2010 Annual Meeting Featured Speakers
Keynote Speaker - Meghan McCain
Outspoken, unapologetic, authentic and brutally honest, Meghan McCain captured the attention of the press and pundits alike during her father's 2008 presidential campaign.
To give Americans a real sense of life behind the scenes on the
campaign trail, Meghan launched McCainBlogette.com, which has been
recognized with several distinguished awards. While on the campaign
trail, Meghan also published My Dad, John McCain, an
illustrated children's book that brings her father's story to life.
In her current position as a columnist for the political blog
The Daily Beast, Meghan discusses challenging and sometimes
controversial issues. She is currently working on a
highly-anticipated book, Dirty Sexy Politics: A True Story,
which will be published later this year.
Meghan graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Art
History.
Featured Speaker - Luke Williams
Luke Williams is co-author of the national best-selling book, Why
Loyalty Matters. He is a Director of Financial Services Research at
Ipsos Loyalty and an Instructor at the Fordham University Graduate
School of Business, where he teaches Market Research.
Why Loyalty Matters is based on the most comprehensive study of
loyalty ever conducted, the landmark Ipsos Loyalty Study. The book
shows through research that, when it comes to business success,
satisfaction in our relationships and even overall happiness,
loyalty is essential. At CSCUSA's Annual Meeting, Luke will discuss
his new findings about customer loyalty and the powerful
implications those findings have for Colorado's ski industry.
During his career, Luke has conducted research in several fields,
including economics, government and politics. Currently, he
specializes in financial services research, focusing on the
payments market and macroeconomic effects on that market.
Luke has published editorial and academic pieces for publications
such as The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review Online,
MIT Sloan Management Review, Journal of Database Marketing &
Customer Strategy Management, Quirks Marketing Research Review,
Marketing Management, Training & Development magazine, and The
Wise Marketer, among others.
Luke holds an M.A. in Social Research Methods from the University
of Durham (UK) and a B.A. in Sociology from Rutgers University
(US).
Panelist - Kevin KroneKevin Krone is Southwest's Vice President of Marketing, Sales
and Distribution. He is responsible for Southwest's marketing
strategies covering all sales and promotions; special event
marketing; multicultural activities; travel agent and other
partnership relationships; advertising; group marketing programs;
Southwest's award-winning frequent flyer program called Rapid
Rewards; online marketing; and distribution of Southwest's
products.
Kevin started working at Southwest in 1992 and came to the airline
after over thirteen years working in the technology and marketing
sectors, most recently for Cellular One in Florida. Kevin received
his B.A. in finance and an MBA from the University of
Illinois.
Panelist - Mary MovicMary Movic is United Airlines' Managing Director for United Express. In this role, Mary is responsible for all operational and financial aspects of United Express, which provides service to 182 cities with 2,300 daily departures. United Express touches more than one-third of United customers daily.
Similar to United, United Express customers received the same No. 1 on-time arrival performance on partner carriers in 2009. Partner carriers flying on behalf of United also had the best combined performance among the regional airlines flying for America's five largest global carriers.
Mary joined United in 1998 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Finance and Operations. She received her MBA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MS in Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University.
Panelist - Daniel Shurz
Daniel Shurz joined Frontier Airlines in June 2009 as vice
president for planning and strategy and in October 2009, he saw his
duties expand to include Midwest Airlines as well as Frontier,
which are integrating under the Frontier Airlines name. He is
responsible for network planning, scheduling and alliances.
Shurz joined Frontier from Air Canada, Inc, where he was most
recently vice president of network planning and alliances. In that
position, he directed network design and scheduling of the
company's 350 aircraft, including 150 belonging to the carrier's
regional partners.
Shurz also has held a number of other senior-level positions in the
transportation and airline industries, including with the Chicago
Transit Authority and United Airlines.
He grew up in the United Kingdom and received his BA from
University of Cambridge and his MBA from the University of Chicago
Booth School of Business. He lives in Denver with his wife, Kathy,
and two children.
