9NEWS Leader of the Year

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2013 9NEWS Leader of the Year

6:04 PM, Apr 11, 2013

DENVER - 9NEWS, in partnership with the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation, honors an emerging leader each year who has made a significant contribution to Colorado.

For 14 years 9NEWS has been proud to honor emerging leaders in our community, recognizing those who make a significant contribution to the well-being of our state.

Tami Door: 2012 9NEWS Leader of the Year

6:36 AM, Apr 6, 2012

DENVER - She's put the plan together to create a "center city" of the future - one that will bring lots of jobs and new businesses to the area. That is just one of the many reasons that Tami Door is the 2012 9NEWS Leader of the Year.

Eric Duran
2010 9NEWS Leader of the Year

6:28 PM, Apr 6, 2010

DENVER - It hasn't been built yet. In fact, the city is still working on picking a site, but Eric Duran knows when the West Denver library is constructed, it will make a big difference for kids in his old neighborhood.

James Mejía
2009 9NEWS Leader of the Year

5:41 PM, Apr 2, 2009

DENVER - He hails from a family of educators, with both of his parents and many of his siblings teaching in Denver Public Schools over the past few decades. You could almost say that education was in his blood from the start.

Carrie Besnette
2008 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:29 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Besnette leads Metropolitan State as the college's Vice President of Institutional Advancement. At the school, she works to drive home the power of a college degree and the need for more access to higher education.

Christine Benero
2007 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:28 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Christine Benero, a Littleton native, loved working in Washington, D.C. It had to help that she scored what many people would consider a dream job. Christine was the head of our country's Domestic Peace Corps programs. So effective, she held the position under the Clinton and then Bush administration.

Willie Shepherd
2006 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:28 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Willie Shepherd is co-founder and chairman of the law firm Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert. Willie practices in the areas of Environmental, Regulatory and Administrative, Land Use and Zoning, and Commercial Litigation. Since founding Kamlet Shepherd six years ago at age 33, Willie has worked on dozens of projects that have changed the landscape of Denver Business.

Monica Pleiman
2005 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:27 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Monica Pleiman is Chairman and CEO of Optimum Management Services, Inc., the parent company of Optimum Management Systems LLC (OMS).  OMS is a consulting, technology, and outsourcing firm that has grown from $40,000 in revenues and 4 employees in 1998 to $6.5 million in revenues and over 90 employees in 2004.

Chad McWhinney
2004 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:26 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Chad McWhinney is President and CEO of McWhinney Enterprises, which he co-founded with his brother Troy and father Derek in 1990.  He is responsible for establishing and implementing the company's mission, vision, and core values. 

Kathleen Novak
2003 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:26 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Kathie Novac, a native of Colorado, earned her Master of Science in Management from the University of Colorado at Denver, and has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder.  As an undergraduate, Kathie was a member of the Presidents Leadership Class and a Boettcher Scholar.

Doug Price
2002 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:25 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Doug Price, a native of Colorado, obtained a Bachelor of Science in Buisiness from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1978. In recognition of his leadership potential and service to the community, Doug participated as a scholar in the CU Presidents Leadership Class.

Annette Quintana
2001 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:25 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Annette Quintana, a native of Colorado, obtained her Bachelors Degree in Chemical Engineering from Colorado State University. Of both Native American and Hispanic heritage, Annette received the Dean's Award for Leadership during her undergraduate studies.

Joseph Serna
2000 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:24 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Joseph Serna is president of the Rocky Mountain Indian Chamber of Commerce (RMICC) and is founder and President of Serna Enterprises, Inc., a Hopi Indian owned printing business with offices in Denver and on the Hopi Reservation.

Robert Cohen
1999 9NEWS Leader of the Year

2:23 PM, Sep 18, 2008

Robert Cohen, President of Insurance Management Associates of Colorado (IMAC), is a Kansas native who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Risk Management and Finance.

Replica AK-47 prompts Thornton High School evacuation

THORNTON - A replica gun prompted a massive police operation and an evacuation of a high school in Thornton Friday morning.

8:09 PM, May 24, 2013

Jaywalking pedestrian killed in crash

DENVER -A jaywalking pedestrian was killed overnight in an auto-vs-pedestrian wreck just days after Denver Police launched a new campaign aiming to reduce auto vs. pedestrian crashes.

8:19 AM, May 24, 2013

Motorcyclist killed in wreck on I-225

AURORA - A motorcyclist was killed on Interstate 225 just north of the Mississippi Avenue exit when it collided with a truck just a few minutes after 6:30 a.m. Friday.

7:48 PM, May 24, 2013

High school 'pipe bomb' teen Andrew de Bartolome to be charged as adult

LAFAYETTE - The teen accused of bringing a pipe bomb into his Lafayette high school will appear again in court on Friday.

8:33 PM, May 24, 2013

Rare virus strikes 8-year-old boy

LAFAYETTE - Three months ago, Ty Wierl was your typical 8-year-old boy. He was very energetic, active and loved to play sports. 

11:45 PM, May 23, 2013

Americans suffering from 'The Cliff Effect'

BOULDER - While so many people dream of job promotions and pay raises, Dan Greeley dreaded getting a salary increase. That's because he knew the increase would wipe out everything that he's worked so hard for.

11:04 AM, May 24, 2013

Washington I-5 bridge collapse caused by oversize load

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) - A truck carrying an oversize load struck a bridge on the major thoroughfare between Seattle and Canada, sending a section of the span and two vehicles into the Skagit River below, though all three occupants suffered only minor injuries.

6:41 PM, May 24, 2013

KHOW's radio host Peter Boyles gets in 'heated physical exchange' with producer

DENVER - Peter Boyles, a well-known and sometimes-controversial radio host in Denver for 630 KHOW, will be off the air Friday after a heated physical exchange with one of his producers, multiple sources connected to the station confirm to 9NEWS.

7:51 PM, May 23, 2013

Suspect bites officer in chase that ends in crash

DENVER - A police officer was transported to the hospital after the officer was bit by a suspect following a high-speed pursuit that ended in a crash at the intersection of Leetsdale Drive and South Quebec Street.

12:56 AM, May 24, 2013

Denver Colorado Weather Forecast

Last updated by Meteorologist Marty Coniglio

TONIGHT:  Mostly clear with light winds and dry.  Overnight lows will be from 50 to 54 degrees.

7:45 PM, May 24, 2013
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