During the legislative session, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce tracks closely the work at the State Capitol and recommends formal positions on critical policy issues that affect the business community. In the past few years, we’ve seen between 631 to 775 bills being filed each session – that’s a whole lot of review and analysis for us to assess if they impact business.

Our Legislative Policy Committee, chaired by Lori Fox of Pinnacol Assurance, reviews the bills introduced and takes positions on those that impact the business community. Needless to say, this committee works very hard for us: So far in 2013, 485 bills have been introduced (264 bills in the House and 221 in the Senate), which is actually a very low number by this stage of the session.

Of those 485 bills, the Chamber has taken a position on 59: We support 37, oppose 18 and are neutral on four (often changing from a previous position of support or opposition based on amendments to the bill). We again are seeing a number of proposals that have been introduced in past sessions, such as efforts to undermine the Labor Peace Act and the expansion of Family Medical Leave coverage. We are consistent in our position on legislation, so our history is a good predictor of whether we will support or oppose a bill. We don’t change our position even when the make-up of the legislature changes.

We have crossed the half-way mark for Colorado’s legislative session (42 days remainingin the 120-day session, but who’s counting?). That said, we anticipate those 42 days will bring many more new bills than we would typically see at this late date in the session—estimates are between 100 to 125 more substantive bills. The legislature will be focusing its efforts over the next two weeks on the annual budget bill (often referred to as the Long Bill), leaving very little time to review those additional bills. Here’s a preview of some of what we are told are still to come: 

• A package of bills aimed at increasing regulatory burden for the oil and gas industry. (We need to take care of our environment while also taking advantage of this tremendous economic driver—we know we can do both. Other states are figuring it out every single day as they find solutions that work for the environment and oil and gas producers. We have to stop hurting Colorado residents, who receive the economic benefits of this industry.) 
• A potential rewrite of workers’ compensation statutes. (We have the fifth-lowest workers’ compensation costs in the country, and it took us some time to get there. Our success is a combination of good policy and emphasis on prevention. We need to be thoughtful about the changes that can negatively impact our competitive position.)
• A telecommunications statutes rewrite. (A complex issue that we face each year. Typically, we ask our members who are impacted directly to help us analyze these proposals.)
• Proposed policies for the legalization of marijuana. A committee is reviewing 58 recommendations from the recently convened Task Force on the Implementation of Amendment 64. It will formulate regulations into legislation to be considered by the full General Assembly. It is likely that the legislature, as part of that package of issues, will refer a measure to the voters this fall to allow for the implementation of an excise tax on marijuana. (We opposed the passage of Amendment 64, but given that it did pass, we are now focused on ensuring employers retain their rights to establish policies, such as zero tolerance in the workplace to ensure the safety of workers and customers.)

Finally, as I noted in last week’s letter, the Chamber took a position of support on the rewrite School Finance Act, SB13-213. We believe the reforms outlined in the bill will lead to better outcomes for Colorado’s students and help deliver a future workforce that meets the needs of our economy. The bill directs how any additional resources (tax increases) put into the educational system shall be spent.

Finally, last Friday (the deadline to file ballot titles for 2013), more than 25 separate measures were filed to increase funding for K-12 education in Colorado. With that many ballot titles being filed, and the concern that SB12-213 won’t make it through the legislative process, the Denver Metro Chamber and Colorado Concern jointly filed a ballot title as well. Unlike many of the other ballot measures filed, ours does NOT propose an increase in taxes. Instead, it does one thing: It states that, should Colorado voters adopt a tax increase in 2013, it must be aligned with the priorities and reforms established in SB13-213. In other words, we are serious about ensuring that any additional revenues voters decide to put into our educational system should be spent to ensure the best results.

We will continue to keep you updated on our positions and any policy news that affects business in Colorado. Please also visit our website for a listing of our current positions or to get more background information.

Three years ago, the Chamber board of directors set out to do something about the Colorado paradox – the recognition that we can’t meet our growing workforce needs solely by importing college graduates, but that we would need to improve high school graduation and college attainment rates for Colorado students. We worked with the best and the brightest partners in the state – partners who shared our sense of urgency and respect for facts and data-driven decisions – to identify what changes would help us achieve this goal.