Panelist - Anthony Canitano
Anthony Canitano is General Manager of Network Planning for
Delta Air Lines, responsible for the Western United States.
Anthony joined Delta in 2004 and has held positions in Network
Planning and Corporate Strategy. He also spent time working with
Delta's associated regional carrier enterprise, Delta Connection.
Most recently, he served as a manager in Delta's Corporate Strategy
division and worked on the analysis and execution of Delta's merger
and subsequent integration with Northwest. Prior to joining
Delta, Anthony was an Account Executive leading the McDonald's
account for Integer QSR and he was a Business Consultant for Arthur
Anderson. Anthony also served as Chairman of Golf Fore Good from
1998 - 2004, raising more than $120,000 for the Crohn's and Colitis
Foundation of America.
Anthony has a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Marketing from
Miami University and an MBA from Emory University.
Panel Moderator - Andy WirthAndy Wirth is a member of the high performance leadership team
at Intrawest's Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation and maintains
a concurrent role for enterprise‐wide responsibilities as
Intrawest's Senior Vice President of Strategic Alliance &
Partnership Marketing.
Andy has been working with virtually every facet of Steamboat's air
program since starting with the ski area as an intern in 1986, the
resort's first year of guaranteed air service. He was the recipient
of HSMAI's prestigious global award, "Top 25 Most Extraordinary
Minds in Sales & Marketing" award, Steamboat's "2002 Business
Leader of the Year" and remains active in many other community
organizations. Mr. Wirth received his B.S. from Colorado State
University with a year studying at the University of Edinburgh. He
is married to Mrs. Karen Wirth and has three children (and one
Border Collie, Max Chance Wirth).
Double Diamond Awards Dinner Presenter - Gretchen
BleilerFour-time X Games gold medalist and Olympic silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler is one of the most accomplished female snowboarders in the world. Among her many accomplishments on and off snow, Gretchen won the silver medal in Women's Halfpipe at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. She is now widely recognized as a role model and pioneer in the sport of snowboarding. Gretchen also founded the first-ever, all-girls annual snowboard halfpipe competition, the COVERGIRL Snow Angels Invitational. The event includes top female snowboarders from all over the world.
She currently resides in Aspen, Colorado and in Carlsbad,
California with her husband, Chris.
Double Diamond Awards Dinner Speaker - Craig F. WalkerSince Sept. 11, 2001, Denver Post staff photojournalist Craig F.
Walker has covered some of the most important threads of the
terror attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., fixing a
compassionate lens on the men, women and children tangled then, and
now, in the continuing story of geopolitical conflict.
Walker's photo essay "Ian Fisher: American Soldier" was awarded the
Pulitzer Prize for feature photography in 2010. It also earned the
American Society of News Editors community photojournalism award,
the Sidney Hillman Foundation prize for photojournalism, a Gold
Medal from the Society of Newspaper Design and other awards.
Walker came to the Post in 1998 from the Berkshire Eagle in
Pittsfield, Mass.. He graduated from Rhode Island School of
Photography and began his career in Massachusetts, at the
Marlborough Enterprise. Walker grew up in York, Pennsylvania.
Double Diamond Awards Dinner Speaker - Tim RasmussenTim Rasmussen is the Assistant Managing Editor of Photography at
The Denver Post, where he leads a staff of 27. The Post has won
numerous awards under his leadership, including the 2010 Pulitzer
Prize for Feature Photography and Best Use of Photos from the
National Press Photographers Association's Best of Photojournalism.
Before joining the Post, Tim was the Director of Photography of the
South Florida Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Tim's work was published in American and international magazines
and newspapers, including the cover of the New York Times Sunday
Magazine.
Guest Speaker - Rick CablesRick Cables became Regional Forester of the Rocky Mountain
Region in January, 2001.
