Photo Gallery
DNC -- August 2008
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The "SmartGridCity Experience" -- August 2008
Gov. Ritter joined Xcel Energy on Aug. 21 to introduce the SmartGridCity Experience, a hands-on, interactive mobile exhibit designed to educate the public about today's energy grid and the possibilities of a smart grid. Boulder will be the first SmartGridCity in America. Click here for more information on SmartGridCity.
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Tuskegee Airmen -- August 2008
Gov. Ritter, Rep. Terrance Carroll, Senate President Peter Groff and CDOT Director Russell George joined members of the Tuskegee Airmen at the Blair-Caldwell library on Aug. 12 to unveil the new Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Highway sign.
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Ralph Carr Memorial Highway -- August 2008
Gov. Ritter, former Gov. Lamm and state Rep. Rob Witwer were among those who unveiled the new "Ralph Carr Memorial Highway" sign at the state Capitol on Aug. 10.
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New CBI Justice Center in Grand Junction -- July 2008
Gov. Ritter helps celebrate the grand opening of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's new state-of-the-art justice center in Grand Junction on July 31.
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New Down Syndrome Center -- July 2008
Gov. Ritter takes part in the dedication ceremony for the new Anna and John Sie Down Syndrome Center at Children's Hospital on July 30.
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Governor's Residence Preservation Fund -- July 2008
First Lady Jeannie Ritter, former First Lady Frances Owens and Jean Galloway announce the creation of a new Governor's Residence Preservation Fund on July 24 to help preserve and maintain "Colorado's home," which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
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Arctic Climate Expedition -- July 2008
Gov. Ritter joined a diverse group of scientists, policy experts and leaders from industry, politics, nonprofits and faith communities during an Arctic Expedition for Climate Change aboard the National Geographic Endeavor from July 11-19. The expedition was co-sponsored by the National Geographic Society, Aspen Institute and Lindblad Expeditions. In the first photo, Gov. Ritter took part in an "Innovative Leadership" panel discussion with (from left) Dupont CEO Chad Holliday, eBay CEO Meg Whitman, National Association of Evangelicals President Leith Anderson and Turner Foundation President Mike Finley. Photo credit goes to Stewart Cohen.
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"Big Thanks" for Education Agreement -- July 2008
On July 17, Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien was joined by Ft. Carson Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff Col. B. Shannon Davis to celebrate the activation of a interstate compact that will help unify education standards for students of military families. A large thank you card was presented by 7-year old Devin Harriman, 11-year old Andrew Hall and 11-year old Jason Harriman.
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Meet the Press -- June 2008
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter and Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal enjoy a laugh with host Tom Brokaw during the June 28 taping of NBC's "Meet the Press." The show was taped in Jackson, Wyo., on the eve of the annual Western Governors Association conference.
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Bill-Signing Finale -- June 2008
In a festive ceremony that brought hundreds of people to the Capitol on June 5, Gov. Ritter signed dozens of bills into law that will benefit everyone from Boy Scouts to people with developmental disabilities to Boys and Girls Clubs.
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Bidding Majority Leader Madden Farewell -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter presents House Majority Leader Alice Madden with flowers on June 5 just before signing her final bill into law. The legislation, House Bill 1353, strengthens Colordado's Conservation Easement Tax Credit Program. This was Rep. Madden's final year in the House.
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Two Governors -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter visited with former Gov. John Vanderhoof at Vanderhoof's home in Grand Junction on June 4. Vanderhoof, who is now 86, served as Governor from 1973 to 1975.
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Ralph L. Carr Justice Center & New Colorado History Museum -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter was joined by Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, Attorney General John Suthers, state Reps. Terrance Carroll and Don Marostica, and Colorado Historical Society President Ed Nichols on June 4 as he signed Senate Bill 206 into law. The measure authorizes the financing necessary to build a new state Judicial Center, to be named after former Gov. Ralph L. Carr, and new Colorado History Museum. A group of summer camp kids also got a chance to shake hands with Gov. Ritter.
