eNewsletter - Great DNC; Thousands of New Vestas Jobs

Colorado.gov

After more than 18 months of intense planning, Denver and Colorado can now proudly point to the Aug. 25-28 Democratic National Convention and call it a smashing success.

We hosted one of the best conventions in recent U.S. history, showcasing to a national and international audience our many accomplishments, including Colorado's New Energy Economy and our growing partnership with Vestas Wind Systems.

The timing of the Convention could not have been better, coming as Vestas announced two major expansions in Colorado:

The opening next year of the world's largest wind-tower manufacturing plant in Pueblo, a $240 million project that will bring up to 550 new jobs to Southern Colorado.
The 2010 opening of two new manufacturing facilities, and the creation of 1,350 jobs, in Brighton.

Colorado's New Energy Economy was just one of the many Western stories we shared with the nation and the world last week. While some of our challenges are uniquely Western, we have much in common with the rest of the country. What I call the Colorado Promise is very much the American Promise.

It took a cast of thousands to make the Convention such a hit. My deepest thanks go out to all of them. It was an incredible week, but as fall approaches, we now turn to other important matters:

My Budget Office is preparing the 2009-10 budget proposal for submittal to the legislature's Joint Budget Committee in early November.
My Policy and Legislative teams are meeting with citizen, business and other stakeholder groups to prioritize our 2009 legislative agenda.
The P-20 Education Council is scheduled to meet Sept. 18, Oct. 16 and Dec. 5 in preparation for the '09 legislative session.
The Governor's Blue Ribbon Transportation Panel will be holding a new round of meetings across the state in September and October. Details will be coming soon.
The Governor's Office, Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Water Conservation Board and others are hosting a 2½-day Conference on Managing Drought and Climate Risk on Oct. 8-10 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Denver.
The Governor's Energy Office and numerous state and local agencies are partnering to host the second annual Governor's New Energy Economy Summit on Oct. 14 at the Colorado Convention Center.
The Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade is preparing for a November trade mission to China and Japan.

Thank you again for all of your support. As always, please contact my office for more information or to share your opinion.

Sincerely,

Bill Ritter, Jr.
Governor