We knew that impacting this system would require a change in how we fund schools. We also knew we could create a system that accomplished several goals: reward schools for keeping students in attendance year-round; close one of the country’s largest achievement gaps; create a system that paid schools to teach a student they attracted in the middle of the school year; and give students skills that ready them for future opportunities in Colorado’s economy.

As we attempted these changes, we ran into a road block: School districts have been asked to fundamentally change and improve more than ever in their history – at a time when a recession had removed almost $1 billion from their funding. So, we compromised, and we asked that these final changes be made then when additional dollars come into the system. 

Senate Bill 13-213 does just that. It not only alters the way education dollars are allocated in this state, but also provides for tremendous transparency and accountability in how those funds are spent.

Under this measure, the dollars each child is allocated for each school – our per-pupil funding system – will now follow that child wherever he or she goes. Schools will be incentivized to keep students in their classroom with a proposed change from the once-a-year count day on October 1 to an average daily membership model. The proposal will require school districts to publicly disclose their expenditures as well as providing a return-on-investment analysis every four years.

The bill also provides for full-day Kindergarten and enhances state funding for early childhood education programs – at either public or privately operated facilities (we know a strong education foundation early on is less expensive than trying to remediate in later years). It also addresses inappropriate historical disparities in how charter schools are funded and, finally, it solidifies the reforms we have worked so hard to put in place: Teacher and principal accountability, the READ act and CAP4K.

We have spent two years identifying and compromising on the ideas represented in this bill. Once we developed the funding allocation, we then turned our attention to the question of how to raise the revenue. We have seen proposals that include everything from no additional resources to a proposal that would ask the top 20-25 percent of income earners in Colorado to raise $1 billion. We don’t support either of those approaches. We, along with a large majority of voters in Colorado, understand the serious financial issues facing our education system – from early childhood through higher education. How we address that challenge matters to ensure that we don’t hurt our economic competitiveness. 

Here are just some of the unintended consequences that can’t be overlooked:

• First, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Colorado has 31,414 S-Corporation small businesses. This type of incorporation means the company pays income tax based on the individual tax rate. Increasing that rate through a graduated income tax (significantly higher rates for higher earners) has an extremely negative affect on these small businesses in Colorado. Changing the income tax rate in this way will mean that those small businesses (and, in Colorado, these are often very, very small) will bear the brunt of a graduated income tax hike.

• We have seen that efforts in other states, such as California, to establish a higher income tax rate for higher wage earners has caused businesses to move to other states. Colorado has seen an influx of business and job growth in high-paying sectors as a result of these business moves.

• Colorado business is already paying a larger share of the costs of our education system because the Gallagher amendment in our constitution that requires business to pay more than 4.5 times more property tax per dollar value than residential property pays.

We don’t know what the right funding solution looks like, but we are committed to working together to determine the right solution for Colorado. Through all of this work, we won’t take our eye off the ultimate goal: Creating an education pipeline that produces an innovative and creative workforce to power Colorado’s future.

Bob Albin, past chair of the Chamber, was described in “The Persistence of Vision” by Fred Brown as “the energetic father of the campaign to do something about Stapleton.” In 1978, he led the Chamber effort to bring together more than 50 business leaders to participate in a committee to study the potential need to replace the Stapleton Airport and deliver DIA.

Today, DIA is the 5th busiest airport in the United States and 11th busiest in the world. DIA is also now ranked No. 2 in the United States for the number of domestic connections it provides (we are ahead of Chicago and just behind Atlanta).

We can never take these domestic connections for granted and, at the same time, we are working hard with our partners at the City and County of Denver and DIA to expand DIA’s international presence.

As of June, you will be able to fly directly to eight countries, with 22 international destinations. The compelling reason for getting these flights isn’t just your ease of travel, but the economic impact it brings to Colorado. With the recently, or soon to be, added international flights to Japan, Mexico City and Reykjavik, Iceland (which connects to 22 cities in Europe), there is a combined economic impact of more than $150 million annually for Colorado. Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic was also added last year and, this year, there will be non-stop service to Ft. McMurray in Canada.

