- Hometown: Denver
- Role: Deputy policy director for the Colorado Senate minority
- Years of legislative service: Four
“Driving home and hearing a radio host describe a bill that you were intimately involved with is a surreal experience.”
Boyer
Why did you choose to work at the Legislature?
As anyone who has ever stepped foot in the Capitol building will attest, working in the Legislature is one of the most personally satisfying jobs an individual can have. Driving home and hearing a radio host describe a bill that you were intimately involved with is a surreal experience. More important than the personal satisfaction gained from the job, however, is the opportunity afforded every legislative employee to serve their fellow citizens. Americans tend to take for granted the impact that good governance has on their lives, so working to ensure that the legislative institution works for the people is a major source of pride in my professional life and the primary reason for my deciding to work here.
What skill or talent are you most proud of?
I’m particularly proud of my communication skills. There’s something incredibly gratifying about watching a sequence of carefully selected words suddenly take on a new, complex meaning.
What’s the best advice you were ever given?
The best advice I’ve ever been given is that the ends don’t automatically justify the means. Alexander Bickel, a constitutional law scholar, wrote that “the highest morality is almost always the morality of process.” History demonstrates what can happen when individuals and governments zealously pursue their desired ends with no regard for process. “If this republic is remembered in the distant history of law,” wrote Hans Linde, “it is likely to be for its enduring adherence to legitimate institutions and processes.”
Who or what inspires you?
I draw inspiration from a plethora of sources with the foremost being my family. My parents are hard workers who both instilled in me a deep sense of altruism. My sisters are both incredibly driven and are guided entirely by an innate desire to improve the lives of those around them. And my wife is the most patient and loyal individual I know; I absolutely love her.
What’s one thing you love about your state?
Although the Rocky Mountains are undoubtedly Colorado’s biggest tourist draw, I believe the Eastern Plains to be the state’s best kept secret. Having grown up in Northeastern Colorado, however, I am admittedly a bit biased. The author Willa Cather was famously quoted as saying, “anyone can love the mountains, but it takes a soul to love the prairie.” I love living on the Front Range, but the Plains will always be home.
What are you currently reading/listening to/watching?
I’m currently reading “The Metaphysical Club,” by Louis Menand; listening to “Perfidia,” by Gonzalo de la Puerta; and rewatching “The West Wing” with my wife, who has never seen the series.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Use the email icon above to suggest a staffer for the “Staff Snapshots” series.