When I interviewed for the role of President & CEO of Civic Results and Executive Director of the Metro Mayors Caucus, the Board asked me what new programs I would create if I got the job. That question really got me excited.
I love education, and I also remember very clearly what it felt like to become mayor-- I had absolutely no idea what I was doing!
Whether you are elected to city council or, like me, go straight into the mayor’s seat, there is a steep learning curve. There are excellent resources available through the Colorado Municipal League (CML), National League of Cities (NLC) and other organizations, but I saw an opportunity for something different: a longer-term, intensive program where municipal elected officials could learn together, experience communities across Colorado and build relationships with one another along the way.
So, shortly after I was hired, in partnership with CML and CIRSA, we launched the Mayors Leadership Academy, which became the Municipal Leadership Academy (MLA) after its first year.
We just welcomed our third, and largest, cohort: 23 municipal elected officials from communities across Colorado. Over the next eight months, they will participate in eight full days of training held in different communities around the state. The topics we cover are: Good Governance; Water, Climate & Energy; Communications; Economic Development; Colorado-Specific Governance; Urban Planning; Housing; and Public Safety.
No Community Operates in Isolation
One of the most important lessons I learned as mayor is that while we are elected to serve our individual communities, no community operates in isolation.
Water doesn’t stop at a city boundary. Neither does transportation. Housing, economic development, workforce needs, infrastructure, and funding are all interconnected. Decisions made in one community can have impacts far beyond its borders. Those decisions can impact an entire region.
And those issues look very different depending on where you live.
A municipal leader from the Denver metro area may think about water, transportation or housing very differently than someone from the Western Slope, Eastern Plains or a mountain community. Neither perspective is necessarily right or wrong—they reflect different realities.
Understanding those differences is an important part of becoming a better leader. That is one reason we intentionally take the Municipal Leadership Academy around the state. We want participants to experience other communities, hear directly from local leaders and experts, and better understand both the challenges we share and the ones that are unique to different parts of Colorado.
Relationships Matter
The curriculum is important, but I believe the relationships built through MLA may ultimately be just as valuable.
Over eight months, participants get to know elected officials they might never have met otherwise. They share challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from one another. Those relationships create a network that extends well beyond the Academy.
Because when a difficult issue comes up—and it will—it is much easier to pick up the phone and call someone you already know and trust.
We don't have to agree on every issue. In fact, we shouldn't expect to. But understanding where someone else is coming from changes the conversation. Strong relationships allow leaders to disagree, collaborate, and still find ways to move their communities and our state forward.
Supporting the development of new relationships excites me most about welcoming this new cohort. Yes, I want these 23 leaders to leave MLA knowing more about governance, water, housing, development, public safety and all of the other issues they will encounter in office. But I also want them to leave knowing 22 other people across Colorado they can call.
Local leadership may begin at city hall, but the challenges—and the opportunities—extend far beyond our city limits.
Welcome to the 2026–2027 Municipal Leadership Academy cohort. I can't wait to see what you learn from us—and from each other.
- Alecia Brown, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Lone Tree
- Benjamin Byer, Mayor, Town of Crestone
- Catherine Moya, Trustee, Town of Lochbuie
- Christine Sweetland, Mayor, City of Centennial
- Dennis McDaniel Jr, Council Member, City of Las Animas
- Flor Alvidrez, Council Member, City of Denver
- Jennifer Schultz, Trustee, Town of Moffat
- John Alge, Council Member, City of Thornton
- John Bell, Trustee, Town of Green Mountain Falls
- Joshua Rivero, Mayor, Town of Parker
- Katie Bowers, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Delta
- Kelly Owens, Mayor, Town of Breckenridge
- Kori Salazar, Council Member, City of Castle Pines
- Laura Kronick, Council Member, Town of Monument
- Rich Kondo, Council Member, City of Northglenn
- Rick Somerson, Council Member, City of Englewood
- Ryan Debner, Council Member, Town of Mountain View
- Ryan Roth, Council Member, City of Greeley
- Shannon Lukeman-Hiromasa, Mayor Pro Tem, City of Northglenn
- Sheyanne Bossert, Mayor Pro Tem, Town of Fairplay
- Sofia Moore, Trustee, Town of Wellington
- Susan Wood, Council Member, City of Wheat Ridge
- Suzanne Riefstahl, Council Member, Town of Keystone