For the past five years, the Metro Denver EDC and its industry affiliate, the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition, have brought our region together at the annual State of DIA luncheon to celebrate this economic engine and to hear updates on the airport itself or about the aviation industry. At yesterday’s event, DIA Aviation Manager Kim Day recalled the teachings of the late Carl Sagan, one of the most inspiring thinkers and astronomers in the last half-century. In science, Sagan said “the only sacred truth is that there are no truths” and “all assumptions must be critically examined.”

Day relayed how that approach has helped DIA achieve and maintain its position in the world.

Here’s a few things we heard (or engaged in) at the event:

· Our airport is well-positioned for the future and has the ability to expand and grow. (With 53 square miles, we are the largest airport in the country and second largest in the world.)

· A bold and collective vision has elevated Denver and the region on the global stage with more than 180 destinations that are now offered nonstop from DIA.

· Partnerships matter and make all the difference for success. Congratulations to the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and VISIT DENVER, both honored as recipients of this year’s DIA Partner in Aviation Award.

· DIA is ranked third among the nation’s 100 largest airports for the greatest decline in the cost of domestic airfare over the past decade.

· Kim Day posed the question, “What would it mean to the airport’s attractiveness if we suddenly became one of the lowest-cost airports in the country?.” The airlines started the applause for this statement.

· Steve Spangler (9NEWS science guy, author, teacher, toy designer and creator of a huge soda mess) taught us that engagement, passion and participation are key to creating unforgettable experiences for people. He got the entire room creating Bernoulli’s principle in action (you all know what that is right?). Well let’s just say there was a whole lot of hot air as we were blowing into diaper genie bags. No, really. Just visit the Chamber’s Facebook page to see what passion and engagement look like in action.

If it sounds like we had fun, we did. Spangler had it right: There is no community more engaged or passionate about its airport than the metro Denver region. Here is a short list of some of the exciting developments at DIA:

· The new South Terminal, which includes an onsite 519-room hotel and conference center.

· New improvements to the existing baggage and train systems.

· New gates on existing concourses.

· The new, 23-mile rail line connecting DIA to downtown Union Station.

· More than 100 existing restaurant and retail spaces (from Elway’s to The Tattered Cover) will be transformed with new and improved products and offerings for travelers.

We think the one factor that will make the difference in terms of DIA’s long-term competitive position is that our entire region loves this asset and considers it OURS. We know how important DIA’s success is to our region’s economic success. Colorado loves DIA.

We’ve all heard about the impacts of sequestration – it’s almost like the slow motion a person describes when they are about to be involved in a car accident. We are watching as Colorado will lose 12,000 Department of Defense jobs, as the reductions in NIH grants negatively impact the Anschutz Medical Campus and our bioscience industry, and as $8.4 million dollars is taken out of funding for education.

In the midst of the news about sequestration this past weekend, I attended the 38th annual Wells Fargo Cup in Winter Park (a race of the National Sports Center for the Disabled). It was my first time to see the event, and it was absolutely inspirational. I, and every person in the room, was moved to tears as one competitor described his service to our country and how he was injured. The physical and emotional toll seemed insurmountable – and then he described his drive to be among the best in the world in ski racing. Not exactly what most of us would do if we had serious physical limitations. These athletes chose their roads, and they didn’t let obstacles or excuses stand in their way. They not only challenged conventional wisdom, but also their own perceptions about what they were capable of accomplishing – and I gained perspective.

I was reminded that these determined racers represent an idea on which we founded on our country: the idea of a place where every person can achieve a dream, pursue happiness and overcome obstacles. We like thinking of our country as a being hardscrabble, tough, wily and persistent.

Each of us has challenges in our lives, and we have great challenges in our communities and in our country. We absolutely know these challenges can be overcome. We know there are plenty of excuses as to why we don’t solve some of these incredible challenges before us, but we know just as resolutely that there are solutions for each of them.

Our sincere thanks to Wells Fargo, Winter Park, DaVita, MillerCoors and KBCO for supporting such an incredible program and bringing this event to Colorado. It is a great reminder of the power of the human spirit and our ability to overcome against all odds.  