As Regional Forester, he is responsible for the administration of
over 22 million acres in 17 National Forests and 7 National
Grasslands, and cooperative efforts with state and private
landowners in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and eastern
Wyoming.
Cables was born in Pueblo, Colorado, graduated from Northern
Arizona University Forestry School in 1976, and began his forestry
career on the Kaibab National Forest in Northern Arizona.
After serving on several National Forests in New Mexico and
Arizona, he became District Ranger on the Apache-Sitgreaves
National Forest. He then served two years in the Washington Office
before he was selected to attend the U.S. Army War College in
Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1989-1990.
In 1990, Cables was promoted to Forest Supervisor of the White
Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire and Maine. In 1995,
he became the Forest Supervisor of the Pike and San Isabel National
Forests and Comanche and Cimarron National Grasslands in Colorado
and Kansas.
Before becoming Regional Forester of the Rocky Mountain Region,
Cables was Regional Forester of the Alaska Region, covering the
Tongass and Chugach National Forests.
Featured Candidate Speaker - Mayor John HickenlooperAfter being laid-off as a geologist in the 1980s, John struggled
for a while until he came up with the crazy idea to build
Colorado's first brewpub. Although he had to interview with more
than 20 banks, he eventually opened The Wynkoop Brewing Co. in the
dilapidated warehouse district of downtown Denver. His vision
proved successful, and his brewpub and restaurant are now mainstays
of Denver's community, and the beating heart of the lower downtown
neighborhood.
As the mayor of Denver, John's business abilities, partnered with
his progressive vision for the city, have played important roles in
the success he has achieved since taking office. In 2005, Time
Magazine placed him among the top five "big-city" mayors in the
country.
Born in Narberth, Pennsylvania, John lost his father at a young age
and was raised by his notoriously frugal mother. Having lived
through the Great Depression, John's mother never wore a dress she
didn't sew herself, and she washed plastic wrap and aluminum foil
for reuse. John has carried those lessons of frugality and budget
consciousness throughout his life, and as an entrepreneur and
politician, they have been crucial to his success.
John moved to Colorado in 1981, after earning a Master's in Geology
at Wesleyan University, and found work with Buckhorn Petroleum.
With the collapse of the oil industry in the 1980s, John was
laid-off, providing him with the opportunity to follow his
entrepreneurial vision. He opened the Wynkoop Brewing Company in
1988.
As Denver began the construction of its new football stadium, John
got involved in the negotiations, ensuring that the new stadium
stay true to its original name, the famed Mile High Stadium.
In 2003, without ever having run for public office, John entered
the race for mayor. Despite opposition from seasoned political
veterans, he captured the attention of voters with his outsiders'
perspective and business prowess, and he won by a landslide 2-to-1
margin. Before ever taking office, he tossed aside regional
conflicts - announcing to suburban mayors that the days of "Denver
first" were over. John pushed aside partisanship and reached out to
Colorado's Republican Governor to bridge a new, city-state
partnership. Just like he did in his early days in LoDo, John knew
that as the state and region succeeded, so would Denver and
vice-versa.
In 2008, John successfully marketed Denver's long-shot bid for the
2008 Democratic National Convention. As promised, John avoided
using public funds for the campaign. Instead, he traveled the
country to garner support from leaders in the Democratic community,
procuring the necessary funding to host the convention. The event
put Colorado on the international stage and brought more than $260
million into the local economy.
John's most ambitious campaign, his mission to reduce homelessness
in Denver, has seen great success. Denver's Road Home provides
employment assistance and housing for the homeless. The success of
this program has become a model for other cities, illustrating how
they can combat homelessness within the inner city.
Overall, his tireless efforts to improve the city of Denver have
paid off. Despite shrinking budgets and managing the city through
two national recessions, a recent citizen survey found that
Denver's overall community quality rating improved from 78 percent
in 2002 to 86 percent today.