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Western Slope Legislation -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter visited Mesa State College on June 4 to sign four pieces of legislation sponsored by Rep. Bernie Buescher, including measures for higher-education construction projects and to keep chemical waste dumps from being built too close to homes. Young people from the Colorado Job Corps also presented Gov. Ritter with one of their signature gold jackets.
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Health-Care Reform Bills -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter signs nearly a dozen health-care reform bills into law June 3 at the Children's Hospital in Aurora.
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Charles Mather Highway Safety Act -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter signs several transportation-safety measures into law on June 3, including the Charles Mather Highway Safety Act. CDOT worker Charles Mather was killed when a vehicle crashed into his highway paving equipment. His wife and son attended the bill-signing ceremony.
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Bill-Signing at Alamosa Solar Plant -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter visited the SunEdison solar plant in Alamosa on June 2, signing several rural-development bills into law in front of more than 100 people who came to celebrate with the Governor and State Sen. Gail Schwartz.
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State Aid for Alamosa -- June 2008
Gov. Ritter, Sen. Gail Schwartz and Department of Local Affairs Executive Director Susan Kirkpatrick presented Alamosa officials with a ceremonial $1 million check on June 2 to help pay for water-treatment costs stemming from the salmonella outbreak in March.
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Forest Health -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter signs into law healthy-forest legislation sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs and Reps. Christine Scanlan and Al White in Summit County on May 28.
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Education Bills -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter returned to his high school alma mater on May 27 -- Gateway High in Aurora -- to sign five education bills into law (House Bills 1204, 1223, 1370, 1384 and 1386). Gov. Ritter was a member of Gateway's first graduating class in 1974.
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Memorial Day -- May 2008
A military flyover was part of the 2008 annual Memorial Day ceremony at Fort Logan National Cemetery on May 26.
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Business-Development Package -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter signs into law the most robust economic-development package in decades. The signing ceremony took place in the heart of historic Littleton's business district on May 20.
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Canadian Minister of Industry -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter met May 20 with Canadian Minister of Industry Jim Prentice in the Governor's Office.
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End of an era in Oak Creek -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter shovels the last heap of coal into the antiquated coal-fired boiler at Soroco Middle and High School in Oak Creek on May 19. The state is helping the South Routt School District shut down one of the last coal furnaces at a Colorado public school and convert the heating system to geo-exchange and woody biomass pellets.
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New Driver's License Office in Loveland -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter, state Sen. Steve Johnson and Department of Revenue Executive Director Roxy Huber cut the ribbon and open a Colorado driver's license office in Loveland on May 16.
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Ag and Livestock Legislation -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter signed legislation benefitting Colorado's agriculture and livestock economies at the Capital on May 14. And no signing ceremony is complete unless Gov. Ritter climbs on a horse!
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Landmark Education Reform -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter signs his signature education-reform measure into law at Arvada High School on May 14. The Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (Senate Bill 212) will overhaul what students are taught from preschool to the first year of college, and also improve the way student learning is assessed.
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College Construction -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter signs Senate Bill 233 into law at the construction site for the new science building at the Auraria Higher Education Center in dowtown Denver. SB 233, which is a companion measure to SB 218, will provide more than $200 million for 12 to 17 different construction projects at colleges and universities statewide.
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Frontier's "Colorado" Plane -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter joins Frontier President and CEO Sean Menke on May 12 to dedicate the Denver-based airline's newest Airbus A320, which is named "Colorado" and features a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep on the tail.
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Fire Season Briefing -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter is joined by state and federal officials as he delivers his annual Wildfire Season Briefing at Centennial Airport on May 9.
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Trinidad State Junior College Commencement -- May 2008
Gov. Ritter delivers the keynote commencement speech at Trinidad State Junior College on May 9. It was the first time in TSJC's 75-year history that the Governor has delivered the commencement speech.
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Liberty Day -- May 2008
Reno Schneider asks Gov. Ritter a question about the U.S. Constitution during "Liberty Day" at the State Capitol. Reno is 9 years old and attends the third grade at University School in Greeley. Reno asked the Governor if he could name the three branches of government. Fortunately, he could.