So Washington, D.C.: If you need inspiration, and if you need to be re-energized or committed to what is possible, just look at Colorado. We have plenty of inspiration to share.

For nearly 150 years (146 to be exact), the leadership and the membership of the Denver Metro Chamber has been hard at work. That’s you. Granted, most of us haven’t been around the entire time, but there’s no question that we, as a community, have worked hard together to make Colorado who we are today.

Some may say we’ve been lucky (you know there’s 500 days of sunshine per year, plus or minus 200 days, that great quality of life we have, our incredible outdoors, our imported highly educated workforce); and, while there is some truth about us being lucky, we also have had to be good. I think it’s fair to say that where we are today is made up of hard work and clear direction and a great regional team.

For all these years, the Chamber has been able to seize on opportunities when we see them:

• Raising $300,000 (approximately $9 million in today’s dollars) in 1867 to build that railroad spur that connected Denver to the rest of the country
• Creating the first public library in 1884
• Buying an aviation field in 1910 so we could lease it back to the federal government for $1 year to bring Lowry to Colorado
• Supporting the Moffat tunnel to bring water to the Front Range
• Envisioning an international airport in the 1990s that could meet our growing aviation needs and connect Colorado to the world
• Putting the first money into the FasTracks campaign in 2004 so we could bring transit to our region
• And, 10 years ago, creating the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation—the first regional EDC in the country

Today, we celebrate the Metro Denver EDC’s 10th anniversary. A decade of game-changing economic development outcomes were highlighted at its annual meeting. Here’s a few of those highlights for those who couldn’t join us:   

• Providing $2.5 million during the decade for Referenda C & D, FasTracks and defeating ballot measures that would have crippled our economy.
• Focusing on national marketing (CO Loves CA; and Energetic Bodies, Energetic Minds) and site selection conferences to showcase our region and our state.
• Bringing jobs to Colorado (United Launch Alliance, Arrow Electronics, DaVita, Visa and Kaiser, to name a few). You begin to see how this really matters based on our past: In 2002, Colorado ranked 49th in job growth; in 2011, it ranked 9th in job growth.
• Working together as a region to achieve success and then expanding that vision of collaboration within our industries creating and supporting the Colorado Space Coalition, Colorado Energy Coalition and the Metro Denver Aviation Coalition.
• Securing one of the three satellite U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices with its estimated economic impact of $440 million.
• Expanding international service with flights serving Tokyo, Mexico City and Reykjavik (offering more than 20 direct connections into Europe) with a combined economic impact of more than $150 million annually for Colorado.
• Retaining those jobs already here—this is what our 70 economic development partners do so well—and, we all know working to keep those jobs is the economic development strategy with the highest ROI. 

There is no celebration that is more about our region than this birthday celebration of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation. We have a lot of parents for this baby, and that’s just the way we like it.  Congratulations to you all.

Most of all, thank you for working together so perfectly to make Colorado who we are today.  It is exciting to think that this is the same regional team and business leadership who will create our vision for the next 10 years (oh, heck, the next 150 years). Clearly, our history dictates that the only way we think is BIG.

From almost anywhere downtown, including our own building, we can see the Rockies. Most of us advise visitors to use those mountains as a reference point (and, let’s be honest, a few of us may be doing that ourselves still once in a while); but beyond serving as a landmark, they are what we treasure in Colorado – our brand. Our identity is so closely tied to those mountains. If you look at them from your office window – no matter how cool the work before you that day – there is always the yearning and pull to drive up I-70 to enjoy a little skiing, boarding, tubing, biking, hiking, zip-lining, fishing, rafting or just relaxing; and it doesn’t take long before we realize everyone else has been waiting for that opportunity as well.

In short, there is a lot of traffic on the I-70 west corridor. It’s a lifeline in our state to move people and goods, and business and community leaders throughout the state have been discussing for several years how to ease congestion. In 2007, the Chamber conducted a study that showed the cost of doing nothing on the I-70 corridor would be $1 billion each year. At the same time, transportation funding shortages have limited the options for exploring the transportation investments needed to address this issue.

