Community Service
HANK BROWN
Hank Brown has served Colorado as a leader in government, education and philanthropy for thirty years. He became known as a champion of accountability, transparency and integrity.
Following eleven years as an executive with Monfort of Colorado, Hank was elected to the first of five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980. In 1990, he was elected to the U.S. Senate where he served one six-year term. As Senator, he sponsored several bills pertinent to the West, including Colorado’s only Wild and Scenic River designation and the 1994 Colorado Wilderness Bill. He also sponsored the first Accounting Standards Bill for the Federal Government.
Hank served as President of the University of Northern Colorado from 1998 to 2002. During his tenure, overhead expenses were reduced, admission standards were raised, and donations broke records each year. From 2005 to 2008, he served as President of the University of Colorado during a time of controversy and discord. He is widely credited with improving the University’s accountability, diversity and academic reputation. In three energetic years, he saw enrollment, research funding and donations break all time records.
Between tours as university president, Hank served as President and CEO for the Daniels Fund. His leadership guided the foundation through a time of tremendous growth and honored his friendship with Bill Daniels by helping to define the Daniels Fund’s scholarship and grant programs.
A native Coloradan, Hank graduated from the University of Colorado in 1965 and served a tour of duty as a Navy aviator in Vietnam before returning to receive his law degree in 1969.
Known for his tireless work, fiscal responsibility and commitment to excellence, Brown has received numerous awards, including Who’s Who in Finance and Industry and 2008 Citizen of the West. He has served on the boards of United Bank of Greeley and Colorado State University Foundation. He currently serves as senior counsel at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, teaches in the political science department at University of Colorado, and chairs the board of the Daniels Fund.
He and his wife, Nan, are the parents of three children and the grandparents of four.