Hon. Elbra M. Wedgeworth

The Honorable Elbra M. Wedgeworth is a proud East Denver native whose career in the public and private sectors spans more than 30 years. She is the only individual to have served in all three branches of Denver City Government—City Council, the Auditor’s Office, and the Mayor’s Office.

Before her election to Denver City Council, Wedgeworth was Director of Philanthropic and Government Affairs at Denver Health and Hospital Authority, where she reinstated the Board of Directors and launched the Denver Health Foundation. In 1999, she was elected as District 8 City Councilwoman, and in 2003, she became City Council President—unanimously chosen by her colleagues.

In 2007, she returned to Denver Health as Chief Government and Community Relations Officer, leading local, state, and federal legislative strategy and serving as the hospital’s liaison for community engagement. She was instrumental in securing $75 million through the 2017 voter-approved General Obligation Bond to build the Denver Health Outpatient Medical Center.

Nationally recognized for her leadership, Wedgeworth served as President/Chair of the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, playing a pivotal role in bringing the Democratic National Convention to Denver—the largest convention in city and state history, and the first in the Rocky Mountain West since 1908. She became the first African American woman in U.S. history to chair a political party’s host committee. In 2013, 5280 Magazine honored her as one of Colorado’s most historically significant women for this achievement.

Her service and leadership have been recognized with numerous awards, including being named one of Colorado’s Most Influential Women by The Denver Post, one of Denver’s 25 Most Powerful Women by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and recipient of the ATHENA Award for excellence in leadership and mentorship. She has been inducted into the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame, received the Ann Love Award from Historic Denver, the Denver Business Journal Legacy Award, and recognition from the Five Points Jazz Festival, among many others.

From 2008 to 2017, Wedgeworth served nine terms as President of the Denver Union Station Project Authority Board of Directors, overseeing the $500 million Union Station redevelopment, completed on time and under budget. In January 2017, she was appointed to the Board of Trustees for FirstBank, the largest privately held bank in the nation, with more than $17 billion in assets and branches in Colorado, Arizona, and California. Wedgeworth is the first woman of color to serve on the Board, and her tenure will conclude in January 2026.

She also broke barriers as the first person of color to chair the Downtown Denver Partnership and was later named an Honorary Partner in recognition of her contributions.

Since retiring from Denver Health in 2019, Wedgeworth has led Casel & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in community engagement, leadership resources, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility strategies. As a consultant, she has partnered with clients such as Hickenlooper for U.S. Senate, Denver Health, the Center for African American Health, Denver Public Schools, the Downtown Denver Partnership, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). She has also contributed to high-profile campaigns including the Complete Count Census Campaign Committee, Tobacco Free Kids, the Denver Health Sales Tax Initiative (2Q), and Save 340B. In 2021, she provided critical leadership as Regional Coordinator for Denver County (CD 1) on Governor Jared Polis’s State Equity Outreach Team, helping ensure equity clinics delivered COVID-19 vaccinations to people of color in high-risk communities across Denver and the state.

Elbra’s dedication to community extends beyond her own service—she is deeply committed to preparing the next generation of leaders. A visionary in both thought and action, she has mentored numerous candidates who have gone on to run successful campaigns and serve as impactful public servants. Known for her wisdom, guidance, and generosity of spirit, she is frequently called upon for her advice and mentorship. Her enduring influence ensures that her legacy of leadership, integrity, and commitment to community will continue to shape Denver and Colorado for years to come.

In recognition of her decades of public service, the City of Denver dedicated the Elbra M. Wedgeworth Municipal Building in Five Points in 2014, cementing her legacy as a transformative civic leader for Denver and Colorado.