There’s some good news, though: In April of this year, a project will begin that will help with the congestion. Known as the I-70 Twin Tunnels project, it is the result of a Federal Highway Administration record of decision (ROD) signed in June 2011 that “provides a framework to implement a program of transit, highway, safety and other improvements on the 144-mile route between Glenwood Springs and the western edge of the Denver metropolitan area.”

The first phase of this project will add one lane to eastbound I-70 between Floyd Hill and Idaho Springs and includes a widening of the eastbound tunnel. Blasting will begin in April, and traffic will be routed around the tunnel during that time. Don’t worry – no blasting will occur during high-volume traffic periods. You can view the project fact sheet and website for more details. The expansion is expected to be completed by summer 2014.

The beginning of this project marks the end of nearly 20 years of study and discussion around this critical section of interstate. A big shout out to Governor Hickenlooper and Colorado Department of Transportation Executive Director Don Hunt for their leadership in collaborating with key stakeholders to determine a way to move forward with limited resources.

The Chamber’s Infrastructure Committee focuses on transportation issues, and CDOT’s Tony DeVito came last week and updated us on the I-70 Twin Tunnels project. To learn more about the committee, visit our website. 

Look at your window, and plan your next trip. It’s about to get easier.

Kelly Brough, CEO, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, talks about the need for public/private partnerships to address community health challenges.Kelly Brough on collaboration with Denver

Small business is big business in Colorado. Every year, we are proving that statement to be true as we climb the national rankings. In 2013, Denver ascended to No. 3  of the 102 markets compared for small business vitality (by the way, we were No. 6 in 2012, No. 8 in 2011 and not even in the  top 10 in 2010).

We know that, when small business thrives, Colorado’s economy wins. More than 97 percent of all employers in Colorado are small businesses, and 76 percent of all Colorado businesses are sole proprietors. Colorado’s culture of innovation encourages individuals to create and develop their own companies. At last week’s State of Small Business event, we highlighted a few of those small business success stories.

The theme was to show how three very different companies overcame adversity to not only keep business humming during the recent recession, but thrive. Lesson number one: It’s not easy. Lesson number two: Tenacity and creativity can be your strongest asset in times of great uncertainty and stress.

Lesson number three was delivered by Diane Dimeff, executive director of eSpace. She emphasized the importance of not overlooking creative young workers who are an energetic addition to the workforce. She emphasized that you may actually have to go out and find them to attract them.

Of all the innovative products coming out of the bioscience cluster, Sharklet Technologies is a poster child for the industry. Mark Spiecker, CEO of Sharklet, explained how his company is revolutionizing everyday objects, as well as medical devices, by developing the world’s first texture designed to inhibit bacterial colonization; and, dig this, it replicates shark skin. It was discovered by accident – like so many great ideas – as a scientist tried to determine why barnacles don’t grow on sharks as they do on other slow-moving marine life.

Maren Stewart, president and CEO of LiveWell Colorado, described the economic imperative of tackling our nation’s (and yes—Colorado’s) problem of obesity. Stewart gave us even more of a reason to pass on the bacon: While Colorado is the leanest state, its adult obesity rate has surpassed 20 percent for the first time in our history. Our childhood obesity rate is really disturbing as the second-fastest growing.

Lesson number four: All the speakers emphasized that, in order to be successful in their mission, access to an educated workforce is critical. We know that, in four years, 67 percent of jobs will require some college; yet, today, only 46 percent of Coloradans have a two-year degree or more, and only 72 percent of students are graduating from high school. Colorado’s economy, and all of our businesses (small and large), depend upon the education pipeline and access to an educated, innovative workforce.

Lesson number five: If our companies are going to grow and succeed, they need to access capital and investors. Helping our small businesses overcome this challenge is a priority for our Denver Metro Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Last year, the SBDC secured $12.2 million in capital for small businesses, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Still basking in the glory of earning the title as the No. 1 SBDC in the country (out of 1,100) in 2012, our SBDC continues to provide critical support to small businesses at every stage. In 2012, the SBDC delivered training to 2,512 attendees and provided more than 5,000 hours of free consulting services. The SBDC helped its clients create 293 jobs, retain 555 jobs, obtain $51 million in contracts and start 37 new businesses.

