Speakers 2007: Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien
Lt Governor Barbara O’Brien was sworn in as Colorado's 47th Lieutenant Governor in January 2007, becoming only the fourth woman to hold the position in Colorado’s history. Her constitutional duties include assuming the full powers and responsibilities of Governor Bill Ritter when he is absent from the state or is unable to perform the duties of the office. Her statutory duties include serving as chair of the Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs, which the Colorado General Assembly created in 1976 (See C.R.S. §§ 24-44-101 to 24-44-108). Prior to holding this post, Lt. Governor O'Brien spent the last 16 years as president of the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a statewide public policy and advocacy not for profit organizations. Lt. Governor O’Brien credits her strong passion and commitment to children’s issues to her education and health policy work for former Gov. Richard Lamm. She was Executive Director, Institute for International Business, CU-Denver; Director of Campus Affairs, University of Colorado at Denver; Head Speechwriter and Deputy Director for Policy, Office of the Governor, for Gov. Richard Lamm; and, a Project Assistant, Institute for Urban and Minority Education, Columbia University. She graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles receiving a Bachelor of Arts and graduated from Columbia University, New York, with a PhD.