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MSU Denver’s Marathon Award is Metropolitan State University of Denver’s most prestigious honor. The Award is bestowed on individuals, families, or organizations whose contributions, service, and leadership, exemplify the Roadrunner Difference. These individuals have a meaningful, transformative, and enduring impact on the University and its progress. MSU Denver’s Marathon Award celebrates our mission and the collective impact of our students and scholars on the communities and people of Denver, state of Colorado, nation, and world.
A flock of roadrunners is called a marathon. Honorees personify the spirit of determination our students display and in particular, in the early days of the University, as they navigated and sprinted across Denver’s busy streets to attend class. It’s the Roadrunner Difference. Marathon Award recipients reflect our diverse, purposeful, and tenacious students at the highest levels.
MSU Denver’s Marathon Award is given annually, during Spring Commencement ceremonies.
Spring 2024 Marathon Award Recipient
Barbara Barnes Grogan, Marathon Award Recipient and MSU Denver Foundation Member
In September 1982, Barbara Grogan founded Western Industrial Contractors with an inauspicious beginning. She bought a 1969 pickup for $500, rented offices on an unpaved dead-end street and hired her first three employees. Their focus was installing machinery and equipment in manufacturing plants, power plants, water-treatment plants, breweries, bakeries and airports. Western became a nationally recognized company providing integrated design/build of material handling and manufacturing systems working in all 50 states. It was a critical partner in the opening of Denver International Airport.
In addition to serving as the chairman and CEO of Western Industrial, Grogan was the first chairwoman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Denver Branch, and the first chairwoman of the Greater Denver Chamber of Commerce. She served on the boards of three publicly traded companies: Pentair Inc., Deluxe Corp. and Apogee Enterprises. She also served on the boards of the Winter Park Recreation Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Committee for Economic Development.
She served as Gov. Roy Romer’s first Small Business Advisory Council chair and as the first chair of the Chamber’s Small Business Profit Center. She was involved in the awarding of the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball franchise and the construction of Coors Field. Most recently, she sat on the Denver Union Station Project Authority Board.
In addition to her business career, Grogan has been involved with nonprofits. She was one of the founding board members of Bright Beginnings and was the chair of Denver Road Home and Volunteers of America. She served on the boards of the Denver Scholarship Foundation, the National Civic League and the Denver Foundation. She also was the co-chair of Colorado’s Early Childhood Leadership Commission.
Grogan is involved in many nonprofits serving the needs of Colorado’s most vulnerable citizens, best reflected in her passions for immigration reform and higher education. She was the chair of the Board of Trustees of Metropolitan State University of Denver and serves on the board of the MSU Denver Foundation.
Past Marathon Award Winners
Spring 2023 Marathon Award Recipient: Dawn P. Bookhardt, J.D.
Dawn’s experience includes serving as counsel to land developers such as Forest City (aka Brookfield Development) for the redevelopment of the Stapleton Airport and
LNR Properties for the development of HighPoint at DIA. She represented the DenverUnion Station Executive Oversight Committee and the Denver Union Station
Project Authority in the redevelopment of Denver Union Station, a multi-modal transportation hub in the City of Denver. She represented a private developer in the development and negotiation of off-shore, residential, retail and commercial development agreements related to the improvement of an island venture including restaurants, lodging facilities, a shopping center, luxury villas and beach concessions. She has also represented municipalities, underwriters and development entities for the development of several publicly financed hotels in Denver, Colorado, Omaha, Nebraska and Baltimore, Maryland, and Austin, Texas.
Dawn received the Urban League of Denver Chairman’s Award (2015) and has been named one of Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women (2013). She has been named one of Urban Spectrum Magazine’s Timeless Legends (2012), received the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Business Advisory Council National Leadership Award (2002), and the Women of Excellence Award (2002). She has also received the Urban League of Colorado’s Chairman Award, and the Colorado Black Women for Political Action’s Corporate Business Award. She has also received the Mayor of Denver’s “Coin to the City” for Community service in Denver, Colorado, among other recognitions.
She is the Vice Chair of the General Law and Diversity Committees of the National Association of Bond Lawyers. She is also active in community organizations and serves as the Chairman of the Metropolitan State University of Denver Foundation, Secretary of the Board of Directors of Denver Botanical Gardens, and a member of Colorado Black Women for Political Action and the Colorado Black Chamber of Commerce.
Spring 2022 Marathon Award Recipient: Robert Cohen
As Chairman and CEO of IMA Financial Group, Inc., an integrated financial services company, Robert Cohen is responsible for the company’s core strategic plan, including organic growth, M&A and building an industry-leading employee culture. During Rob’s tenure as CEO, he has led the company through rapid growth while still maintaining its focus on a culture that is rooted in independence and employee ownership. His vision for IMA is to be big enough to have all the resources necessary for any client, yet small enough to focus on each client’s individual needs.