The SBDC should be the go-to resource for anyone looking to start a business, but its best-kept secret is that it can propel seasoned business owners to the next level. As an example, consider the SBDC’s Growth Catalyst Business Coaching program, now accepting applications until February 22. This nine-month program is designed to help business owners become strategic on increased growth, profitability and improved business operations.

To grow its expertise, and with an eye on the future of transportation, the SBDC recently forged a partnership with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to create the Connect2DOT program. This statewide initiative helps small businesses become more competitive and successful in bidding and contracting on CDOT projects.

You can tell we are big fans of the work being delivered by our SBDC, but we are even bigger fans of Colorado’s small businesses. To help us showcase even more great companies, nominate or apply for one of the Chamber’s 2013 Business Awards. The deadline is Friday, February 15. The winners for all six categories – small business of the year, emerging business of the year, minority/woman-owned business of the year, small non-profit, large non-profit, and green business of the year – will be announced at the Business Awards luncheon April 26.

Now, get back to work.

There are two critical reasons the Chamber supports our Leadership Foundation: First is a fundamental belief that, no matter what stage of our careers we’re in, we all have areas in which we can grow, improve and learn; Second is our responsibility to instill a strong value in each generation of leaders to be engaged civicly to take on any challenges, and take advantage of any opportunities, we may face in the future. The past couple of weeks were spent doing just that.

First, on Saturday, Jan. 26, student leaders from 10 Colorado universities convened for the Colorado Leadership Alliance (CLA) Summit, an annual event produced by the Leadership Foundation. These undergraduate students participate in the leadership programs at their respective universities, which help foster the skills students need to become community leaders after graduation. They come together at the Summit to exchange ideas and to learn from inspirational business and community leaders.

At this year’s Summit, students heard from keynote speaker Saul Garlick, CEO of ThinkImpact, a Washington, D.C. nonprofit that links students with development programs in rural Africa. Garlick first launched the idea as an 18-year-old college student and officially founded ThinkImpact in its current form in 2011. He is an internationally recognized leader, and he was named among the top 9 in the Diplomatic Courier’s list of “Top 99 under 33 Foreign Policy Leaders.” Very impressive for someone who has not yet seen his 35th birthday.

Closer to home, the CLA has named Wayne Caudill II its Student Leader of the Year. A high-school dropout who later earned his GED and pursued medical training in the U.S. Army, Caudill was injured in combat during his military service. He has worked to overcome challenges that have resulted from his injuries, and he now participates in the leadership class at the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs and works to teach life skills to juveniles in the Colorado Springs Teen Court system.

Moving to the other end of the leadership continuum, the Chamber hosted the Colorado Business Hall of Fame event, in partnership with Junior Achievement (JA), on Jan. 31. The event was underwritten by UMB Bank, and we thank JA President and CEO Robin Wise and her team for their work with kids every single day and for creating such a wonderful evening. At this black-tie dinner, six leaders were honored for their lifetimes of contributions to Colorado: Temple Buell, Glenn Jones, Don Kortz, Ron Montoya, and Rod and Beth Slifer. These individuals have contributed so much to our community that I cannot begin to list their accomplishments or estimate the long-term impact of their work on Colorado. From innovations in architecture to cable television to tourism, and much more, evidence of their work can be found throughout the state; and each of these remarkable individuals has dedicated time and resources to community service endeavors as well. It was our sincere honor to induct them into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame and to celebrate their life’s work at last week’s event.

Each of the people mentioned above embody the word “leadership.” More than that, they are tangible examples for each of us that we can make a difference. Whether early in our careers like Saul Garlick and Wayne Caudill II, or further along our career paths like several of the Hall of Fame Laureates, we each have something to contribute. We each have unique talents and unique perspectives that enrich our communities – both through our jobs and through volunteer service. Make sure you share some of the inspiring stories of our laureates or the student leaders at work and at home; then help us keep challenging ourselves and our youth to lead in just the same way.

