CiviCO Honors 2021 Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medal Winners

Annual award recognizes top community leaders from around the state

DENVER — Each year, in partnership with Governor Jared Polis and all living Colorado governors, CiviCO, a nonprofit that cultivates civic-minded leaders, honors those who inspire excellence and public service with the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals. The Governor announced eight recipients for 2021 who will be honored in January 2022 as part of Colorado Leadership Month.

The medals, established in 2015, represent one of the highest honors bestowed upon citizens and organizations of Colorado for their significant contributions to communities across the state. Each of the 2021 medal recipients represent Colorado values that are grounded in service, integrity, teamwork, respect and innovation.

“These civic-minded leaders put Colorado on the map for how individuals and organizations work toward moving our state forward in innovative ways,” said Governor Polis. “The Governor’s Citizenship Medal rewards excellence and tried-and-true dedication to giving back and making our community stronger. I am honored to select and recognize these outstanding trailblazers who are paving the way for leaders in our state and across the nation to follow in their footsteps.”

The 2021 categories and recipients are:

Vanguard Legacy Medal — Wellington and Wilma Webb, Former Mayor of Denver and Former General Assemblywoman

         Honoring a business leader who has made transformational contributions to the community throughout his or her career.

Wellington Webb was the first Black mayor of Denver, serving three terms from 1991 to 2003. As mayor, Webb focused on expanding urban parks, public safety, economic development and child welfare. Later, he harnessed his public service experience to advise other mayors on urban revitalization and has served as a guest lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

As a member of the Colorado House of Representatives, Wilma Webb led the effort to establish Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Colorado and championed legislation focused on caring for senior citizens and providing treatment for substance abusers. She was elected to the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame in 1991 and received the Anti-Defamation League's Civil Rights Award in 2012.

Emerging Community Leader Medal — Fabian Jimenez, Lake County High School, Entering First Year – Colorado School of Mines

         Recognizing a young community leader who has demonstrated excellence and made a positive impact on his or her school and community.

As a Latino student, Fabian Jimenez led a youth voter registration drive in his community that resulted in an impressive rise in young voter turnout in the 2020 election. Fabian is majoring in civil engineering at the Colorado School of Mines with the determined goal of applying his skills to improve the environmental impact of construction and infrastructure in Colorado.

Growth & Innovation Award — Dan Holt and Kelly Seidl, Founders, BillGO

         Given to an entrepreneur or business leader who has led with exceptional ingenuity and growth while inspiring and creating new possibilities for others.

Dan and Kelly Seidl built BillGO, a Fort Collins, Colorado, fintech company that offers an innovative solution to managing and paying bills. Forbes, Fortune and Inc. recognized BillGO as a top workplace and a top employer. Dan is a mentor in the Entrepreneurship & Venture Accelerator Program of Colorado State University, and Kelly, formerly one of the "only women in the building" at Google, now shares her story to inspire others to forge their journeys in STEM industries.

Public & Community Service Award — Tim Foster, President Emeritus, Colorado Mesa University 

         Honoring a government or community leader who serves the public with innovation, operational excellence and progressive vision.

Tim Foster recently retired as the president of Colorado Mesa University, a leadership role he held since 2004. Tim previously served as the executive director for the Colorado Commission on Higher Education and head of the Department of Higher Education. He served in the Colorado House of Representatives and was a partner in a private law practice in Grand Junction. He has received numerous awards from business and civic groups.

Corporate Citizenship Award —Lockheed Martin

         Recognizing a Colorado-based company that has made a significant positive impact in the community.

Lockheed Martin strongly supports STEM education, military and veteran services and community resilience. Lockheed Martin leaders continually promote ethical behavior, support diversity and make decisions that protect the health and safety of employees as well as the natural environment. As a responsible global corporation, Lockheed Martin and its 114,000 employees play an active role in helping to strengthen the quality of life in the communities where we live and work. In 2020, Lockheed Martin employees volunteered nearly 23,000 hours across the state and the company donated more than $1.3 million to Colorado nonprofits. Additionally, Lockheed Martin responded quickly to the pandemic, producing and distributing 22,000 pieces of PPE to Colorado’s frontline workers and helping local school districts bridge the virtual learning gap for hundreds of students by funding internet connectivity and hardware.

Colorado COVID Heroes — Colorado Citizens and Public Officials who have contributed to maintaining Coloradans’ health and morale through a challenging year of pandemic.

 Jill Ryan, MPH, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment

Jill Hunsaker Ryan, MPH, is a public health professional with 25 years of experience in the field. Throughout her career she has focused on affordable health care, affordable housing, environmental protection, climate action, emergency preparedness and increasing mental health resources. 

Jerry Gryglak, Citizen Journalist and Redditor on Coronavirus

Jerry Gryglak created and moderates the Reddit subreddit r/CoronavirusColorado. He posts daily updates to keep 50K+ people up to date. Chicago-born, Jerry has been a Colorado native since 2001. Jerry is a business administration and management graduate of Colorado Mesa University. He has worked for, managed, and ultimately owned a small business in Delta, Colorado. Jerry advocates for the unity of all people to overcome the challenges of life.

Nick Muerdter, Developer of Appointment Finder

Nick Muerdter built a website showing open COVID-19 vaccine appointments across the U.S. Nick had been hearing from family, friends, and coworkers about their frustrations trying to find locations and set appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A software engineer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Nick turned his expertise after hours to developing an easy-to-use web page that gathered pharmacies' vaccine appointment schedules into a single resource allowing people to enter their ZIP code and preferred driving distance to the nearest available appointment. Nick and his software, Covid-19 Vaccine Spotter, were profiled on CNN.

“The 2021 medal and award recipients are all working toward improving the state of Colorado,” said Jennifer Landers, executive director of CiviCO. “They are exactly the type of leaders we foster at CiviCO and what Colorado needs to build a better community where we all want to live, work and play. We are honored to partner with the State, Governor Polis, and former governors to celebrate these outstanding civic-minded leaders.”

To learn more about the Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals and past honorees, visit https://www.theeventcgcm.org/.

ABOUT CiviCO

CiviCO, which began at a quarterly breakfast with Mike Fries, Scott Reiman, and then-entrepreneur John Hickenlooper, has emerged as the premier nonprofit that cultivates civic-minded leaders to improve the state of Colorado. By providing access to leadership programming and a vast network of community role models, mentors and thought leaders, CivicCO fosters community-driven, multi-generational leaders who purposely change our communities across the state through positive actions. CiviCO’s signature programs include: Colorado Governor’s Citizenship Medals, the Governors Fellowship, Colorado Young Leaders  and the “What’s Your Story” exhibit at the History Colorado Center. To learn how an organization or individual can create positive action for a better Colorado or become a member of the CiviCO community visit www.livecivico.org or contact Info@LiveCiviCO.org.