IMA’s commitment to the community is a core element of the company’s DNA and is complimented by the formation of the IMA Foundation. Rob articulates the ongoing commitment by defining IMA’s mission statement as: Protecting Assets, Making a Difference. Protecting Assets is What We Do, Making a Difference is Who We Are. Rob works to drive change in the diversity, equity and inclusion space through his leadership with Colorado Companies Uniting Against Racism, and IMA’s commitment to the vision and goals of Colorado Inclusive Economy as a founding member.
Rob strongly believes in personally giving back to the community and has served on more than 20 non-profit boards throughout his career in a variety of leadership capacities. Currently Rob serves on the boards of Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation (Co-Founder & Past Chair), Colorado Succeeds, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce (Past Chair), Denver Sports (Founder & Past Chair), Downtown Denver Partnership (Past Chair), Metro Denver Economic Development Corp. (Past Chair), United States Olympic Museum, United States Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and Visit Denver (Past Chair). As part of the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, Rob was appointed to the Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics.
A native of Kansas, Rob received his bachelor’s degrees in both Risk Management and Finance from the University of Texas at Austin. He went on to earn his Charter Property Casualty Underwriters designation (CPCU). His local and national professional memberships include Colorado Concern, Colorado Forum, Assurex Global, Intersure (Past Chair), World Presidents’ Organization, Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (Past Chair), and World Broker Network.
His many recognitions include the National Philanthropy Day in Colorado “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser” award (2002), the Partners in Philanthropy “Corporate Citizen of the Year” award (2011), the Urban Legend Award (2018) and the Most Admired CEO Award (2019).
He and his wife Molly reside in Denver and have three sons and one daughter.
Fall 2021 Marathon Award Recipient: The Honorable Roy Romer
Roy Romer is Colorado’s last three-time governor, having been elected to the state’s highest office in 1986, 1990 and 1994. Previously, he had served in the state House of Representatives and the s
MSU Denver’s Marathon Award is Metropolitan State University of Denver’s most prestigious honor. The Award is bestowed on individuals, families, or organizations whose contributions, service, and leadership, exemplify the Roadrunner Difference. These individuals have a meaningful, transformative, and enduring impact on the University and its progress. MSU Denver’s Marathon Award celebrates our mission and the collective impact of our students and scholars on the communities and people of Denver, state of Colorado, nation, and world.
A flock of roadrunners is called a marathon. Honorees personify the spirit of determination our students display and in particular, in the early days of the University, as they navigated and sprinted across Denver’s busy streets to attend class. It’s the Roadrunner Difference. Marathon Award recipients reflect our diverse, purposeful, and tenacious students at the highest levels.
MSU Denver’s Marathon Award is given annually, during Spring Commencement ceremonies.
During his time at the statehouse, he was instrumental in the founding of Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is often referred to as the Father of MSU Denver.
Romer has stayed busy in the public arena since his last term as governor ended. He was the general chair of the Democratic National Committee from 1997 to 2000, was vice chair of the Democratic Leadership Council and chaired the Educational Commission of the States and the National Education Goals Panel. Romer was named superintendent of schools of the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2000 and held that position until 2006.
He was first elected to the Colorado House in 1958, serving there through 1962, and then was a state senator until 1966. During this time, Romer played a critical role in helping MSU Denver get its start in 1965. After the appropriations bill that included funding for then-Metropolitan State College passed the House, Romer successfully worked to get the bill passed in the Senate.
He then worked as a lawyer in Denver before returning to public service in 1975, first as Colorado’s commissioner of agriculture, then as the governor’s chief of staff. He was appointed as state treasurer in 1977 and served in that role for 10 years.
Romer was born in Garden City, Kansas, and grew up in the southeastern Colorado town of Holly. He holds degrees in agricultural economics and law and studied ethics at Yale University. He also served as a military prosecutor in Germany for the U.S. Air Force.
Spring 2021 Marathon Award Recipient
Lieutenant General Laura Richardson is a 1986 MSU Denver graduate who is the highest ranking woman in the U.S. Army, currently serving as the commanding general of U.S. Army North (Fifth Army) at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
Richardson, a Northglenn native, studied psychology and went through MSU Denver’s ROTC program before becoming a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, flying combat missions in Iraq and working her way to the top of the military.
She was promoted to a four-star general in 2021, and is one of just a handful of women to achieve that rank in the history of the military.