The New Face Of Leadership: One Of Our Own
One glimpse at Chris Wedor and you can immediately feel his presence. At 6 feet 5 inches, the broad-shouldered District 10 candidate is imposing, but all it takes is his big smile and a handshake to quickly dissolve any feelings of intimidation. Chris is a Colorado native — rare these days — and has lived in District 10 since he graduated college. Chris and his husband, Scott, live in the Golden Triangle neighborhood. Highly motivated, Chris is bound and determined to run the best campaign possible so he can serve on Denver City Council.
“Running for political office is something I’ve always wanted to do. The timing felt right, and I’m not someone who sits around waiting for the perfect opportunity. If I see any opportunity at all, and I want it, I’m going to work hard for it.” The move wouldn’t take him far away, physically, from his current 7th floor office in the Wellington Webb Municipal Building where he works as a Performance Audit Manager in the Denver Auditor’s Office. The transition for him would feel natural, he says.
“I’ve spent the last five years looking into how our city is operating and coming up with ideas that would help it run better. I would do the same thing on council, but have more direct impact,” he says. “I have been nationally awarded and recognized as being a leader for effective government change. I am the only candidate who truly has the experience to serve as the council member who represents a balanced and objective view while maintaining my independence and strong voice for the community.”
Motivation is clearly a part of Chris’ fabric, and it seemingly came from his parents. Growing up in Colorado Springs, his mother, a Korean-American immigrant, worked the graveyard shift in a factory, and his father, a U.S. Navy Veteran, started work at 3am as a forklift driver. They dreamed that Chris and his brother would be the first in their family to attend college. With a 4.35 GPA, Chris had his pick of three football scholarships. He walked away from two in-state Division I offers and chose the Division II Colorado School of Mines, where he anticipated a better balance of school and sports. The decision also forced him to work to help pay for what the scholarship didn’t cover, an obligation he says was “worth it” for the education he was getting. During Chris’ final football season at Mines, he came out to his teammates. The support he received stuck with him.
“It was an emotional and uplifting experience to reveal something so personal, to do something so risky, and to get such a positive reaction. They just wanted me to be me.” His coming-out experience helped strengthen his confidence so he really could be himself and do what he needed to do.
Chris graduated from Mines and went on to work at PepsiCo. After five years of working for the Fortune 50 company, he took his current position with the Denver Auditor’s Office. Chris’ city work also allowed him to give back to the community he loves. I asked Chris why his current work isn’t enough — after all, performance auditing is all about looking for opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
“The Auditor’s Office can do a lot, and it does. More than people realize. But in the end, I can’t force anyone in this city to do anything. I’m definitely a part of the process, but to me, it doesn’t feel like enough.” Enter public office. “I just know I can do more. So I’m going after it, the same way I did to become a DJ.” The Tracks Denver Resident DJ didn’t know anything about the gig two years ago, but he figured it out largely on his own.
“Most DJs are not willing to mentor newcomers, so I did it myself.” After months of focused learning, watching hundreds of hours of tutorials, and observing other DJs, Chris got a shot at playing for Tracks. He was offered club residency that night. One year later, he played at Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Not bad for a self-taught newbie.
So what will this driven self-starter bring to his constituents?
“I’ll be balanced and objective, the same way I’ve always had to be as an auditor. I’ll use data to drive sound decisions. I’m a public servant who works for you — the citizens. The people of this city are my bosses now, and they will be when I’m on council. I’ll never lose sight of that. I’m asking for your vote! Chances are you’ve already received your ballot in the mail. Select the first name — that’s me — and support the new face of leadership!”
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