Andrew Romanoff was elected to four terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, including two terms as speaker of the House. He won bipartisan acclaim as one of the most effective legislative leaders in America. Among other achievements, Romanoff authored laws to strengthen the prevention and treatment of mental health and substance use disorders, to expand home- and community-based services for older Coloradans, and to protect the victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. He also spearheaded the Colorado Economic Recovery Act (Referendum C) and Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST), the largest investment in school construction in state history. Romanoff conceived and persuaded the legislature to create The Colorado Channel, providing live television coverage of the General Assembly. His leadership earned recognition from more than 40 state and national organizations — including Governing Magazine, which named him Public Official of the Year. Over the last nine years, Romanoff has led two nonprofit organizations: Mental Health Colorado, the state’s leading advocate for mental health and substance use services; and Great Expectations, the chief source of child development guidance and support in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys. He also founded the Posner Center for International Development, now home to nearly 200 organizations dedicated to the eradication of global poverty. Romanoff began his career at the Southern Poverty Law Center, joining the battle against Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups. His work there fueled a lifelong passion for social justice — a cause he later championed at a state civil rights agency. Romanoff taught in Central America and speaks fluent Spanish. He and his wife live outside Glenwood Springs, Colorado. aromanoff@disabilitylawco.org