What’s the definition of a good economist? Answer: Somebody who can relate economics to something we all understand. Patty Silverstein did just that today at the 20th annual Vectra Bank Economic Forecast event, which highlighted the metro Denver, state, U.S. and global economies.

She talked about climbing a fourteener in Colorado and how, for the past couple of years, we have been on the traverse where it’s hard to see the goal and progress is slow, but steady nonetheless. She also aptly reminded us that whether we’re describing our economy or climbing a mountain, going up is always easier than going down.

George Feiger, CEO at Contango Capital Advisors, put things in perspective on a global scale with his tongue-in-cheek comment: “The U.S. is the least bad place to be.”

Feiger said that the United States is the world’s most innovative, industrial economy in the world. The key in our success, he reminded us, is that globalization is dependent upon education.

We also were reminded that the U.S. debt will “dog us for the next 20 years.”

Mark Sneed, founder and president of RegionTrack Inc., echoed Feiger, proclaiming that the U.S. fiscal cliff is akin to Mount Everest (mountains were today’s theme, it appeared). While we all know the debt conversation must take place this year, Sneed also reminded us that the 2.1 percent job growth nationally (a little higher than the 1.8 percent in 2012) reinforces the steady, albeit slow, progress we are making nationally. Consistent with our standard for the past few years, as long as we are trending upward, we can place that in the good news column.

Silverstein, president of Development Research Partners, forecasted that, in early 2013, metro Denver will have added back all the jobs lost in this last recession. It also looks like Colorado will remain in the top 10 states for employment growth for 2013. Read more about her forecast here.

As you know, a critical part of this economic development strategy is to focus on types of industries we want to target for expansion and retention. The Metro Denver EDC recently released its eighth annual Industry Cluster Study, which provides an analysis of eight clusters: aerospace, aviation, bioscience, broadcasting and telecommunications, energy, financial services, health care and wellness, and information technology/software. If you want something to happy about, this year’s report found that seven out of the eight industry clusters posted positive gains. So, focusing on clusters to diversify and grow our economy is working—even in the toughest of economic times.

Here are some highlights:

Aerospace Colorado is the second-largest space economy in the United States, behind California, and employs 24,990 workers at an average wage of $120,310. The real test will be as we expand the state’s commercial aerospace economy; and we think Senate Bill 12-035, which limits the liability for entities involved in spaceflight activities, should help.

Aviation Denver International Airport (DIA) is a major economic engine for the region’s aviation industry, which employs 15,910 workers. This past year, aviation grew in metro Denver 6.4 percent compared with 2.1 percent nationally, and we announced three new, nonstop international flights.

Bioscience With an average annual wage of $85,820, more than 14,990 employees work at 600 bioscience companies in the nine-county region. We are specifically seeing success and growth in the medical devices and diagnostics sub-cluster, ranking ninth in the country for employment concentration.

Broadcasting and Telecommunications The region remains a major center for this industry due to its location in the Mountain Time Zone and one-bounce satellite capability, ranking sixth in the nation for employment concentration in 2012. It was the only industry in the region to post negative growth for the year.

Energy The region ranks fourth in the United States for traditional energy (fossil) and seventh for cleantech employment. We saw employment growth in fossil fuels with a 29.3 percent increase from 2007-2012 and cleantech with 36.8 percent growth in the same period.

Financial Services We are one of the few regions outside the Northeast with a significant financial industry in three key market segments: banking and finance, investments and insurance with an average wage of $101,030. The growth in the investments subcluster hit 4.4  percent in the past five years, while the rest of the country actually experienced an employment reduction of 4.7 percent.

Health Care and Wellness With nearly 176,460 health care and wellness workers at 18,260 companies across the region, health care and wellness is one of the region’s largest and fastest growing industry clusters. Employment growth in this industry between 2007 and 2012 was 22.1 percent compared with only 9.5 percent nationally. We are the leanest state in the country and we’re working hard to be the healthiest one.

Information Technology-Software Colorado ranked third in the nation  for the fifth consecutive year for the number of high-tech workers per capita, with 43,230 workers employed at 4,170 companies in the nine-county region.

So, let’s get to work to ensure Colorado realizes the positive outlook we heard here today.