For 30 years I worked with youth and families, and in the past 3 years of service in the State Senate, I’ve used that wealth of experience to create good public policy that improves all of our lives.
-- Angela Giron

My name is Angela Giron (hee-rōn) and I am proud to represent Pueblo in the State Senate.  As we all know, we cannot afford to spend our time convincing elected officials to value the things that our community knows are vital to our wellbeing.  Energy must be spent in electing people who embody the same values as we do. It is this belief that led me to seek public office after more than 30 years of public service.  I have worked hard to be the strong and effective voice in the State Senate that I am. I’m proud to have been very successful at promoting and protecting Pueblo. As a Latina, I know that the opportunities in my own life are due to the sacrifice of many who came before me and I take very seriously the responsibility to continue ensuring opportunity for those who will come after me.

30 Years of Public Service in Pueblo

I was looking for a job, a month or so after I got married, when I came across an announcement for a program aide position at the Girls Club of Pueblo.  I went for an interview armed with a little bit of experience and a whole lot of passion for working with kids.  I started as a program aide and over almost 3 decades worked almost every job in the organization. I helped successfully merger two non-profit organizations – the Boys Club and the Girls Club. This merger enabled both organizations to share the best of each national affiliation, strengthen the quality of services to youth, and established the Boys & Girls Club/Girls Inc. as the premier youth serving agency in Southeastern Colorado. I am proud to have accomplished a 10-year expansion from a single center to 7 sites – including 2 in housing projects, 2 in community centers, and 3 in schools and we grew our budget from $100,000 to $1.5 million. As the Vice President of Operations, my challenge was the management of a multi-site operation, which included membership, program quality, staff supervision, and evaluation. I helped develop an organization that provides a comprehensive program in Career and Education, Drug Prevention and Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, Athletics, Art and Technology.  As a national trainer with Girls Inc., I traveled the country helping other organizations to build quality programs.

In my 27 years working with children, youth and families, I came to understand the difference that good public policy can make in all of our lives. While working for U.S. Senator Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, I traveled all around this region listening to community and business leaders, elected officials, and everyday folks discuss the challenges they face.  The number one concern on the minds of folks in Southern Colorado is the economy. My top priority remains in creating good-paying jobs. I am committed to ensuring that we develop sustainable and renewable energy – those are the jobs that pay a living wage.

Family

My parents were 45 when my family moved to Pueblo from Sidney, Nebraska.  My dad transferred to the Army Depot and the biggest milestone for my parents was moving from government housing to purchasing their first home on Pueblo’s Southside. I am the youngest of five children and have three sisters and a brother. I learned from my mother to work hard – she worked in the fields, was a nurse’s aide for the elderly, and worked for a dry cleaner. She was always willing to work and she’s responsible for my strong work ethic. My dad instilled in me the value of education – he earned his high school diploma when he was 50 while he was raising a family, working full time, and serving the church.  I was so proud on the day I graduated from what is now CSU-Pueblo.  The only thing that could have made it any better would have been to have my dad still living to be present and be proud with me.

I raised my daughter, Melanie, in this community.  While she has certainly had some amazing work opportunities, she considers Pueblo her home and returned here to become the President/CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Pueblo County.  She grew up in the Club and I am proud of her skills, abilities and mostly her desire to serve Pueblo.

My partner, Steve Nawrocki, and I have been together for almost 15 years.  Our marriage is built on love, trust, and passionate service to our community.  We are a great support to one another as we both strive to be good public servants and provide Pueblo with the kind of leadership that’s as good as the people we serve.