About Jon Goldin-Dubois

In the 1970s, as a kid growing up in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood, which comprises part of House District 7, I was shaped by the experience of living in a racially integrated neighborhood, while attending Park Hill Elementary, Gove Jr. High and East High School.  My parents, who were both educators, instilled in me the value of a good education, a commitment to community, a sense of fairness and a love of the outdoors.

Those values have guided the key decisions that have determined my path on both a professional and a personal level.  In my 20s, angered by the devastating Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska, I was determined to take action to protect the environment and began working as an organizer, fighting for stronger environmental protections. After marrying Denise, my junior high-school sweetheart, (and a public school teacher), we decided that we wanted to make a different kind of impact on the lives of others.  We joined the Peace Corps and served two years in Guinea, West Africa.  The experience had a profound impact on both of us, reinforcing that people, in spite of their differences, can solve community problems by working together.

Upon our return to Denver, we started a family and began to raise our children, Olivia (10) and Jonah (7) who both attend Denver Public Schools.  I reestablished what has now become a twenty-year career dedicated to finding solutions to our community’s most pressing problems.   Working with nonprofit organizations, and now through my own strategic firm that advises and works with nonprofits, I have fought to clean up our air to reduce the health threats to vulnerable children; advocated for a government that is more responsive and accountable to the people; encouraged investment in and the creation of good paying jobs in the clean energy industry; worked for quality public schools; promoted the conservation of our natural resources; and, sought to improve the quality of life and standard of living for people here at home and in some of the poorest countries on earth.

The skills and experiences that have allowed me to be effective on these important issues, including grassroots community organizing, developing policy and writing legislation, building diverse and powerful coalitions, strategically using the media to educate policy-makers and directly advocating for the passage of legislation, will help me be a leader in the state legislature.

Professional Experience

Jon is a co-founder of Confluence Strategies, a strategic consulting firm that works to develop winning campaigns and build capacity for nonprofit organizations.
 
Before founding Confluence Strategies, Jon was the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at Common Cause, where he managed operations for the nation’s premier government reform organization with 70 staff and operations in Washington, D.C. and in 35 states.  Between 1997 and 2007 he served in a variety of other capacities for Common Cause, including as director of the organization’s redistricting program, director of civic engagement efforts and as Executive Director of Colorado Common Cause.
 
From 1989 to 1994 and again in 1996 and 1997 Jon led environmental advocacy campaigns for the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG), serving as Environmental Program Director, Environmental Advocate and as a campaign organizer.

Education

Bachelor of Arts, University of Denver, 1988 Denver, CO
International Studies, Latin America Concentration; Minor in Spanish
 
Master of Public Administration, University of Colorado at Denver, 2002 Denver, CO
Focus on civic participation and nonprofit management

Community Involvement

Jon has been engaged in his community on many fronts.  He currently works with parents and the PTA at his children’s school, William Roberts K-8, leading efforts to improve traffic safety issues around the school.  He was the Co-Founder and Chair of Northwest Parents for Excellent Schools, an organization started in 2002 to improve achievement in Northwest Denver schools.  He is a board member of the Colorado Public Interest Research Foundation.
 
In 2008 Jon volunteered on President Barack Obama’s campaign, registering voters, conducting telephone outreach to voters and participating in Get Out the Vote efforts in Denver’s Montbello and Green Valley Ranch Neighborhoods.  Jon also used his organizing background to volunteer as an area campaign director on the Leave no Voter Behind grassroots political campaign in 2004.