Featured Candidate Speaker - Scott McInnis
A fourth generation Colorado native, Scott was raised in
Glenwood Springs, graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, and
served his hometown as a police officer and volunteer
firefighter. Scott's law degree from St. Mary's University
law school enabled him to return home to Glenwood and serve the
community as an attorney and legal resource.
Scott's neighbors urged him to enter public service, and he ran
successfully for the state House of Representatives. As a
hard-working, results-oriented legislator, he rose through the
ranks and was chosen by his peers as Majority Leader. After serving
five consecutive terms as a state representative and twelve years
as a United States Congressman, Scott returned home to work in
private business.
The Denver Post, praising his focus on the environment, called
Scott "a strong conservationist carrying on a GOP tradition that
harkens back to Teddy Roosevelt." Scott championed the cause
of preserving Colorado 's most scenic places and authored three key
wilderness laws. Scott led the charge to create two new
National Parks: the Great Sand Dunes and the Black Canyon of the
Gunnison.
As an outspoken advocate for reducing the size and scope of
government and an aggressive foe of tax increases, his work earned
him the praise of taxpayer advocacy and anti-deficit groups.
Unable to sit idle as failed, anti-jobs policies harmed the state,
Scott decided to return to public life and run for governor of
Colorado. When not on the campaign trail, Scott and his wife, Lori,
enjoy spending time with their children and their granddaughter.
They live in Grand Junction.
Featured
Candidate Speaker - Dan Maes
Dan Maes is a business leader running for Colorado Governor. From
an early age, Dan knew he wanted to live in Colorado. Motivated
only by a desire to live here, Dan moved to Colorado in 1985, after
2 years as a police officer, and with no job. After a month he
stumbled into what was destined to be his career - business
development. Dan's natural leadership led him to management roles
and ultimately he earned part of a business through sweat equity.
He and his partners sold a telecommunications franchise in 1997. He
then started and sold a credit reporting agency between 2005 and
2009.
Dan lives in Evergreen with his wife, Karen.
Featured Candidate Speaker - Jane Norton
A third generation, lifelong Coloradan Jane was born and raised
in Grand Junction. Jane's Mom taught school in Grand Junction and
her Dad coached at Mesa Jr. College. She doesn't look any further
than her parents when it comes to naming her heroes. With a
lifetime of public service experience, Jane announced her candidacy
for the U.S. Senate on September 15, 2009.
In 2007, Jane was named the first executive director for the Denver
Police Foundation (DPF). The DPF supports individual officers and
their families in times of crisis and provides equipment, training,
and technology in support of Denver police officers.
In 2002 Jane was elected as Colorado's 46th Lieutenant Governor.
During her term as LG, Jane was elected by her peers to serve as
chair (2005-2006) of the National Lieutenant Governors Association
(NLGA), garnering national support for Colorado-based Project
C.U.R.E., bone marrow donation, sexual predator legal reform, and
an award-winning cervical cancer public awareness campaign.
Prior to her election as LG, Jane was appointed Executive Director
of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment by
Governor Bill Owens, a position she held from 1999-2002. As such,
she had a broad range of regulatory and programmatic
responsibilities. She managed a staff of 1,100 with a budget of
over $280 million.
In 1988, Jane was tapped by President Ronald Reagan and by George
H.W. Bush in 1992 to serve as the six state (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,
WY) regional director of the US Department of Health and Human
Services.
Jane is a 1972 graduate of Grand Junction High School. In 1976 she
graduated from Colorado State University with a Bachelor of Science
degree with distinction in health sciences. She also has a Master
of Sciences in Management degree from Regis University,
Denver.
Jane is married to Mike Norton, former US Attorney of Colorado. She
is the mother of two grown children (Lacee and Tyler Artist), two
step-children, and enjoys seven grandchildren, one of whom is
serving in the US Army. Jane serves on the board of Denver
Seminary, volunteers in her church and is an avid hiker and skier.
She is a member of the Colorado Federation of Republican Women and
a founding member of the Colorado Republican Business
Coalition.