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Welcome Home -- Apr. 2008
Gov. Ritter welcomes home members of a Colorado National Guard medical evacuation unit -- the 2/135 General Support Aviation Battalion -- on April 30. During a nine-month deployment to Iraq, the battalion flew 1,077 successful combat missions and transported 1,587 wounded patients to safety.
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Discover Colorado -- Apr. 2008
Gov. Ritter kicks off the summer travel season during a "Discover Colorado" tourism rally at the Capitol on April 30. Here he poses with the mascots for the state's major sports teams.
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FY08-09 Budget -- Apr. 2008
Gov. Ritter signed the state's FY08-09 budget into law on April 28, saying it demostrates steady progress in immediate strategic areas and also represents long-term investments for a better tomorrow.
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Colorado Bioscience Research Grants -- Apr. 2008
Gov. Ritter welcomes Colorado's first Nobel Laureate, back to Colorado on April 24 during a signing ceremony for House Bill 1001. The measure establishes a five-year $26.5 million Bioscience Research Grant Fund to speech the transfer of bioscience research from the laboratory to the commercial marketplace.
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Grand Junction Colorado National Guard -- Apr. 2008
Gov. Ritter visits with members of a new Colorado National Guard company -- Company C of the First Battalion of the 157th Infantry Division -- in Grand Junction on April 5.
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Protecting Eagles -- Apr. 2008
With a bald eagle named Adam keeping a watchful eye, Gov. Ritter signed House Bill 1304 into law on April 3. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Judy Solano (far left) and Sen. Gail Schwartz, increases penalties against anyone who poaches, takes or possesses a bald eagle. Sigrid Noll Ueblacker of the Broomfield-based Birds of Prey Foundation holds the eagle during the signing ceremony.
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Homegrown Energy -- Mar. 2008
Gov. Ritter signs House Bill 1160 into law on March 26 at a farm in Longmont. The bill is known as the "homegrown energy" or net-metering act. It will allow residents who generate more wind, solar and other renewable energy than they consume back to their electric utility companies.
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Alamosa Emergency Executive Order-- Mar. 2008
Gov. Ritter visited Alamosa on Mar 22 to assess the impact of the recent outbreak of salmonella. Gov. Ritter was joined by Jim Martin, director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; Hans Kallam, director of the Colorado Division of Emergency Management; U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, his brother, U.S. Congressman John Salazar; and State Rep. Rafael Gallegos.
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State Reptile -- Mar. 2008
Gov. Ritter signed House Bill 08-1017 into law on March 18, making the Western Painted Turtle Colorado's official state reptile. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Cherilyn Peniston and Sen. Jennifer Veiga and inspired by students in teacher Jay Biachi's class from Skyline Vista Elementary School.
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Play Clean -- Mar. 2008
Gov. Ritter helps announce the Pepsi Center's "Play Clean" initiative with Nuggets' coach George Karl on March 17. The Pepsi Center will become the nation's first major sports arena to be 100 percent "green" through the purchase of renewable energy credits and a new recycling program.
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Checkers Champion -- Mar. 2008
Gov. Bill Ritter on March 7 congratulated 10-year-old Colton Cardie of Arvada as the reigning World Youth Checkers Champion, presenting Colton with the Governor's Award of Excellence medallion and a State of Colorado lapel pin. They also played a friendly game of checker which Colton won in 12 minutes.
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Read Across America Day -- Mar. 2008
Gov. Ritter and First Lady Jeannie Ritter read Dr. Seuss's "One Fish, Two Fish" to K-2 students at Berkeley Gardens Elementary School in the Adams 50 School District on March 3 as part of Read Across America Day.
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Colorado Nonprofit Day -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter proclaimed Feb. 21 "Colorado Nonprofit Day" in Colorado, marking the occasion with children who are helped by nonprofits.
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Buffalo Soldiers -- Feb. 2008
Members of the Buffalo Soldiers of the American West present Gov. Ritter with a framed photograph of a Buffalo Soldier on Feb. 20. Also joining were Congressman Mark Udall and Colorado Senate President Peter Groff.
