Expert Bio

John Hickenlooper, a self-described “recovering geologist now on loan to public service,” was elected Governor in 2010. His unconventional road to the Capitol began when he left the oilfields of western Colorado in the late 1980s and opened the state’s first brewpub. As he says, “I went from exploring oil to selling beer.” His business grew, helping to revitalize a now popular neighborhood in downtown Denver, and he became active in Denver’s civic life. One thing led to another, until, goaded by friends and other business leaders, he successfully ran for Mayor of Denver in 2003.