Edgewater Mayor Kris Teegardin Running for House District 24

From Edgewater Mayor Kris Teegardin:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

My name is Kris Teegardin, and I am running for House District 24. 

I hail from a family of farmers, factory workers, and railroaders.  I grew up in Indiana where my father was the first from his family to graduate high school and go on to college and become a local public school teacher. My mother worked at the county welfare office. My parents instilled in me a hard work ethic coupled with a commitment to community. From delivering newspapers to working on the farm, I learned at an early age the value of an honest day’s work for an honest wage. I was also taught that giving back and helping others is a lifelong commitment.

I have spent the majority of my professional career supporting people who have intellectual and physical disabilities and persons with severe and persistent mental health issues.  Most recently, I worked nearly ten years at Jefferson Center for Mental Health as a vocational counselor and healthcare coordinator.  I spent my time helping others get the resources they needed to make ends meet. I have also seen firsthand where resources are needed the most. I think we have all struggled at one time or another, and I have also had to make tough decisions whether to pay for rent, bills, or food.

I also met my wife Stacey through this work, and she has also dedicated her life to serving others.  She is a United States Army National Guard veteran and works at the state level managing behavioral health grants for mental health employment first and homelessness services. She also serves on Congressman Perlmutter’s Military and Veterans Advisory Board.  Stacey is the bread winner in the family, and I could not be any prouder to be her partner!

With Stacey’s support, I entered the field of public office, first as a council member of Edgewater, then as mayor.  During my tenure, I have also served in other capacities as well. My current positions include:

• Metro Mayors Caucus, Member
• Metro Mayors Caucus Homelessness and Hunger Committee, Chair
• 1^st Judicial Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee, Vice Chair
• Jefferson County Child and Youth Leadership Commission, Member
• Jefferson Success Pathway Leadership Council, Member
• Jeffco Mental Health First Aid Collaborative and Veterans Subcommittee, Member

Serving over six years as an elected official and committing a lifetime of service to my community, I have developed a strong knowledge and understanding of the issues. With that experience, I believe I am a strong candidate for the Colorado State House. We must continue to invest in our community and have those supports in place. That means supporting our neighborhood and public schools, investing in universal healthcare, and creating an economy that promotes opportunity for all, not just the few. I will work with anybody that will make our communities a priority. At the end of the day, politics is a means to an end.  The health of our communities is what matters most, and it is better to meet those challenges together than alone.

Respectfully,

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.