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Emegency Preparedness -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter, state emergency officials and Wal-Mart representatives announced a new effort on Feb. 19 encouraging people to create emergency-preparedness kits for their homes, businesses and vehicles.
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Wray School Wind Turbine -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter took part in the Feb. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wray school district's new wind turbine. He also spoke to about 600 students during a school assembly.
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Morgan Community College -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter visits with nursing students at Morgan Community College in Wray on Feb. 15.
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Creation of Forest Health Council -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter signs two Executive Orders on Feb. 12, the first creating the Colorado Forest Health Advisory Council, and the second naming the inaugural 24 members to the council that will be co-chaired by Harris Sherman, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and Jeff Janke, State Forester and director of the Colorado State Forest Service.
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Sonny Lubick Day -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter proclaims Feb. 8, 2008 Sonny Lubick Day in Colorado during a ceremony at the State Capitol, honoring Lubick for his service to the state, Colorado State University, students, athletes and fans.
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Unveiling 2007 Gov. Arts Award -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter unviels the 2007 Arts Award on Feb. 8 in the main reception area of the Governor's Office with Elaine Mariner, the Director of the Colorado Council on the Arts (center, first picture) and Joellyn Duesberry, the winning artist (left, first picture).
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First Bill Signing of 2008 -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter signs House Bill 08-1006, the first bill of the 2008 legislative session, into law during a ceremony at the Capitol on Feb. 7. Former foster children Renee Manke and Tony Corley helped write the bill, which requires counties to arrange visits between foster children and their siblings.
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Homeland Security -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter signs an Executive Order on Feb. 4 creating the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, and appoints retired National Guard Gen. Mason Whitney as its director.
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Deer and Big Game Feeding -- Feb. 2008
Gov. Ritter and Division of Wildlife employees feed mule deer, antelope, and other big game in the Gunnison Basin on Feb. 2.
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International Sportsmen's Exp -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter helped teach youngsters the finer points of fishing at the children's pool during the annual International Sportsmen's Expo on Jan. 26.
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Colorado Lotter Silver Anniversary -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter, Lottery Director Peggy Gordon and Lottery Board Chairman Dick Reeve celebrate the Colorado Lottery's 25th anniversary in Pueblo on Jan. 25.
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Coffee Talk with Constituents -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter talks with constituents at Traders Coffee & Tea Co. in Grand Junction on Jan. 19 with Rep. Buescher.
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Grand Junction High School -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter and state Rep. Bernie Buescher stop by Grand Junction High School on Jan. 18 to watch the varsity boys basketball team.
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Mesa State College -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter visits Mesa State College in Grand Junction on Jan. 18 to announce support for an $18.4 million funding request to renovate and expand the Saunders Field House.
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Stock Show Parade -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter leads the annual National Western Stock Show parade through downtown Denver on Jan. 15.
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Record-Setting Anglers -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter invites Don Walker, Matt Smiley, and Larry Cornell, the current and two former state record holders of the largest lake trout ever caught, to his office to discuss their exploits and honor current record holder Walker.
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Paper Ballots -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter and bipartisan lawmakers announce plan to use paper ballots for 2008 elections at a Jan. 23 news conference.
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New Solar Power Facility -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter delivers remarks and helps cut the ribbon to open a new solar power facility at Ft. Carson, a project that covers approximately 12 acres and is the largest solar array at a U.S. Army facility.
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2008 State of the State Address
Gov. Ritter delivers his 2008 State of the State Address to a joint session of the 66th Colorado General Assembly on Jan. 10. Click here for more information.
2008 Governor's Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards -- Jan. 2008
Gov. Ritter awarded the first Governor's Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards on Jan. 10. The recipients are Craig Cox of Interwest Energy Alliance in the Individual Category; The Smiley Building in Durango in the Small Business Category; New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins in the Large Business Category; Fort Carson in the Institutions Category; and the Northeast Denver Housing Center in the Nonprofit Category. For more information, visit the Governor's Energy Office
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