainment builds relationships with clients and prospective customers by acquiring personalized knowledge of client preferences, consistently providing appropriate entertainment services and providing extreme follow-up. Vision Quest Entertainment is dedicated to providing Colorado with exceptionally talented, reliable professional entertainment and event services. Lisa Downing has maintained a reputation for being responsive and service oriented while always keeping your budget in mind. In addition to owning and managing Vision Quest Entertainment, Ms. Downing is also an active concert pianist, recording artist, piano instructor and performs her original compositions nationwide. Ms. Downing’s first solo piano album is entitled "Think On These Things" and was released in 1991. Her recent Holiday album, "Christmas for Two” was released in 2008, and her most recent album of original compositions, “A Delicate Balance” was released in 2009. These collections of original solo piano compositions and original arrangements of traditional Holiday melodies might be classified as “Piano Impressionism”, "Neo-Classical" or "New Age". Melodic, reflective and contemplative pieces will generate peaceful visualizations that are perfect for quieting your world and centering your soul. GREG MOORE Gregory L. Moore was named editor of The Denver Post in June 2002. The largest paper in the Rocky Mountain region, The Post boasts circulation of 275,000 daily and 750,000 on Sunday. As the newsroom’s top executive, he is responsible for 265 employees and all aspects of coverage. Before joining The Post, Moore had been the managing editor of the Boston Globe for nearly 8 years and was responsible for coordinating coverage in the daily paper and overseeing special projects. Moore has been in the newspaper business for 30 years, beginning his career in 1976 at the Journal Herald in Dayton, Ohio. Before becoming an editor, he worked as a reporter covering crime, education, politics and government. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Moore joined the Globe in April, 1986 after six years at The Plain Dealer in Cleveland. It was at his hometown newspaper that he began his editing career, first as state political editor in 1982 and later as day city editor. At the Globe, Moore started as a senior editor in charge of criminal justice and courts coverage. A year later, he was named city editor and in 1989 he became the assistant managing editor for local news, responsible for coverage of Boston, the suburbs and the five other New England states. In 1991, he was promoted to deputy managing editor at The Globe. Moore is a founding member of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and is a former member of the NABJ board. In 1996, he was named Journalist of the Year by NABJ's New England region. In 2004 he was elected to the Pulitzer Prize Board. He is a former member of the board of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, has been an instructor at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies and the American Press Institute. He is a 1976 graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University where he earned a Bachelors degree in journalism and political science. He serves as a trustee at Ohio Wesleyan. Greg is married to Nina Henderson Moore. Together they have two daughters, Jasmine Henderson Moore and Jaden Henderson Moore. Greg has a son from a previous marriage, Michael Langston Moore. WILLIE T. FRANKLIN III Willie Franklin is the Manager of the Supplier Diversity and Small Business Program for CH2M HILL Companies, headquartered in Englewood, Colorado. He provides the leadership, management and oversight of the firm’s socio-economic programs. Franklin’s responsibilities include the promotion, implementation, tracking and reporting of CH2M Hill’s spending with diverse companies associated with federal, civil, commercial and industrial sectors. He coordinates with CH2M Hill’s offices nationwide to ensure clients’ diverse spend initiatives and objectives are exceeded. Franklin began his contracting career in 1981 in the U.S. Air Force as a purchasing agent. After eight years of military service, he continued polishing his contracting skills and became a civil servant with the U.S. Coast Guard. He was appointed as a Contracting Officer, and was responsible for administering vessel repair & maintenance contracts. In 1991, Franklin’s career moved him to Colorado, where he’s held various contract and procurement positions. In 1995, he landed his “dream job” with CH2M HILL as an advocate for small and diverse businesses. Franklin transferred to CH2M HILL’s Corporate Office in 2000 and continues to live his dream of assisting minority, small, veteran, and women-owned businesses. TRACY JENKINS WINCHESTER Ms. Winchester has led the success of Colours TV since it was founded, building from a regional audience of 250,000 in 2000 to 17 million households nationwide today. A twenty-four year cable television veteran, Ms. Winchester has held several executive and management positions in programming and marketing at the corporate headquarters of Jones Intercable, Inc. (acquired by Comcast Cable) and the regional office for Fox Family Channel (acquired by ABC Family Channel) prior to becoming Vice President/General Manager and then President/CEO of CoLours TV. Over the years, Ms. Winchester has received national recognition for leadership from numerous organizations including the National Association of Women in Cable & Telecommunications, Cable TV Public Affairs Association, CTAM, and the Walter Kaitz Foundation. From 1977 – 1985, Ms. Winchester worked in Washington, D.C. with Members of Congress from the United States House and Senate as a Press & Legislative Assistant. Ms. Winchester holds a Juris Doctorate degree from Georgetown University Law Center and is an honors graduate from Boston College. To register for any of our upcoming events and meetings, follow this link to our Chamber Diversity Meetup Site: Please take a few minutes to complete our Diversity survey --> Current Chamber Members Committee Listing View the Chamber's External Inclusion Efforts Resources for Minority/Women Owned Businesses For more information on the South Metro Chamber Diversity Committee contact Kevin Wong at kwong@bestchamber.com or 303 795-0142.