FAQ

What is TBD Colorado?

TBD Colorado is a nonpartisan, collaborative effort to create informed and constructive conversations among Coloradans about some of the biggest issues facing the state. TBD Colorado hosted 70 community meetings with 1,200+ participants throughout Colorado in April, May and June, 2012. No state dollars are being spent on TBD Colorado.

TBD is an acronym for “To Be Determined.” TBD truly captures the intended outcome of this effort – it’s to be determined.

TBD Colorado is managed by a nonprofit organization and governed by a volunteer board of directors.

Why do this?

Governor John Hickenlooper initiated this effort because he recognizes that resolving many of the difficult challenges facing Colorado requires broad civic engagement. TBD Colorado wants to tap the entrepreneurial spirit and creative capacity of all Coloradans and invite new and innovative approaches rather than relying on top-down, government-driven solutions.

TBD Colorado Issues

TBD Colorado is asking Coloradans about:

1. Education – both P-12 and higher education
2. Health
3. Transportation
4. State Budget
5. State Workforce
What are the 2012 outcomes?

• A written report to be shared with the General Assembly, the Governor and other state leaders in December. The report will offer public policy recommendations for improving Coloradans’ quality of life. The report will be posted on the TBD Colorado website at tbdcolorado.org.
• A clearer picture of what Coloradans really want – community values and priorities
• Better informed public – sharing well-thought-out information and discussing complex issues heighten the level of knowledge and understanding
• Increased participation in public policy decision making by Coloradans aged 35 and younger
• Networks of communities that work together to address common issues

What are the long-term goals?

• Develop pragmatic, realistic solutions and consensus on big issues facing Colorado
• Develop a credible, enduring mechanism for nonpartisan deliberation and consideration of public policy issues
• Determine policy outcomes on the basis of broadly shared perspectives on the future instead of short-term political agendas or ideological conflicts
• Promote widespread public participation that includes geographic, cultural, professional and age-related interests in determining what Colorado will look like in the future

Who is in charge of TBD Colorado?

TBD Colorado's volunteer board of directors are:

• Greg Maffei, Board Chair (President and CEO, Liberty Media)
• Kristin Richardson, Board Vice Chair (private sector representative)
• Heather Carroll, Board Secretary/Treasurer (Executive Director, Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation)
• Maria Garcia Berry (CEO, CRL Associates)
• Letty Bass (Executive Director, Chambers Family Fund)
• Russell George (President, Northwestern Community College)
• David Ethan Greenberg (Vice Chancellor for Institutional Partnerships, University of Denver)
• Roxane White (Chief of Staff, Gov. John Hickenlooper)

A volunteer group, which is composed of corporate, nonprofit and community leaders from across the state who represent diverse interests and viewpoints, serves as advisors to the board.

Who wrote the materials that were distributed at the regional meetings and summits?

Volunteer subject matter experts identified key challenges, opportunities and resources for each of the five focus areas. From those, they created accurate, neutral summaries so that participants would have a common starting point for dialogue.

How can Coloradans continue to participate?

Every person in Colorado can participate in TBD Colorado by logging onto TBDColorado.org

• Read regional and summit conversation summaries and accompanying materials
• View videos featuring meeting participants
• Download TBD Colorado materials to host community meetings
• Comment on Facebook by using an interactive online tool
• Sign up for periodic updates

TBD Colorado Funders

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation
Anonymous
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
Archstone Apartments
George K. Baum
Bohemian Foundation
B. P. Foundation
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
Joy Burns
CH2M Hill
Chambers Family Fund
Colorado Access
Colorado Forum
The Colorado Health Foundation
The Colorado Trust
Comcast
The Community Foundation (Boulder)
Community First Foundation
DaVita, Inc.
Delta Dental
The Denver Foundation
El Pomar Foundation
Encana Oil & Gas
Fries Family Foundation
Gates Family Foundation
Gill Foundation
Grand County Entities (via Grand Foundation)
Grant Thornton
Frederic C. Hamilton
Hewlett Packard
Hexagon Investments, Inc.
IMA Foundation
Institute on the Common Good, Regis University
Joseph Henry Edmondson Foundation
JPMorgan Chase
Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Kenneth King Foundation
Level 3 Communications
Lockheed Martin
Greg Maffei
Brad Maraccini Education Fund
Timothy and Bernadette Marquez Foundation
Microsoft Corporation
Moye White
Noble Energy, Inc.
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The Piton Foundation
Kae Rader
Kristin and Blair Richardson
Rose Community Foundation
Safeway
Starz/Liberty Media
Telluride Foundation
Kent Thiry and Denise O’Leary
Tuchman Family Foundation
United Airlines
United Healthcare
UBS Financial Services
US Bancorp Foundation
Roxane White
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado
Xerox Corporation