Featured Candidate Speaker - Michael BennetMichael Bennet is known as a pragmatic leader who finds common
sense solutions to tough problems. His desire to represent Colorado
in the U.S. Senate is rooted in a moral obligation to leave this
country in a better place for his children, and a fear that we will
fail in that obligation if we do not take a fresh approach.
Michael brings an unusual background to the Senate -- he's not a
career politician. Before taking office just more than a year ago,
Michael led a major urban school district as Superintendent of
Denver Public Schools, he guided the City of Denver through a
budget crisis, and he turned around failing companies in the
private sector. Michael is married to Susan Daggett, a natural
resources attorney, and has three children, Caroline 10, Halina 9,
and Anne 5.

Featured Candidate Speaker - Ken Buck
Weld County District Attorney and Republican U.S. Senate
candidate Ken Buck is a proud Westerner with deep roots in
Colorado. Over the years, Ken has worked as a truck driver, high
school football coach, ranch hand, school janitor, paper boy,
furniture mover, adjunct law professor, prosecutor, and
businessman.
Since 2004, Ken has been elected twice as District Attorney for
Weld County by large margins. He leads a staff of more than sixty
employees and has a record of prosecuting criminals, supporting
victims, and promoting crime prevention. As District Attorney, Ken
brought together community leaders to create the Juvenile
Assessment Center (JAC). To date, the center has helped more than a
thousand Weld County kids and their families get back on the right
path in life.
As District Attorney, Ken has also worked to address other major
challenges facing his community, including crimes against the
elderly, drunk driving, methamphetamine abuse and fraud.
Ken attended Princeton University where he earned his undergraduate
degree in politics in 1981. He received his Juris Doctorate in 1985
from the University of Wyoming College of Law. In 1986, Ken worked
on the Iran-Contra Investigation in Washington, D.C., and in 1987,
he began working as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of
Justice. Ken later joined the Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office where
he was the Chief of the Criminal Division. Ken has also served as
an instructor at the University of Denver College of Law.
Ken has life-long ties to Colorado and has been an active leader in
the state for many years. He has volunteered and served on the
boards of many organizations, including, A Woman's Place; North
Range Behavioral Health; Juvenile Assessment Center; Promoting
Alternatives to Violence through Education (PAVE); Fresh Start, a
charter school for expelled students for Denver Public Schools; and
the Restorative Justice Coalition.
Ken is the father of two and has spent many hours coaching and
cheering at his kids' athletic events. Cody is in his third year at
West Point. Kaitlin is a freshman at Clemson University. Ken and
his wife, Perry, are residents of Greeley, Colorado and spend their
free time enjoying the outdoors.
Featured Candidate Speaker - Andrew RomanoffElected to four terms in the state legislature, Andrew Romanoff
was Speaker of the House from 2005 to 2009. He led the Democrats to
their first back-to-back majorities in more than 40 years. His
leadership also earned national recognition, including Governing
magazine's top honor as Public Official of the Year in 2008.
After earning a bachelor's degree at Yale, Romanoff set off for
Costa Rica and Nicaragua, where he taught English in rural high
schools. When he came home, he earned a master's degree in public
policy at Harvard and a law degree at the University of
Denver.
Romanoff worked in the private sector, as a senior associate at the
Colorado consulting firm of Greenberg Baron Simon & Miller,
before accepting a job with Colorado Governor Roy Romer. In Romer's
office, Romanoff worked in the Office of Policy and Initiatives,
analyzing state and national proposals for education reform.
During his time in state legislature, Romanoff is credited with
many major accomplishments, including leading the fight to pass
Referendum C, known as Colorado's Economic Recovery Act. For that
and other economic development work, Romanoff was honored with a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Economic Development Council of
Colorado.
He is currently running as a Democratic candidate for U.S.
Senate.
CSCUSA would like to thank our Annual Meeting
sponsors:

