Welcome to Casel & Associates

The Honorable Elbra M. Wedgeworth is a proud East Denver native. Her professional experience in the private/public sector spans more than 30 years. Elbra is the only person in recent memory who has served in all three branches of Denver City Government; City Council, Auditor’s Office and Mayor’s Office. Prior to her election to City Council, she worked as the Director of Philanthropic and Government Affairs at Denver Health and Hospital Authority where she reinstated the Board of Directors and launched the newly-formed Denver Health Foundation. In 1999, she was elected as the District 8 City Councilwoman, and in July 2003, her City Council colleagues unanimously elected her as the Council President for 2003-2005.

In 2007, she returned to Denver Health to serve as the Chief Government and Community Relations Officer. She is responsible for all governmental legislative matters on the local, state and federal level and is the hospital’s liaison for Community Engagement Initiatives. Elbra spearheaded Denver Health to be approved for the 2017 General Obligation Bond Initiative by Denver voters for $75 million to build the Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center. The National Association of Health Services Executives presented her with the Distinguished Healthcare Leader Award at the 44th Annual Legislative Conference of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC.

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Elbra served as the President/Chair of the Board for the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee for the historic Democratic National Convention. The last political convention hosted in the Rocky Mountain West was in Denver in 1908. Her leadership was crucial and key to Denver being chosen to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. It was the largest convention in the history of the City of Denver and the State of Colorado. Elbra will also be remembered as the first African-American woman to be President/Chair of a Host Committee in the history of either political party. In 2013, 5280 Magazine named Wedgeworth as a Woman of Colorado who has played a historically significant role because of chiefly being responsible for bringing the 2008 Democratic National Convention to Denver.

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As a vibrant and enthusiastic leader, she is the recipient of many honors and awards for her public service. In 2012, Elbra was named by the Denver Post as One of Colorado’s Most Influential Women. She was also named one of Denver’s 25 Most Powerful Women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and received their ATHENA Award, which honors Colorado women who best exemplify exceptional professional achievement, devotion to community service, and assisting other women in the attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. In 2014, Elbra was inducted into the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame by the Denver Public Library. In 2019, she was a Five Point Jazz Festival Awardee. The Denver Business Journal awarded her with their Legacy Award which recognized Elbra’s significant contributions to local business and community engagement throughout her career. The same year, Elbra was named by the Denver Black Pages as one of Metro Denver’s most influential African Americans. In 2020, she will receive the Girls Athletic Leadership School Award.

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In September 2008, she was elected unanimously as the President of the Denver Union Station Project Authority Board of Directors and served nine terms as the Board President from 2008 thru 2017. The $500 million Denver Union Station Project opened May 2014 on time and under budget, thanks to Elbra’s leadership.

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Elbra was the first person of color to serve as Chairperson for the Downtown Denver Partnership Inc. in their 60 year history. She held that role from 2013-2014 and was later named the Downtown Denver Partnership Honorary Partner. Elbra was appointed to the Board of Trustees for FirstBank, Colorado. Founded in 1963, FirstBank has over $17 billion in assets and bank branch locations in Colorado, Arizona and California. Elbra is the first woman of color to be appointed to the Board of Trustees. She served as a member of the Colorado Complete Count Census Campaign Committee.

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Elbra served on the Board of Trustees for the University of Redlands in Redlands, California, her college alma mater, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology/Anthropology.

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In August 2014, the Elbra M. Wedgeworth Municipal Building was dedicated in her honor in the historic Five Points neighborhood for her service to the City of Denver and State of Colorado. Elbra has over 30 years of public service to the City of Denver and State of Colorado.

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Since her retirement in December 2019, Elbra is the Founder and President of Casel & Associates a consulting firm which specializes in Community Engagement, providing support for Leadership Resources and Diversity and Inclusion.

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The client list includes: Hickenlooper for US Senate, Denver Health, Center for African American Health, Denver Public Schools, Downtown Denver Partnership and the Colorado Department for Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to name a few.

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In 2021 Elbra provided her leadership serving as the Regional Coordinator - Denver County - CD #1 for the State Equity Outreach Team on behalf of Governor Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) which provided equity clinics for people of color communities, the residents of Denver and across the state to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

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